This article was originally published on 19 May 2023

“Before you give up on teaching completely, just try one more school.”

It’s advice you’ll often hear - particularly as the deadline for resigning for this academic year approaches.

But what happens when, rather than turning your back on the profession, you follow that advice and do indeed try a new school, setting, phase or role in the sector?

We spoke to teachers, headteachers and school leaders about the times the classroom door almost shut for the last time and what made it swing open again - for them or their colleagues.

As retention issues continue to cause huge staffing issues in schools, the hope is that these stories could help others considering leaving the profession to think about giving it one last shot…

1. The false start

Tom Western is a member of senior leadership at a special educational needs school in Northern Ireland

My second year of teaching nearly broke me. It was after one year as a newly qualified teacher (NQT) and I was given a class that was well known as “the challenging class”. In the staffroom, experienced teachers spoke of how glad they were when their year with them came to an end.

After just a few weeks, I realised I was out of my depth. I received little to no support from leadership and instead was made to feel inadequate for struggling. Over time, it all became too much; I left the school and felt like I wanted nothing to do with teaching. In fact, I even accepted a sales job.

But my mum, who worked in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) education, intervened and convinced me to become a supply teacher for SEND schools.

I gave it a go and immediately found myself enjoying it. It gave me a great experience in a variety of settings. Over one term, I taught at special primary schools, secondary schools, pupil referral units and social, emotional and mental health settings, in both teaching and support roles.

That term was the most valuable of my career. It gave me a clear view of what different sorts of schools were out there and I had a better idea about what I wanted from a school, as well as what I didn’t want.

Most importantly, that term doing supply meant I began to rebuild my confidence and see my future in teaching again full time. I saw a teaching job in an Autism Resource Provision within a mainstream school and was fortunate enough to get it.

I loved the school and stayed for almost five years. I continued to regain my confidence in myself thanks, in no small part, to a leadership team that believed in me and pushed me to be the best I can be.

For others feeling like they’ve lost their love of teaching, I would advise them to try supply if they can afford to do so. The term I spent on supply was absolutely invaluable and shaped my career going forward.

I’d also advise people to look at working in the SEND sector. It’s a totally different world from mainstream schools and although it’s not for everybody, everyone should at least have a look.

I’m so glad I took my mum’s advice!

2. The values mismatch

Andrew Taylor is the senior lecturer in primary education at the University of Worcester

Over the years, I have worked with trainees and early career teachers (ECTs) who have been placed in schools where they have had experiences that did not align with their ethos or values for education.

Partly because they’re so early on in their career, these teachers often became disheartened and start to question whether teaching is “for them”. Fortunately, we usually find that their next placement or a specific experience reignites that passion.

Sometimes, though, what needs to happen is for the trainee to go to a school that provides a totally different educational experience than they could have imagined. I once had a trainee who was in this position and so we arranged for an enhancement place at a farm school.

Offering the trainee insight into a type of school he hadn’t previously considered helped him see a future for himself in education.

The placement proved to be a huge success and the teacher went on to secure a job at a farm school once he qualified.

I would always advocate trying somewhere new before leaving teaching - from initial teacher training and ECT to senior leadership. From doing my role, I’ve seen there are so many different schools and opportunities out there so it’s always worth trying something new.

This can give you the opportunity to reignite that spark that brought you into teaching in the first place.

3. Single-school fatigue

Sree Matthews is a teacher in an alternative provision unit in Sheffield

I started my career in the same school where I did my NQT year and I stayed there for many years, doing every role possible in the English department: I led key stages 3 and 4, I was in charge of the trainee and new teachers, and I have also been literacy coordinator.

I also especially liked working with top students at GCSE and A level and pushing them to be their best - it was very much my comfort zone.

Despite all this experience and time in the school, when I returned to work following a period of adoption leave, I discovered my place in the department had completely changed.

‘What I needed was change; too long anywhere can both grind you down and make you complacent’

While I had been away, my colleague had been appointed the new head of department, and the old head of department was now a senior leader. What began then was a long period of undermining me and bullying.

Although my head was supportive at first, nothing could stop the day-to-day misery of working with people who seemed determined to make me look bad. I felt completely finished with teaching and started to apply for roles outside the sector.

I’d got through to the third round of an interview for a really interesting role in local government when I spotted an advertisement for a teaching position in an alternative provision unit.

This would be totally outside my normal realm of expertise - but the change really intrigued me, and I thought if I was willing to jump to something out of education, why not try this, too?

I went to look around the unit and was blown away by the staff. I applied, had an interesting interview lesson and was thrilled to be offered the role.

Since starting, I feel like I’ve had the joy of teacher training all over again. I’ve learned so much about myself and effective teaching since coming here. What’s more, I’ve been able to add another subject to my skill set - and that in itself has felt invigorating and engaging.

I can see now that what I needed was change; too long anywhere can both grind you down and make you complacent. I think, before, I had been fearful to leave because I was so comfortable at my old school, although the experience of being bullied was dreadful at the time. Leaving and coming here has been the best thing that could have happened to me.

4. Overwhelmed by workload

Hannah Mills is a modern foreign languages teacher in the North of England

I was teaching in a mainstream state secondary school and found the workload overwhelming. I was working long days and not seeing friends and family. I kept thinking: “When things get less busy…” but that time never came.

Not only that but my self-confidence had been knocked through years of teaching in what I later recognised as a toxic workplace. My friends and family were all relieved when I told them I was leaving teaching, and I began to look into retraining as a translator.

However, a teaching friend recommended trying an independent school before leaving altogether. She, like me, had felt burned out and found a renewed passion for teaching and education after finding a position at an independent school.

Not having independent sector experience wasn’t a barrier and I secured a job very easily. Things are so different now. I love my job and my school; it feels like what teaching should be.

‘I knew I had made the right move within the first week. It felt so good to be back in the classroom’

That isn’t to say it’s without its own challenges. For example, we get a lot of students who wouldn’t cope in mainstream state schools and whose parents are lucky enough to be able to afford the fees.

The job itself is actually very similar really, but the key difference is I’ve never felt the dread I used to feel most days when I was heading into school.

Others who find themselves feeling like giving up should definitely try a different school before giving up on teaching completely.

The chances are it isn’t you, and instead you’ve just not found the school or setting that is right for you.

5. Lost touch with the classroom

David Larner is a classroom teacher at a primary school in Wales

When I first entered the classroom I really felt as if I was making a difference and it felt very rewarding.

At some point, the game changed. I’d gone from classroom teacher to subject lead to senior leader. As the responsibility grew, it tipped from child focused to accountability focused and my work-life balance went out the window.

I felt like education had become a race; the workload pressures coupled with the challenge of teaching during Covid meant the job was unrecognisable from what I had been doing when I left teacher training 15 years before. I decided I wanted out of schools completely.

However, while I was applying for other jobs, I found myself filling out the employment history on the application forms and writing that I got into education to “share my love of history with pupils”. That was when I realised I hadn’t been doing that for years!

This felt like a revelation as I realised education was where I really wanted to be - but back in the classroom, teaching the subject I loved. So, rather than throw in teaching altogether, I decided to apply for classroom teaching roles.

This was easier said than done, not least explaining why I was stepping down from a leadership role to a classroom teacher role - the wrong direction as it would seem to many.

Rather than avoid the issue, I decided being upfront was the best approach and in covering letters I addressed the point early on and explained I had missed the classroom and wanted to be back there.

When choosing where to apply, I was very careful about my next role and I spent a lot of time speaking to current staff at schools with vacancies and I didn’t apply to a school without visiting first.

After being successfully appointed, I knew I had made the right move within the first week of being in post. It felt so good to be back in the classroom where I felt I did the best job.

What’s more, a few things became apparent to me: working in leadership had disconnected me from my colleagues and this had meant I wasn’t getting the enjoyment of working as a team and that feeling of camaraderie.

Since changing, I have had the happiest two years of my whole career. I feel like I am back doing what I went into teaching for.

6. Mental health challenges

Amy Reubin is a primary school teacher in Cumbria

It was around this time of year nine years ago when I felt totally done with teaching. My notice had been handed in after a particularly difficult week.

I’d returned to work following a sickness bug that I had caught from a colleague and as “punishment” I had been put on cover in every single free period - including my planning, preparation and assessment, which I was told “wasn’t needed as I hadn’t been in last week”.

My friends and family were so pleased when I broke the news that I was leaving the school - and teaching - for good. As the last weeks of term ticked by, I felt the anxiety and depression lift. I realised it wasn’t me, it was the stress of the job.

I did have a plan to go into business with my sibling, but my old NQT mentor suggested that I should try “one more school” before I totally gave up on teaching. He reminded me how much I had enjoyed being in the classroom when I first trained and suggested looking at roles in international schools.

The thought of a “gap year” really appealed and as I had a little basic Spanish, I thought of applying there, telling myself it would just be for a year.

The interview process was challenging; I had three interviews before being appointed, and expectations were high.

When I first started, it took a while to adjust to the different system - but the one year turned into two, and the time I spent in Spain was by far the best of my whole career so far.

I’ve since returned to the UK and have stayed in teaching. I think with real sadness that I came so close to quitting - and relief that I didn’t. Teaching is a tough job, but it doesn’t need to take over your life. Sometimes it isn’t you, it’s the school.

7. Wrong job, right school

Paul Sutton is headteacher of Greig City Academy in North London

I have been a headteacher in two different schools for over 20 years and in that time I’ve seen plenty of teachers leave - often for other schools and promotions but sometimes because they want to leave the profession altogether.

When that happens I feel it’s my duty to find out why, and if we can help them. Sometimes you can’t and it is the right move for that teacher. However, there have been several times where I’ve been able to retain that teacher by thinking outside the box.

One good example of this is an NQT who was employed as a physics teacher. Having become a fully qualified teacher, it became apparent that he was not well suited to the classroom at that time. So, when he handed in his resignation, I didn’t accept it and instead offered him a data manager role. This was hugely successful, both for him and the Academy.

‘Teaching is a tough job, but it doesn’t need to take over your life. Sometimes it isn’t you, it’s the school’

He did well in the post, and his experience of the classroom allowed him a better perspective on the numbers than someone who came from a non-teaching background. He stayed with us for a number of years and we really benefited from keeping him.

Other times, the problem isn’t so much the job itself but a desire to change direction within the profession or change the subject they are teaching.

The most recent example that springs to mind is a member of teaching staff who was a cover supervisor and business studies teacher. She shared with us a wish to become a food technology teacher.

We were able to facilitate this move and ended up with a hugely enthusiastic and highly effective food technology teacher - an area of genuine shortage in the profession.

As an academy, we have been able to put aside a small pot of money that we use to support staff in this kind of unusual position. This helps keep them in the classroom and, ultimately, gives you a happier teacher.

When we do this it’s always a good feeling and even if they leave for new opportunities elsewhere in the future, it’s good to know that we helped stop a talented teacher from leaving the profession - that’s always a positive.