Leaving familiar surroundings and going to join a new school can be simultaneously stressful and exciting. 

During this whirlwind time, it’s easy to overlook points of irritation and look for the positives in order to try to see the best in our new situation - and, in time, we settle into a new routine and all is well.

Sometimes, however, it quickly becomes apparent that we’ve been sold a Potemkin village, and the picture painted at interview doesn’t match the reality of the school’s situation.

It may be that the behaviour culture makes teaching unfeasible, that there is a lack of collegiality among staff or that promises of professional development opportunities go unfulfilled. It may simply be that you disagree with the current management’s ethos.

Whatever the situation, it puts a new hire in a less-than-ideal position - do you stick it out and try to effect change, or move on?

Can you effect change?

At first, it’s worth taking the opportunity to be solution focused. If you have a concern, be proactive and speak to peers to see if you can address it together.

It may be that they are unaware of the issue and your insight is welcome; a fresh pair of eyes can provide an approach that had not previously been considered, after all.

If issues still persist, you should of course speak to your line manager or HR if required to raise the point that a promise from the job advert or induction process is going unfulfilled - such as access to CPD or the lessons you are delivering.

If the problem is more culture related, or linked to management style, it could be harder to broach as it may feel as though you are attacking the very organisation you have recently decided to join.

In this context, it could be worth reaching out to previous members of staff for context about how the current situation arose and help to deepen your understanding about how to effect change and what the most effective change would be.

Making peace with the wrong move

However, if on doing all this it remains clear that your efforts are in vain, you may have to face the reality that it’s time to move on.

Doing this so soon into a role can be tough and feelings of guilt may surface, but the first thing to recognise is that you should not blame yourself for joining the school in the first place.

We are only as good as the evidence we have in front of us; it isn’t until we actually start working somewhere that we can ever truly know its culture, personnel or ethos.

A good way to reconcile this with yourself is to reflect on your decision to join the school in the first place and what you thought it would be like versus what the reality is.

If you know that you have done as much as you can with the opportunities presented to you to deliver for the school, then you can make the decision with a clear head - no sense of guilt need follow you around.

It’s also worth recognising that the culture of each country and school moves at a different pace, according to the infrastructure and level of bureaucracy in that setting.

Some suit us as teachers and leaders more than others, and it is important to bear in mind that two teachers can join a school at the same time and have very different experiences. 

Thus, the colleague who arrived with you, and with whom you have shared your frustrations, may be happy to renew their contract for reasons you cannot fathom. Again, it is about recognising your own values and career aspirations and taking your own decision.

The pupil question

Perhaps the hardest element of leaving, though, is the departing from students you have got to know and like partway through a course. We spend most of our days with our students; our interactions with them are a big part of why we stay in a particular school. 

While students in international schools often move at unconventional points in a year, such as midway through their IGCSEs, it is less common for teachers to depart at times other than the end of a school year.

This can be tough to do, but it is better to move than to remain somewhere and feel as though you are not progressing and that, potentially, the quality of our teaching is suffering as a result - which can inadvertently affect your students.

Once the decision to leave is made and notice has been given, there comes a psychological freedom that then allows us to enjoy the remainder of our time. 

It is also difficult to assess what our legacy will be: the factors that have made our own time there difficult or less enjoyable may be removed within months as others move on, new infrastructure comes in and additional colleagues remark on issues like those you have highlighted.

The important part is to own your decision to leave, especially if it comes sooner than you were anticipating.  Remember: it’s redirection - there’s always something better ahead.

The author is an experienced international leader