anyone not sure about a job when interviewing?

[cricketballs]

I have an interview tomorrow for a HoD position but I'm not sure if I want it! The biggest thing is change of working conditions (academy with longer days and more contact days) and traveling distance. I know I can do the job (being unofficial HoD for a number of years) and was previously a HoY.

There are a lot if pros for taking it, especially as promotion at my current school seems to be a non existent dream, but the working conditions, travel do seem to be holding back my enthusiasm for the vacancy (I live 10 mins away from current school)

Any advice? Anyone actually said when offered - let me think about it?

[Brookville]

It's not something I'd take on lightly. The grass is always greener.
Maybe draw up a list of your personal priorities tonight and try and work out which would be achieved / wiped out in the new role.
Academies are stressful: the accountability is huge and you have SLT on your back ensuring your Dept members are all implementing whatever the latest policy is. You might have some in your team who won't play ball so you might spend lots of time observing lessons & writing up reports etc. The other slightly annoying thing IMHO about academies is all the new initiatives and partnerships etc they get involved with which again demands more of your time.
Think of good questions to ask your department if you can: are they involved in lots outside the curric and try and gauge the general stress levels! (Heads down, rushing about with stacks of books and USB sticks isn't ideal...)
I quit being a HoD after kids and am delighted it's no longer me doing all that. The pressure to maintain 'Outstanding' got to me and I don't want that in my life now.
However maybe you'll love the drive & opportunities to excel?

[mrsnewfie]

I would be very wary of an academy with worse working conditions.
I work for a large academy chain and it's hell! I should have gone with my gut feeling when offered the job and listened to advice!
I can let you know which chain via PM if you want.
That said, there's no harm in looking around and going through the interview process.

[cricketballs]

didn't get it (there was an internal candidate!) - but I'm glad as I would not have accepted anyway. Whilst it was lovely to look at from an outsider's point of view in terms of the building, the rooms, the facilities; there were worrying signals showing such as a student who did the tour admitted to falling asleep on the bus home as the days were that long and intense. But the most telling of all for me were two things -

1. the one room we did not go into was the main staff room
2. the lack of wedding rings on the staff I saw around the school - seems to me that it was somewhere with such a heavy work load that it was not not a place to work if you wanted a family life

But as you said mrsnewfie - interview practice always comes in useful (especially if you haven't gone through the process in a number of years!)

[mrsnewfie]

Sounds like you had a lucky escape!
Good luck with any future interviews.
X

[MrsYoungSalvoMontalbano]

cricket - well spotted re the giveaway clues

[cricketballs]

when speaking to my colleagues tonight it was a 'female intuition thing' about the wedding rings! They both said they wouldn't have noticed/thought anything of it