"I don't think I would have been out of teaching by now had I not joined.”

After 20 years in the classroom - 13 in secondary and 7 in primary - Steph had reached a point where she was really ready for a change. She felt stuck, and not for the first time; she'd tried to leave eight years earlier and given up, resigning herself to staying put in the classroom. This time, with the right support around her, it was different.

Now a Learning Designer in the civil service, Steph is five months in and already feels like a different person. Her friends have all said it - her confidence is back. With hybrid working, flexi time, and the ability to close the laptop and actually switch off, she's no longer using every holiday day just to recover.

In this episode, we also talk about:

• Community support - and why it makes the difference
• Why it’s not ‘just’ about the CV
• Uncovering your values - and using them to filter your job search
• Translating your teaching experience
• Targeting roles that value equivalent experience over specific qualifications
• Upskilling opportunities once you're in the role
• What a Learning Designer actually does day-to-day
• Stakeholder management in L&D roles
• “But what about the holidays?”
• Building project management skills
• Changing your environment as the fastest route back to confidence

Links & Resources:

Project Management Fundamentals

⛺ Next Step Fest 2026 is coming! FREE online event for teachers ready to leave ~ released 23rd July. Register here now 🩷