Small
and/or
Start-up
and/or
Privately owned single school
· Smaller team, family environment and culture
· Strong camaraderie, especially in new start-ups
· More scope for creativity
· Potential exposure to a range of roles, experiences and responsibilities
· Perhaps more flexible policies, regulations and requirements
· Greater focus on individual rather than group needs
· Closer contact (and more visibility) with heads and senior leaders
· Greater chance to be part of decision-making processes and to make a noticeable impact
· Individual achievements recognised
· Possibly easier to advance to senior positions
· Potentially easier to secure employment as an early career teacher
· Possibly lower job security
· Lower pay, fewer benefits, less attractive conditions (think instant coffee, not filter)
· Smaller budgets; potential for rapid changes or instability if funding fluctuates.
· Fewer support staff (yes, you may have to do your own photocopying)
· Limited access to professional development, especially funded; you may have to pay your own way
· In single-owner schools, you may be beholden to their whims and foibles
· Performance management, if it happens at all, might be ad hoc
· Flexibility in systems and policies can lead to inequity, less transparency and greater chance of favouritism
· You may have to wait years for an entrenched colleague to leave in order to advance