As you read this, are you sitting in the staffroom with a bunch of disgruntled 40-something males, grumbling about the bright young females over in the “knitting circle”? Or are you an eager NQT who spends all her spare time hobnobbing with the senior management team?
Whoever you are, it is time to take stock. According to new research (page 3) where you sit at breaktime and with whom not only tells others what you teach and how dedicated you are, but also whether you want promotion, are a member of the awkward squad, or eager for escape. If you really are ambitious, get your graph paper out, draw a map of who sits where, work out the pros and cons of joining each group, then make your move. Otherwise have a nice cup of tea.
