I have just left teaching due to stress after suffering a year of, what I now recognise to be bullying at the hands of an aggressive management team. The whole experience has left me feeling completely shaken on many levels and questioning how this can be allowed to happen. I have decided not to return to teaching and am tentatively testing out what I might  be able to go into - something that will give me back my self-worth and faith in people again!

So I was just wondering if there was anyone out there in the same boat or who had any suggestions as to what I might do next.

Is it just me or does it seem that bullying in the work place is more prevalent amongst schools,. I have 3 friends going through that and in each case the SMT has been made up purely of women. Probably a coincidence but all the same an interesting fact.

Sadly, there is a lot of it about in teaching.  My own theory is that it has increased as a consequence of more and more external pressure being put on Heads to raise standards.  Those who might once have considered Headship frequently make the decision that it's just not worth the stress and loss of work-life balance, which means that inappropriate people are recuited to Headship. The problem is exaccerbated in challenging areas with difficult schools.  Employers are too willing to collude with bullying Heads, rather than face a large payout.

Unions, who should be taking a lead to challenge workplace bullying have been strangely silent and ineffective.  A recent FoI request revelaed that not one single teaching union has ever taken a case to court for a member under the Protection from Harassment Act - the relevant legislation to challenge bullying.  They are too content to negotiate a way out for a member, usually via a compromise agreement  and seem to think members should be pleased with that.  It needs joint action brought by unions for a handful of victims, where the payout is in 6 or 7 figures, for employers to realise that they cannot get away with it any longer.

The psychologist who treated me for PTSD caused by bullying, said he sees more teachers and members of the health service than everyone else put together. A University of Manchester study in 2000 found that as many as 1 in 4 teachers found themselves to be victims of bullying at some point in their careers.

As awful as your experience has been, OP, it would be a shame to turn your back on teaching.  The statistics above also mean that 3 out of 4 teachers will not experience bullying.  There are many good schools and Heads out there and plenty of stories on the forums ('Workplace Dilemmas' carries a lot of bullying threads...) of people who have moved on, after a bad experience and have found happiness and success in a new school.

Welcome to the boat!

Jumped ship in similar circumstances last year.  Now facing financial insecurity.   I do supply but it's very ad-hoc. 

Gardening leaves has hit the nail on the head (or should that be spotted the weed), Unions seem very reluctant to actually DO anything, but then again their hands are tied, it's very difficult to be determined enough to go through the procedure of taking it further in the face on the mental pressure such a process brings. 

I scan the job sites, but find little that doesn't demand previous experience.