All posts tagged: recruitment

Special school leaders fear QTS plan could worsen recruitment crisis

Special school leaders fear QTS plan could worsen recruitment crisis

Published by skeptic

More from this theme Recent articles Special school leaders fear the government’s plans to ensure all teachers have qualified teacher status (QTS) could limit the curriculum and worsen the recruitment crisis. State-run special schools employ significantly more teachers without QTS than mainstream settings, according to a new report by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER). About 10 per cent of teachers in special schools do not have QTS, compared with 2 to 3 per cent in primary and secondary schools. “This isn’t about SEND and AP being more willing to appoint unqualified staff,” said Nic Crossley, the chief executive of the Liberty Academy Trust. “Right across the sector, recruiting QTS teachers is a constant challenge.” Nic Crossley As well as staffing issues, she said there was no established QTS pathway for many of the vocational subjects taught in her schools. Instead, she employed industry professionals and higher-level teaching assistants who “bring valuable real-world experience and can do an excellent job”. Staff without QTS are “less a preference, but more a necessity driven by the …

We need a better recruitment story than the ‘born teacher’

We need a better recruitment story than the ‘born teacher’

Published by skeptic

More from this theme Recent articles The idea that being a great teacher is somehow innate is attractive in its simplicity. But it is wrong, and it is arguably intensely unattractive to those who don’t identify with it, putting many talented people off from entering the profession. Yes, some may begin their careers with certain natural attributes, such as high emotional intelligence, a curious mindset and an ability to connect with young people. But that is far from the whole package. Great teaching is not instinctive; it is built over time. In part, the myth of the ‘born teacher’ appeals because we think telling people that teaching is one of the most complex and demanding professions will scare them away. But isn’t it worse to start under a false pretence only to discover the deep commitment it requires? Might that not explain why so many leave so early? Instead, might we not be better off highlighting the satisfaction of guiding a class to overcome a difficult concept, the joy of helping young people develop resilience …

England’s maths teacher recruitment problem is set to worsen

England’s maths teacher recruitment problem is set to worsen

Published by skeptic

Everyone should leave school with a solid understanding of maths. Decent mathematics literacy is a hugely important skill in many aspects of life. We need it when budgeting for a weekly shop, asking for a pay rise and completing a tax return. An interest and enjoyment in maths fostered at school can lead people to study the subject further. Mathematics graduates go on to professions in government, industry, software development and financial analytics, as well as many genres of engineering. In total, 13% of all employment in the UK is in professions that depend on mathematical sciences. A workforce that has been well taught in maths is crucial to a society’s prosperity. Building a workforce skilled in mathematics in England, however, will be difficult when there are not enough people qualified to teach the subject at school. Mathematics is a technical discipline. Quality teaching relies on its educators to have specific training: a university degree in maths. Research published in 2019 in Australia found that secondary school students achieved noticeably higher results when they were …

Future perfect: the AI tools helping startups to predict and plan their recruitment | Work Redefined

Future perfect: the AI tools helping startups to predict and plan their recruitment | Work Redefined

Published by Sam

Imagine the future of HR. You get a message on your phone. It says that, as a result of a recent organisational reshuffle, you’re going to need to hire someone new. The message suggests a shortlist of half a dozen candidates, all of whom are well-qualified and a good fit with your organisational culture. Better still, every one of them can start within a month. All you have to do is choose those who are best suited for interview. Most of this future is already here. Platforms such as Employment Hero offer sophisticated AI tools that help SMEs manage HR and recruitment, and this extends to predicting future needs and proactively suggesting potential candidates. “What we do is run AI tools across our clients’ businesses, and look at areas such as the organisational structure, how often they have people leave and how long it takes them to hire,” says Kevin Fitzgerald, UK managing director of Employment Hero, a global employment management platform that is using AI to make doing business easier for SMEs. “We use …

Recruitment could be worse than it looks, DfE suggests

Recruitment could be worse than it looks, DfE suggests

Published by skeptic

More from this theme Recent articles Abysmal teacher recruitment data may be under-stating the challenge, the government has suggested, given “underperformance” in subjects with already generous bursaries and retention payments. The Department for Education has published its evidence to the School Teachers’ Review Body. Its proposal of a 2.8 per cent pay rise for teachers next year has grabbed headlines, but the evidence sheds a light on government thinking about the recruitment and retention crisis. Here’s what we learned. 1. Abysmal recruitment data may under-state the challenge… Successive governments have missed secondary teacher recruitment targets for years, apart from during a brief improvement during the Covid pandemic. Primary recruitment has also stalled recently, with the target missed by the largest margin on record this year. But the DfE warned in its evidence that comparing performance against recruitment targets “does not reflect the relative recruitment challenges across subjects in full”. “For example, the underperformance against target in subjects such as maths, physics, chemistry, and computing is especially notable, given the interventions already in place, including bursaries …

’Isolated’ schools miss out on effective heads

’Isolated’ schools miss out on effective heads

Published by skeptic

Study reveals which areas are unable to attract the best headteachers Study reveals which areas are unable to attract the best headteachers More from this theme Recent articles Schools in the north west are the most likely to be “isolated” and shut out from attracting the best headteachers, a new report claims. An Education Policy Institute report found current and future headteachers tended to work only in connected “communities” – groups of schools often within the same region – and were unlikely to move for work outside of those areas. EPI said this creates “isolated” schools which are left without access to the best headteachers. The north west had the largest proportion of isolated primary schools (20 per cent), while isolated secondary schools are concentrated in the West Midlands, east of England, and south east (all around 15 per cent). Meanwhile, London attracts more than half of the most effective primary heads, although fewer than half develop their leadership skills there. The north east is also revealed as “disproportionately successful in developing and attracting highly …

Why flexible working for teachers can b best of all worlds

Why flexible working for teachers can b best of all worlds

Published by skeptic

More from this theme Recent articles When English teacher Gareth Edwards broke his ankle, attempting a karate kick dance move at the school Christmas party, he was able to recuperate at home and teach classes remotely. Then, when the 59-year-old was contemplating early retirement last year, he was persuaded instead to go down to three days a week. Had his school, Thomas Gainsborough in Suffolk, not allowed him that flexibility, he “probably” would have ended his career altogether. Last year, almost 40,000 teachers left state schools for reasons other than retirement. Because of his school’s flexibility, Edwards wasn’t one of those. Part of Unity Schools Partnership, Thomas Gainsborough is one of 10 ambassador schools and trusts (one for each region) appointed by the Department for Education to develop flexible working approaches and provide advice to others interested in doing the same. Nationally, only around 20 per cent of secondary school teachers work part-time. At Thomas Gainsborough, it is more than a third (34 of its 100 teachers) – a rise of 15 per cent on …

Teaching assistant recruitment a struggle for 3 in 4 heads

Teaching assistant recruitment a struggle for 3 in 4 heads

Published by skeptic

Three in four headteachers are struggling to recruit teaching assistants, with most secondary and special school leaders anticipating needing more to cope with rising SEND demand. A government-commissioned report also found low pay was a “key reason why some TAs considered leaving the role”, and that a lack of opportunities for progression is a bugbear for around half of them. The Department for Education commissioned the report from CFE Research, which includes surveys of school leaders and TAs by pollster YouGov in May and June 2023. Seventy-five per cent of leaders surveyed found it fairly or extremely difficult to recruit TAs. This was higher for secondary school leaders (82 per cent). Retention was “less of a concern, but still difficult for under a third (29 per cent) of leaders and the challenges were again greater for secondary leaders (47 per cent) compared to those leading primary schools (25 per cent)”.  Eighty-nine per cent of leaders said they struggled to recruit TAs with the desired level of skills. Low pay is driving TAs away The survey …

Trusts target sixth formers in recruitment drive

Trusts target sixth formers in recruitment drive

Published by skeptic

More from this theme Recent articles Academy trusts are “growing” their own talent by training sixth-form leavers for central team roles and encouraging them into the classroom with teaching masterclasses. Schools face severe teacher shortages and often struggle to spend their apprenticeship levy. A recent study by the National Foundation for Educational Research found Generation Z – those born after 1997 – are “slightly more likely to fit the motivational profile of a future teacher than millennials”. It led to calls for more schemes to entice them into the workforce. The Education Alliance (TEAL), which runs 12 schools in Yorkshire, has developed what it says is the “UK’s first virtual work experience programme” for sixth-formers and undergraduates considering teaching.  Sarah Barley, the alliance’s director of employability who launched the online virtual work experience programme during lockdown, said attracting sixth-formers could help ministers meet their commitment to hire 6,500 more teachers. Designed for pupils aged 16 to 18, it includes five modules that take 10 hours focusing on areas such as lesson planning and how to …

Labour’s 6,500 new teachers may not be delivered for years

Labour’s 6,500 new teachers may not be delivered for years

Published by skeptic

More from this theme Recent articles Labour’s manifesto promise to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers may not be delivered for years, and officials are also considering whether to loosen the pledge to include retention too, Schools Week understands. The party earmarked £450 million for the pledge, but still has not set out a timeline. During an interview with Times Radio on Monday, education secretary Bridget Phillipson said there would be “progress over the course of the parliament because that is a rather large number of teachers…” “But that was a day-one priority because I am clear the way that we drive up standards.” The Department for Education would not confirm whether this meant the new teachers, who will be in shortage subjects, would be recruited over the course of parliament, the next five years. That would average just over a thousand new teachers a year. Last year, 13,000 fewer teachers than required were recruited. Bridget Phillipson Schools Week understands it is one approach under consideration. Teachers would be recruited mostly over the next few years, …