Staffing crisis in schools - teachers/school staff, what's your school like?

[noblegiraffe]

Discussions with fellow teachers about the current crisis in school staffing has raised the issue of whether parents know how bad it is. I guess they won't know if we don't tell them?

My school - struggling to recruit teachers. There are subjects at A-level where students are currently teaching themselves, and with no prospect of a teacher on the horizon. Last year we had similar issues, pupils went into exams not fully prepared, and coursework was a huge problem. At GCSE where we couldn't recruit, there was a teacher in front of the class, but not qualified in that subject and pupils complained about the syllabus not being taught.

TA provision has been cut to the bone. There is only in class support if a child has an EHCP, this support is then spread to other children who need help. Due to backlogs with EHCP applications, and applications routinely being rejected (the assumption is automatic rejection, then appeal) some very needy children get no additional help in class. In addition, we have bigger classes due to leaving teachers not being replaced, so teachers are spread even more thinly.

There are huge concerns about teacher recruitment for next year as the number of trainees on local PGCE courses has collapsed.

And I know my school is in a relatively good position compared to others.

One of dd's A level teachers was off sick long term and the school either couldn't afford to replace her or couldn't find someone suitable. Not sure which. So they just had no teacher for that teacher's lessons.
I'm guessing that wouldn't happen in a private school, so that's why I'm a bit dubious about the "state school oiks nicking uni placed from more deserving private school students" posts. People know when they use private their kids get better opportunities but then suddenly seem to think that state school kids have just as much chance to perform well as their kids do when it comes to uni applications. My dd didn't get a contextual offer for her uni place by the way and it wasn't oxbridge

I've sidetracked a bit but that's my twopennorth

Support staff is the particular issue in my school. We are about 50% down on the LSA team compares to what we need. Not a single applicant in the last three years has any experience or training. LSAs stay a short while and then for much better paid, less challenging work. Same for pastoral staff or midday supervisors, or catering staff. None to be found.

We can and have recruited teaching staff in my school but only just and that is only because we are known as an okay place to work. Other schools in my area have multiple vacancies, particularly for maths , science, tech, English, MFL and some A level only subjects. No one can recruit for sociology or economics. Those students are basically teaching themselves.

We can't get supply staff or more than one a day when needed (which is often; staff illness is very high atm.) Classes are crashed or existing staff lose their planning time to cover.

In short, it's crap and getting worse.

In a word, awful. It's the kind of thing people don't talk about to other people unless they are in schools as lots already blame school staff for stuff outside their circle of control.

From my experiences people are becoming very unwell with mental health illnesses and pressure from parents not understanding what schools actually are. Not medical facilities with 24/7 child psychiatric services on tap.

Schools can't cure the issues teens have, most of the problems are coming from home and are a reflection of the ills in society. I wish parents did know what really happens, how disturbed some of the pupils are. They can't get help and so the fallout from their adverse experiences affects the whole class.

It's very sad but doesn't get much publicity due to staff feeling they need to solve every problem. It's at a point where nobody capable and with a real interest in these jobs will train so no decent schools, no doctors or nurses either.

And everything VioletLemon said.

It's a huge burden being the front line of all society's ills.

VioletLemon hits the nail on the head.

We're endlessly picking up the slack for cuts to all other services and expected to have a magic wand.

If I could afford to send DC private then I would and I never thought I'd get to that point.

Massive reduction in TAs. Even students with EHCPs aren't getting support in all lessons.

Recruiting HTLAs and TAs to do jobs previously filled by teachers.

Approx 15 lessons a week on the timetable permanently staffed by cover in subjects parents wouldn't notice or care about where there MUST be poor behaviour.

Recruitment ha always been a bit of an issue in my school but now it really is quite desperate so quality of staff is declining. Far more requests from people to reduce hours.

Staff who leave , or go on eg maternity not replaced. Boteh non teaching and teaching. Teachers who are light on timetable doing non teaching tasks and roles.

High levels of staff absence is also a problem.

Oh, how could I forget that we also had three redundancies .

High levels of staff absence is also a problem.

One of my classes asked me the other day "are you never off ill?" because I've not missed any of their lessons this year. This was apparently worthy of comment because they are getting lots of cover teachers in other subjects.

Obviously staff absence creates more workload for remaining staff, and pupil behaviour is more of an issue when pupils are having lots of cover.

What I notice: the impact of inadequately supported SEND provision in mainstream.

I’m noticing that behaviour is quite difficult in some schools. I would say it’s down to inadequate support for the more vulnerable pupils.

I’m actually pulling punches, here. I think the situation is truly depressing in some schools.

Schools are stretched; schools are embedded in a society where public resources are beyond stretched. We have a system that, for example, promises inclusion - and then can’t support that inclusion.

I’m getting quite depressed about it.

The pay is shit for a professional job which requires the level of skills teaching does - I wouldn't go into it now and might well leave if pay doesn't improve. Yes I love the job and don't want to let the students down which is why I'm still there. I am never off sick, do a really good job and get 'outstanding results'. But I'm not a complete mug and feel completely taken advantage of.

It is awful, I’m in N Ireland, where we traditionally have a surplus of teachers, a higher percentage stay in jobs for years meaning NQTs wait years for a permanent job.

For over a year, schools have really struggled to get sub cover. This has been positive for younger teachers but I have a slight concern that loss of experienced teachers means we’ll become more like England. By this I mean, more fairly experienced inexperienced teachers being promoted, fewer teachers who stay in 1 school for long enough to really get the school and community.

My school currently has about 10% of staff off sick, over half of these absences are directly or indirectly due to the increased stress in school. It’s almost impossible to get subs for certain subjects, or when we can get them they don’t have A Level experience. When TAs are off sick there are no replacements.

Aishah231
That's one reason I stepped back from leadership. More and more things were added to my plate and it wasn't sustainable whilst still being a good wife and mother.
Now I'm happily working part time and there's another experienced teacher exploring other options.

I had a class arrive Friday period 5 saying "miss you're the first proper teacher we've had all day". Four hours of cover preceded my lesson for those students. This isn't abnormal.

Can't recruit science or maths specialists for love nor money. Science taught by a range of staff at key stage 3.

TAs mostly leave after a couple of months, aside from the hardcore few employed on older, better contracts with fewer hours expected.

Support staff have left/died and not been replaced. I can think of 4 roles absorbed into others in the last 5 years.

I removed the burden of school from one of my children, at the same time removing school from the burden of them.

They had little support. Now they are at home with no more support, but a lot less stress at least. I expect the feeling is mutual sadly.

I sort the cover in a large high school. The number of teachers off sick and especially long term sick is incredible. It's a vicious circle, fewer staff in, more work for the ones who are left, who are then so overloaded they go off with stress. I rang 7 agencies one morning and couldn't get a single supply teacher. Every morning by the time I have finished sorting cover, I am shaking. We are all hanging on by our fingernails!

I have been teaching since time immemorial. Stress has always been real in teaching and people always used to talk about 'the teacher off with stress'. This year , we must have had at least six teachers off with stress related issues, and two who have left for the sake of their Mental Health.

Our local authority is massively struggling. I used to work in learning support until a couple of years ago and I’ve had six phone calls this year basically begging me to come back and each on a higher salary than the last offer.

Somewhat ironically I can’t because of the shortage of provision available for my youngest DD.

Where to start?

SEND provision is a joke. Completely overstretched SENDCO, only minimal number of TAs (funded by EHCPs but used for all kids with SEN). Support plans that are routinely not followed through because we just don’t have the staff.

Pastoral support has been cut to the bone.

People are doing two or three peoples jobs. Teachers that are also Heads of Year and Pastoral Support Managers and Deputy DSLs. SLT all have huge remits and no protected time, so also doing before/after school/lunch/break duties and literally don’t get a break EVER.

Sickness absence is on the rise. Staff turnover is high (used to be very low; people wanted to work here, valued their secure jobs, felt that the joy of educating children outweighed the generally poor salaries - no more).

Morale is low. Staff are exhausted. Parents seem angry, stressed and blaming.

This is a very good school, in an area known for its good schools. We have a fantastic, supportive Headteacher and Governing Body.

Id it’s like this here, I dread to think what other schools are like.

There isn’t enough funding, we don’t have enough staff and our remits expand at a ridiculous rate while the resources disappear. Incredibly bleak times for education.

We do have a lot of TAs as we have a lot of high needs children often with severe behavioural difficulties. School tends to employ NQTs over more experienced teachers so suppose that would help with the budgeting.

The school really struggled to fill two TA positions recently. There was a point where there would be so many applicants they were made to do SATS maths papers to whittle them down. Very few applicants this time and those that did apply had very little experience.

I left school governance after years at the end of last term as it was far more stressful than my day job. I have no idea how teachers cope.

Schools need to stop being the dumping ground for all of society’s ills, until they are resourced accordingly. Perversely, I think it’s only the total breakdown of the system, or schools having the ability to pass the buck for problems, that will make any difference.

We are choosing secondaries next year and after a fairly mediocre primary experience, not helped by Covid, I’m quite stressed about what secondary will actually be able to deliver for my child.

Sadly I am all to aware from my DC Y9 &10. My dd is GCSE year and her education suffered through lockdown and this is starting to show with the gaps in her knowledge. The teacher issue is now a current worry of mine, her amazing geography teacher is on long term sick, she now has a supply who just gives out workbooks, they are currently trying to recruit but dd has been told, they are in likely to just be mixed in other classes. Dd is predicted a high grade and I am worried that she won't be able to get this with all the disruption.

What can we as parents do? If I approach the school to ask questions we don't get anywhere and they seem to deny or deflect.

I hate this government for what they have done to schools and health care. I am an NHS nurse and am so tired of what is happening.

If I approach the school to ask questions we don't get anywhere and they seem to deny or deflect.

The issue is that parents won't/cant/don't accept that sometimes there is nothing schools can do. We can't magic up teachers. We end up deflecting to avoid the verbal abuse when we tell the truth.

I teach in primary and we are OK for teachers, it is TAs and lunchtime staff we desperately need and can't recruit. TAs are leaving and we can't find replacements. We are having incredibly challenging children arriving in Reception, never having been assessed. Many need 1:1 support to keep them and the other children safe. It takes months, if not years to get an EHCP in place so there is no additional funding until that time.

My own DC is at secondary and there is a noticeable shortage of teachers. She has 2-3 cover lessons every week. They haven't done DT at all (Y8) as the school cannot recruit a DT teacher.

It is really dire. Redundancies as our budget has been stripped, we can't recruit teachers or support staff - no one is applying. No staff to support the EHCP's we have. All staff are overstretched and most looking for jobs outside of teaching. The SEND system is broken and vulnerable children are left without the support they need.

Something really needs to change and immediately but most people are unaware. how the teacher strikes are portrayed by the media makes it sound like we're greedy without addressing the real issue