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.

I'm leaving medicine because I need to be home to support my DC with SEN as EHCP application rejected despite clear need. Secondary will NOT be able to meet his needs and he WILL end up in crisis and school refusing (not disruptive but incredibly anxious if not properly supportive) ...so I need to be in a position to do my best to pick up the pieces, which I'm not while trying to work in the NHS with it falling apart around me, because the school system is so desperately under funded.🤷‍♀️..its just horrific in all public sectors .

Literally awful. Class sizes are increasing, we haven't replaced any staff who have left so far this year. We have had little to no interest in the jobs that have been advertised and we haven't advertised all of them. Using unqualified teachers as that's all that applied for one job. More and more being put on staff that have stayed. Money is a huge issue. Supply is everywhere. I am nearing breaking point because of the amount of stuff I am currently supposed to do. Been teaching for along time and I never remember it being this bad

I'm interested to know why this hasn't been posted in The Staffroom as the question is specifically aimed at teachers/school staff?

Because I want parents to read it.

We've just recruited a non-specialist who we didn't recruit in their specialism to a mat cover we couldn't otherwise staff. A warm body is better than nobody.
We can't recruit office staff.
We have 3 upcoming mat leaves to cover which we have no applicants for.
We have unfilled subject leadership positions.
We don't have staff to provide EHCP support to those entitled, much less those who need help but haven't yet got an ECHP.
We're running a deficit.
12 staff off yesterday. And that was a "good" day.

Not just schools, early years is awful at the moment. Cannot recruit and retain qualified staff. Trying to support children with suspected SEN and/or challenging behaviour, endless paperwork. For the sake of my mental health I have reduced my paid hours so I can do assessments etc. in unpaid hours. I love the job but I understand why others are leaving for better pay and conditions elsewhere. This country is letting our children down badly.

Ours is OK, in fact. I feel almost goady posting that compared to some of the horror stories here!

And the country is facing more public spending cuts.

I'm angry on your behalf about this. The NHS shouldn't lose a staff member just because SEN provision is hard to get and under-funded. You're right about public services. They're really being beaten to the ground by the Tories.

I'm an SEN teacher and we have a recruitment freeze. So any new children coming to our service have to be squeezed into our existing staff, which puts the pressure on. There's just no budget to recruit to the levels we actually need.

And don't get me started on the SEN Officers. There aren't enough, they're all over-worked and stressed, they know there are children who need ECHPs and Annual Reviews and transition help (that time of the year when schools are considered). They're doing what they can but the frustration and stress is clear to see.

I’m also leaving my job in software sales to support my dd in her GCSEs this year. She’s in a state grammar and fortunate in many respects but she hasn’t had maths teacher for most of the term due to staff illness. It affects all schools and I can only imagine so many children are let down both at home and at school.

Trying to recruit TAs at the moment is a nightmare.

We are a small Primary and have the highest number of children with complex needs that I have ever experienced. EHCPs keep being rejected time and time again, with children desperately needing specific support having to rely on what is supposed to be the class TA.

We are using our non-existent budget in trying to recruit 3 TAs at the moment and have not had one experienced application. Class teachers are on their knees trying to juggle the very high needs of a few, while loosing support for all the other children in some scarily low cohorts that are already way behind where they should be. I have been teaching over 30 years and am regularly close to tears during the school day because my job is becoming almost impossible.

From friends and family in education big issue is lack of geography teachers.

Same as pps on primary, teachers are okay (although our newest teacher trained during covid and hadn't actually done a single placement in a primary school...) but it's middays, after-school/breakfast club staff and TAs that we can't recruit. I think the midday role will soon cease to exist - who wants to work for 2 hours a day, 5 days a week, right in the middle of the day?

Or an hour? Or 45 minutes?

This is a very important point. I don't think our parents have a clue. Our SLT tend to minimise the issue if parents complain.

I’m doing my last stint at education I packed in teacher training TA and lunchtime for all of the reasons stated above my job is primary for lifetime disability dd but I needed a paid role for my self worth ridiculous I know too much time scrolling on here I guess

so I’ve gone into the school kitchen hard graft but no stress and I thought it was manageable but no the sickness is rife there too (they naturally employ mums of young kids for the handy hours but then they keep needing to be off as there kids are sick)

but this is dealt with in a different way if another school is short staffed your sent there to work if it’s out your way tough, if you think it’s unfair and other staff should take turns travelling to the other school tough or you want to know how long you’ll be travelling to the different school for again tough

you’ll go where they want for as long as they want you and the more hard working and dependable you are the more likely you are to be selected so I guess I’ll be leaving this job too as I’m too menopausal to be dealing with this shit

I agree. I work in a school in a leafy, prestigious suburb where most of the locals are high flying professionals. Trying to find someone local to fill lunchtime supervisor slots is impossible. The pay is so low that no-one is willing to pay travel costs or to spend much time to commute for a job that is 2 hours a day, in the middle of the day.
It will get worse, I can't imagine why anyone would commute to be a TA in a school miles from where they live when they could work locally. Some of our teachers have a commute into London of over an hour each way, which is appalling when you take into account the time they arrive at work ( most are in by 7:30 am ) and I often read emails sent at 6:30 am from colleagues. Yes I know people work hard in other jobs, I know medics possibly have it worse, but in most jobs you get breaks and can go to the loo when you need to, and have down time when you don't have to have eyes in the back of your head constantly scanning for problems. It is more exhausting than ,say, being an accountant or a lawyer or an actuary or a coder sitting at a desk. My colleagues are dropping like flies this last few weeks, we can't get enough supply staff, and Covid is now doing the rounds again.

Covid is now doing the rounds again.

I am worried about this remembering what it was like last Jan/Feb when the government put out its unanswered call for an army of volunteer teachers to prop up schools. If we get another wave like that, how will it impact the teaching workforce who will now be largely unvaccinated due to not qualifying for a booster jab?

I had my flu jab today. The LA gives us a voucher for them but no pharmacy near school takes the vouchers because the admin is too much. So I paid. But my covid jab needs boosting: more than half of the staff off yesterday have covid.

1000% this

But why? Why do you assume parents don't know what's going on?
What do you want parents to do? Sympathise? Try to make you feel better about your shit working conditions?
I don't see Nurses coming on here posting stuff like this for patients to read, or railway staff for commenters to read, or mail workers for letter receivers to read.
It's rubbish for all workers currently but I don't really know what you expect parents reading this to do?

I think parents know, our school has started sending year groups home this past week because of the high numbers of staff absence and lack of cover.

I work in a SEND secondary. Over 20 staff off this week, so classes have had to be closed meaning the students remained at home with parents.

I’d like parents to remember I’m a person before ringing in and screaming at me because I’ve answered my phone and they want to rage at someone.