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 think the private school problem, if they have one, is that an increasing number of them are leaving the Teachers' Pension scheme, because the employer contributions have increased substantially, thereby making themselves less attractive.

Personally, I'm glad that the so-called private system is feeling it on their free ride on that state.

I'm an experienced teacher in a mid-sized primary school in a small rural town.

Our staff are stretched to breaking point.

We are currently advertising for two class teachers (January start), several class-based TAs and several 1:1 TAs for children with EHCPs.

We simply can't recruit. Nobody is applying for the jobs, and in the meantime we are all desperately trying to scrape up enough adults to keep going. We can't always get supply teachers to cover staff sickness absences - when that happens TAs end up covering classes for days on end.

Children with ECHPs are not receiving the support they are entitled to and funded for because nobody wants the job. Alongside that, there are many children with all sorts of complex social, emotional and behavioural needs who don't have ECHPs and whose needs are not being properly met because we simply don't have the people or resources to help them. Class teachers - myself included - are run ragged trying to manage all this at the same as teaching the rest of the class.

More and more children are coming to school hungry each day. Parents are stressed and this contributes to children's anxieties. We are also expected to do the work of CAMHS, which barely exists any more, social services, speech and language etc etc without up to date training and without any time or resources. We can barely afford paper and pencils, and any 'extras' for the classroom - the fun activities, the resources to bring a subject alive - all come from my personal pocket.

The threat of Ofsted looms over us all. When they come, we will be found wanting, because it is impossible for us to do all that is expected of us.

I regularly work a 70 hour week and I'm definitely not alone in that. I love my job, but it's killing me.

This was discussed on a previous thread, and I think the impression was that private schools are starting to feel the impact of the teacher shortage (although it depends on the school). They do have the advantage they can offer higher wages than state, though some of these costs would ultimately be passed on to parents. I think also on that thread it was suggested that private schools are starting to notice issues caused by the retention problem, as they're struggling to get applicants with the amount of experience they would like.

Longer term, I do think there will be an impact on private schools, because as less teachers train, then everyone will be fighting over a smaller recruitment pool- and in some subjects that pool is very small already!

If I had children in exam years, I'd probably want them in the private system right now, and I say that as someone who is really morally against private education. If I had children in primary school, I'd not necessarily consider private a long term solution.

@Postapocalypticcowgirl thank you.might try find that thread. Was just curious. Our school is struggling with the energy bill, another local school don't seem to be able to even get a full time head. Very depressing

I’m in an independent school and we are fully staffed with well qualified teachers in all subjects. We’re in a desirable city and get lots of applications for jobs - including Maths and Science subjects. There’s no way any class but particularly not an exam class wouldn’t have an expert teacher. The gap is just widening so much between state and private in so many ways.

There are obviously many objections to all the suggestions one could make to lessen the burden on teachers. But as the education system is now collapsing, and kids aren't getting their lessons taught by subject-specialists, and are being sent home, for want of educators, then something not quite ideal, must be better than doing nothing.

In my experience unless you pay ludicrously high premiums you don't get the cost of a supply teacher.
We pay for first day cover but get rate of £100 a day - supply costs £220.
So if a teacher is off for a month it's costing the school £2400 on top of the insurance money that will come through.
A couple of years ago I had 3 teachers off for a month each, by the time you added that to other absences I paid nearly 9K additional unplanned for staffing costs.
Fine if you have a buffer, but when there is no money left it means schools are fucked.

That is true but generally the working conditions are so much better that it’s still appealing. My greater age and experience is valued and not seen as a threat/ burden and I have the freedom and flexibility to teach in a way that suits me - not via some PowerPoint agreed centrally.

We have so few TAs in our secondary school that it terrifies me as the parent of a child with SEND myself. There’s nowhere near enough support to go around.

We’re trying to recruit currently in our department for a maternity cover in January and to replace a long term cover (who is dire). We’re struggling to recruit anyone decent, it’s sad for the kids.

I also wonder is there a way for parents to find that out say when picking a secondary school? Also is the problem generally worse at primary or secondary levels

It baffles me that a government actively seeks to run down its education (and healthcare) services. An educated, healthy workforce is what brings economic success. I genuinely cannot understand what the government's aim is. Although I suppose the USA has shown that you can be rich and powerful while a good number of your citizens are poorly-educated with little access to healthcare. I cannonly assume that is the direction the current government are headed.

Anecdotally, I know that the secondary school in the catchment area I live in is doing far better in terms of recruitment and staffing - I suspect because it’s a ‘nice’ catchment. The inner city comprehensive I work in where behaviour is shocking is less attractive. I don’t know if that pattern is seen elsewhere.

I was wondering is the problem the same at private schools? Are there also major shortages there? Or is it just state?

Many private schools are now opting out of the Teacher Pension scheme which could affect their ability to recruit teachers.

I live overseas so no direct experience but I’m wondering why every year UK kids achieve better and better exam results.
Why, if the teaching is so sub standard, are exam results saying children are getting brighter and brighter? Surely if the quality of teaching is so bad then exam results would also start to decline? Something is not adding up.

Surely if the quality of teaching is so bad then exam results would also start to decline? Something is not adding up.

The percentage of pupils who will achieve each exam grade is decided in advance of the exam season, and the grade boundaries are adjusted to fit the pre-determined grades. Pupils could be doing worse and worse and yet exam grades would be the same or improving.

Oak Academy fits your bill.

Your problem with children logging in to access online content there, however, is that schools cannot afford computing equipment.

My school has got rid of most of its computer rooms.

We do have warm bodies in the room supervising kids who are supposed to be learning, in the place of qualified teachers, they are called cover supervisors. The kids will be given worksheets.

I don’t see the same issues at all within the private system. Smaller classes, more resources and fewer social problems. Pension is probably an issue for some but not all. On the point re laughing at parents re lockdown remote learning being difficult for kids, I agree that when in isolation it is dreadful and soulless. However to the teachers on here … I seem to remember you didn’t find it to be so dreadful at the time? Now you are seeming to be fairly disparaging about the merits?

There's a difference between teaching in a global emergency and teaching outside of a global emergency.
Live online teaching, which I was doing from the outset, was incredibly hard and certainly didn't suit everyone. Passive video watching would be less good, in my view.

Wrong thread. Apologies. Have asked for it to be removed.

Remote learning is acceptable when there is no other alternative , it certainly isn't a preference!

Laughing at the thought that the "best" teachers are the ones who get the best exam results. Exam grades depend on many factors, including how the child feels that day, if they have an aptitude for that subject, which set they're in and, yes, a small part is the teacher being able to engage learners with their teaching. But you could get a teacher who has mainly lower sets who works amazingly hard and gets great results... but because their pupils are in a lower set they might "only" get a C. Does that mean that teacher isn't an excellent teacher?

It would certainly be a quick way to empty the profession of great teachers who weren't deemed "best" enough.

I'm reading this thread with interest. Aside from funding issues, which are clearly a major issue, what is it that has changed so much? I'm in my 50s and I know it's easy to look at things through rose tinted spectacles, I just don't remember things being like this when I was at school. Teachers stayed for years, most kids were well behaved (there was always one really naughty kid per class), I don't remember kids with special educational needs or TAs. Just teachers.

Is it the attitude of parents? I'm often shocked on Mumsnet at the attitude of parents towards teachers - very much a 'they can't tell us what to do' from some parents. People determined to complain to the school about every little thing. There doesn't seem to be any respect for the profession and expertise of teachers, which is awful. Are children less well behaved?

I feel so sorry for teachers and people working in schools. The pressure at the moment seems unbearable.

I seem to remember you didn’t find it to be so dreadful at the time?

Remote teaching was bloody awful. One of the reasons it was so completely ludicrous that people kept claiming I wanted schools closed was how much I hated remote teaching.

It sounds awful in the teaching profession, with stressful conditions. How many staff who are on long term sick come back to work? Is it usual for them to return, or is when they are off for a month or six weeks, the point when they are able to take stock and realise that the job will always be too stressful for them.