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Original poster

I have just been offered a choice of 25 guaranteed interviews for teaching positions next week.

102 replies

Nimbostratus100 · 09/05/2023 11:49

Because I am likely to resign my teaching job this June, and "word has got out". I am inundated with offers. I have just received an email from one recruiter listing 25 jobs they can guarantee me an interview for next week.

I don't have much faith in the honesty of agencies in general, but a quick google confirms the ones I have checked are genuine vacancies, and genuinely interviewing next week.

Out of the 25, if I were job hunting ( which I am not, if I stay in teaching I will stay where I am) then 20 would interest me. The other 5 or either jobs I am not qualified for, or jobs with a tricky journey.

I have other emails from other agencies, and some from schools directly.

This is the worst it has ever been. I have been subject to such aggressive recruitment before, but in previous years, only say half a dozen jobs at a time, never more than 10, at the most.

OP posts:
ThanksItHasPockets · 09/05/2023 20:31

I can absolutely believe that there is this much demand for a good secondary Maths specialist but in completely baffled by the ‘word getting around’. How? It sounds incredibly invasive. How do these recruiters have your personal contact details?

NeverDropYourMooncup · 09/05/2023 20:34

PinkPlantCase · 09/05/2023 19:46

I wonder how regional this is.

I just had a look out of interest at our local schools. No vacancies at all for the infant school, 1 vacancy for maternity cover for the junior school and only adverts for a cleaner and an IT and infrastructure manager at the nearest secondary.

That school's fucked, then.

No IT means it's all going to fall down around their ears sometime around mid May.

donquixotedelamancha · 09/05/2023 20:45

Secondary maths.

I knew it had to be Science or Maths. There are simply nowhere near enough places.

I'm in an area where traditionally we've had much better supply than many regions and schools just can't fill roles. Classes are being covered by non-specialists at best and non-teachers quite often.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Jobs
Devonshiregal · 09/05/2023 20:47

So, genuinely interested as have no idea, can someone explain where all the teachers are going? Are they retraining as something else? How are they making money? Because most jobs are utterly shit, box-ticking exercises nowadays but they don’t even have the benefit of decent holidays. So whats preferable? How are teachers who have left affording to live?

Starplekk · 09/05/2023 20:48

Devonshiregal · 09/05/2023 20:47

So, genuinely interested as have no idea, can someone explain where all the teachers are going? Are they retraining as something else? How are they making money? Because most jobs are utterly shit, box-ticking exercises nowadays but they don’t even have the benefit of decent holidays. So whats preferable? How are teachers who have left affording to live?

All of my friends who were teachers have left now, they've gone into jobs like the civil service or other public sector roles which whilst also have their own issues with pay and workload offer flexi time, chance to do term time working and hybrid working. Loads of transferable skills in teaching, I suspect the answer is- in many different sectors!

ididntknowthat11 · 09/05/2023 20:57

I didn't realise a maths teacher could teach history Confused

Is that common? Or just in times of lack of teaching staff?

Either way, I didn't know that and find it very surprising.

PaigeMatthews · 09/05/2023 21:02

Devonshiregal · 09/05/2023 20:47

So, genuinely interested as have no idea, can someone explain where all the teachers are going? Are they retraining as something else? How are they making money? Because most jobs are utterly shit, box-ticking exercises nowadays but they don’t even have the benefit of decent holidays. So whats preferable? How are teachers who have left affording to live?

Lots to the civil service. HR. NHS. The Police. Local council. Own businesses in either tutoring or something completely different. One i know went into coding. One coordinating education in a museum.

teachers postgrad educated. Why couldnt they move into decent jobs?

clary · 09/05/2023 21:04

AQA email me almost every year asking if I want to examine A level scrips in my subject area

This is interesting @caringcarer - I was told if I was more than three years out if teaching in school I couldn’t apply to be an examiner.

Maybe it depends on subject tho - I know they are always short if English.

PaigeMatthews · 09/05/2023 21:05

febrezeme · 09/05/2023 19:52

  • have been off since last June, and no maths teacher has been found to cover for me in that time

Poor kids*

Have you been off on full pay??

I'd feel so guilty towards the children, the school and my colleagues I wouldn't be able to do it personally

Youve never been off sick?

clary · 09/05/2023 21:07

@Devonshiregal i left teaching for a role with a mere five weeks’ holiday and it was fine, felt like I had more free time actually - add in 8 days of bank hols and not needing to spend most of half term and Easter planning and marking and I was golden.

My job is not utterly shit and box ticking either. In fact I enjoy it.

savoycabbage · 09/05/2023 21:09

ididntknowthat11 · 09/05/2023 20:57

I didn't realise a maths teacher could teach history Confused

Is that common? Or just in times of lack of teaching staff?

Either way, I didn't know that and find it very surprising.

You don't need any teaching qualifications at all in academy schools. You can be a postman and teach History never mind a Maths teacher.

Skodacool · 09/05/2023 21:12

Bluevelvetsofa · 09/05/2023 12:16

I thought you’d said you were on sick leave and weren’t going back to teaching.

OP said she isn’t looking for a teaching job

Unsure33 · 09/05/2023 21:14

Have seen a lot of threads on this subject . So what solutions do you suggest ( besides more money )

do you think discipline should be Taken out of the hands of the teachers ? Security in every school ?

restructure the days ? Change in homework marking ?

just interested .

Squidger45 · 09/05/2023 21:16

MetaDaughter · 09/05/2023 12:14

Goodness.

May I ask a delicate question (in no way related to you, OP!)? Does this desperate need for teachers affect the quality of staff being hired?

Yes! It most definitely does. I speak as an ex teacher/ HoD of 10 years, left at Christmas at 34!

clary · 09/05/2023 21:19

Unsure33 · 09/05/2023 21:14

Have seen a lot of threads on this subject . So what solutions do you suggest ( besides more money )

do you think discipline should be Taken out of the hands of the teachers ? Security in every school ?

restructure the days ? Change in homework marking ?

just interested .

I would only consider returning to the classroom if the workload was cut massively, so that instead of having two frees a week to plan and assess 23 lessons, I would have (say) 10 frees a week to plan and assess 15. That might mean I wouldn’t be marking for hours every night and planning for a full day each weekend. Not gonna happen tho.

caringcarer · 09/05/2023 21:34

clary · 09/05/2023 21:04

AQA email me almost every year asking if I want to examine A level scrips in my subject area

This is interesting @caringcarer - I was told if I was more than three years out if teaching in school I couldn’t apply to be an examiner.

Maybe it depends on subject tho - I know they are always short if English.

I don't suppose AQA know how long I've retired from teaching but it is a subject they are always short of A level examiners. I did privately tutor for a few years after retiring so knowledge was up to date. I examined a paper with about 12 option questions and I did so by teaching 3 modules each year and rotating what I taught to keep my knowledge relevant. So every 4 years I taught each option. Not many teachers were prepared to do that as some like to teach the same modules each year. Also I got an A grade or occasional B grade for my examining each year. The more years you do it the more consistent you tend to become. When marking went online I did not like doing it so much as you have to stare at a computer screen for hours on end and scroll up and down. It gave me a headache. I did do 2 years of online examining to see if it got better but I just did not like it.

caringcarer · 09/05/2023 21:36

Also possibly not for a new examiner if more than 3 years out of teaching in a school but some retired teachers mark thousands of papers and exam boards rely on them as they have more time to examine. Working teachers tend to mark less papers as busy in school.

clary · 09/05/2023 21:39

@caringcarer so sorry I was not in any way implying that you were not fit to be a marker! I think the AQA stricture is unreasonable actually as I have always tutored exam classes since I left the classroom, and my exam knowledge and practice is just as good as ever. I guess it as a new examiner AQA wanted to know how long since I taught in class. If you are already doing it then obvs not an issue. I never would have had time when I was still in the classroom tbh.

clary · 09/05/2023 21:39

Haha cross posted!

noblegiraffe · 09/05/2023 21:44

ididntknowthat11 · 09/05/2023 20:57

I didn't realise a maths teacher could teach history Confused

Is that common? Or just in times of lack of teaching staff?

Either way, I didn't know that and find it very surprising.

You're more likely to have any old teacher teaching maths rather than a precious maths teacher being taken to teach history (which isn't a shortage subject).

It's very common, not just when there's a lack of teaching staff, but when there's a full time art teacher, but not enough art lessons to fill their timetable, so they get other lessons to fill it up.

ukgot2pot · 09/05/2023 21:55

I qualified in 2020 (primary) but never went into the profession but I have followed the education sector for a good while and have friends who went into teaching some 15+ years ago, and had an ex-partner who was a science teacher (secondary)

I remember only a few years ago, you could turn up to an interview and there would be a 100+ candidates for that one job. The only way to get a permanent job was to do supply. Now, I believe they are struggling like crazy to even get supply teachers. Absolute madness.

caringcarer · 09/05/2023 22:01

@clary since I have retired I've only examined one year as I don't like examining online as it gives me a headache staring at the screen. They are generally short of examiner's though.

sparklelikeadiamond · 09/05/2023 22:07

I’ve moved to a non-teaching job. I cannot say it loudly enough that the school holidays are not enough to keep teachers in the job. I have school age children and couldn’t wait to change jobs! I was a very good teacher but I valued my own sanity and my own time with my family. I no longer work weekends and evenings. I am no longer stressed.

Someone asked how to fix it. Leave teachers to teach. To teach. That is it. Plan, teach and mark. Anything other than that needs to be within school hours so that means time out of class if it wants doing!

BounceyB · 09/05/2023 22:10

Unsure33 · 09/05/2023 21:14

Have seen a lot of threads on this subject . So what solutions do you suggest ( besides more money )

do you think discipline should be Taken out of the hands of the teachers ? Security in every school ?

restructure the days ? Change in homework marking ?

just interested .

Personally, I think there needs to be a change in culture and mindset. The government needs to stop thinking thar they're saving money on education and realise that an uneducated workforce will have more profound effects later down the line.

If I was making changes, the first thing I would do would be to offer a grant for training in all public sector jobs. I would also make the school day between 9 and 230 and cut out half terms. I think the way teachers work is unhealthy. 13 weeks off in a year is odd and it would surely be better to work regular hours more often than really long hours with loads of breaks.

CiaoBellisima · 09/05/2023 22:11

It’s similar in healthcare. I’m an advanced practitioner, not even looking for another job atm and I get about half a dozen emails a week begging me to sign up with them as they have vacancies to fill. This is due to a shortage of trained staff, same as teaching.