to think 12/18 teachers leaving is odd?

[TheSpiderWeb]

My DS is in reception at an infant school that joined a MAT voluntarily last year. The head teacher left at Easter with 2 weeks notice and now there are 12 teachers leaving at the end of term. Of the 6 remaining teachers, 3 of those are part time PPA cover.
Would this concern you? I was thinking it could just be people don't like change/genuine reasons for leaving but it just seems excessive and concerns me. I just can't put my finger on why exactly.

Massively. Move your daughter to another school ASAP before everyone else takes the available places.

I didn't & my daughter had 7 teachers by the end of Yr 2, her confidence was shot to bits. I stuck it out for too long out of misplaced loyalty.

This article might explain a bit more for you.

www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2016/jun/01/process-becoming-an-academy-experiences

Yes it would concern me massively and I'd be looking for another school place for her immediately.

Very concerning, out of curiosity are the teachers that are leaving older ones with many years experience?

VERY telling

I agree about looking for another school place.
Headteacher leaving along with twelve staff suggests that there are some major issues with the school

I was one of many who left.

A change in management created a lot of issues that worsened to the point of loosing a lot of dedicated and outstanding staff.

Another school I was connected to made everyone reapply for their jobs. A large proportion lost their jobs. Again after new management came in.

Oh dear. Definitely right to be concerned. Nearly all the teachers leaving have been there for many years, a few that have only been there a year or 2 as well so a mix really.

happened at my DCs school - new head and all staff have left except a couple of TAs. it went downhill fast.

I moved all of my DC at christmas and they have never been happier. best decision i ever made.

Hugely. I wouldn't send my child there

Oh God, bad news indeed. I'm afraid there's a very high chance that the school will be unrecognisable by this time next year, one way or another.

I'd start making calls on Monday to see if there are any spaces available in another school if I were you.

Another voice here for right to be concerned.

MATs in themselves aren't all bad (I have an ideological objection to them so this isn't political). A lot of primaries have joined small, local MATs or joined up with their feeder secondary. In those situations, often very little changes day to day. Smaller schools may have to join a MAT if they arent financially viable and find that they have to have an executive head rather than a head due to money. Larger regional or national trusts tend to have the bigger impact, new imposed ways of doing things.

12/18 teachers leaving is worrying and you might find that they know more than parents do at this point. If you are considering leaving then I would do it sooner rather than later as once news gets out the spare places in your LA will go quickly.

That's a red flag the size of a football field, look for a new school place now.

Teacher here. I've seen this happen before. They filled all the positions with unqualified teachers or NQTs and expected them to know how to run the school. Nothing wrong with NQTs, but it's their first year of teaching and they need experienced staff to lead the way. The school went down hill fast, and after 2 years there was another mass exit of teachers.

Move your child ASAP.

Happened in a school near us. Place was a nightmare to work in, bleeding staff as well as pupils. Because the new head was a cunt. Only stopped when she went.

I too would move my DC. I did!

My guess is that those teachers would have had reservations about joining a MAT and that those reservations have quickly turned into reality and they just don’t want to work in that environment.

Academies are the worst thing to happen to education in years. The MAT will employ unqualified teachers and Use teaching assistants.

When that many staff leave all at once the whole ethos and culture of the school will be up in the air. It will be a totally different place next year. I work in a lovely school and we’re getting a new HT next year. We’re all holding our breath and crossing our fingers that she doesn’t change things too drastically.

While it is normal to see some movement after a new headteacher is in place/MAT etc this amount going is absolutely a red flag. It beggars the question also: how are they going to fill those roles? As an ex teacher I never applied to work in schools that had many vacancies - you just know that's a shit place to work. And also if these teachers handed in their notice at half term the only teachers looking for jobs this far into the summer are usually NQTs - who are great when supported by experienced staff.

Move ASAP.

Happened to me. I knew from day one the shiny new head and I would clash, so introduced myself and told him I was resigning at Christmas when we broke for coffee on his first day! I was right, he was a prat.

The following July 20 members of staff (four form entry school )left.

As others have said, they will be replaced by NQTs, and while most NQTs are good at their job their priority in their first couple of years should be learning to manage a class and work with colleagues not managing a school and taking on additional responsibility.

Depends why they are moving. If those you know about are doing local sideways moves then yes, it's a concern.

DH was governor at a local infants who one summe lost 4/6 staff, and 3/8 support staff. Some of them had been there 20+ years.
Rumours abounded of a huge staff row.

But each one had a good reason. Deputy had a promotion to head. Another's DH was arm and they were being posted to Germany, another was moving 200miles to live with elderly mother... You get the picture. Not one was a local move within 30 miles.

Being part of a MAT isn't necessarily bad for the pupils, but it can be bad for staff. New contracts are handed out, changes to working hours, loss of PPA, focus on small things that can feel quite petty to staff... Unfortunately though, then staff leave and things do change for the pupils.

I'd definitely move your child if you can. At the very least you'll feel more confident in the school and the outcomes for your child.

I would be concerned, the head was pushed and staff are following, that means there is likely a massive cultural change. A new head or change of management will see staff leaving, but it is the number so quickly that makes it seem more than just genuine reasons.

It may be fine, but it is quite a gamble.