Nearly half of teachers plan to quit in the next 5 years

[freebritknee]

I saw this from a survey carried out by an education union.

Unmanageable workload is a significant factor.

This is madness how have the unions allowed the state of teachers employment to get this far where nearly half of them want out?!

But it’s common sense that if something is repeatedly claimed but then people don’t see evidence of it then the threat loses any impact. That ignores so much - like TAs who teach, etc etc etc.

I am so tired, I read Union as unicorn.

Only 23 years until I can retire.

@bitchymcbitch I fell asleep at lunchtime today. In my defence it was very sunny. Was woken by my year 11s v gently prodding me with a cup of tea (should have been champagne from the well stocked fridge in the staff room 🤬).
I am so ridiculously tired. But kids were fab today. Really wanted to learn. And brought me cake to say thanks. This is why I still do my job. The rest of it can all go to 💩.

manysummersago

Another problem is that a poor system has been propped up by the good will of teachers, TAs and support staff.

that is why the system has survived so long.

Of course we're seeing any evidence of it. Ask any secondary student if they've noticed their teachers leaving, if for some of their subjects they've had multiple teachers in a year, or endless cover lessons and supply teachers. Almost all will have the evidence you're looking for if you ask them.

And leaders. We have 22 headteacher vacancies in our LA, including academy schools.

Absolutely unheard of in these numbers. Number are so unprecedented the recruitment team are also unable to meet need.

Most schools have already advertised the headteacher post for a September start and a significant proportion are unable to recruit. No time to 'go again' for September unless a candidate is already out of contract or not a headteacher. Interim headteachers will have to be found, shared headship across schools, deputies having to be the head even though they don't want/ are not ready for the headship role.

All round inconsistency and instability for the next school year.

@GooodMorning - clearly shows you don’t really understand. I love my job but I teach in an independent school that allows me freedom in how I teach, stimulating and supportive colleagues, generally engages students, somewhat smaller class sizes and supportive parents. I earn £50 k as a deputy head of dept and my school treats us like intelligent human beings. If I’m not teaching in the afternoon I can go home early, if I need time off for a medical appointment I don’t have to fill in a bunch of forms. Paperwork is sensible and directly related to what I’m doing. I suspect if all schools were like that teachers wouldn’t be leaving in droves. I work hard but I love it and I don’t moan. However I am fully aware that it is not like that in the majority of schools and in particular the large MATs. You clearly don’t really know what you’re talking about.

@SamphirethePogoingStickerist
Your idea is excellent.
Put the trust back in the teachers/schools. It’s too controlled by government (like so much else in our lives!)
Men in suits in Whitehall who have no experience of teaching should not be making these decisions. They’re outdated and out of touch.
There’s zero trust.

[quote mumsneedwine]@bitchymcbitch I fell asleep at lunchtime today. In my defence it was very sunny. Was woken by my year 11s v gently prodding me with a cup of tea (should have been champagne from the well stocked fridge in the staff room 🤬).
I am so ridiculously tired. But kids were fab today. Really wanted to learn. And brought me cake to say thanks. This is why I still do my job. The rest of it can all go to 💩.[/quote]
Exactly!!!!

my school treats us like intelligent human beings. If I’m not teaching in the afternoon I can go home early, if I need time off for a medical appointment I don’t have to fill in a bunch of forms. Paperwork is sensible and directly related to what I’m doing
That's a dream! When my exam classes leave I will have no lessons on Wednesday at all. But rather than be allowed to work from home - where I would be much more productive because I wouldn't get disturbed - I'll be in school being disturbed.
Need to come in late or leave early in a free for a medical appointment? Fill in a form. Wait for authorisation. Have to have a meeting to discuss it.
Have a good, effective scheme for X? It's on the old paperwork. Redo it.

@MrsHamlet

We get shipped off to visit local primary schools and do the year 6-7 transition work when our exam classes go on study leave…!

[quote OnceuponaRainbow18]@MrsHamlet

We get shipped off to visit local primary schools and do the year 6-7 transition work when our exam classes go on study leave…![/quote]
Dear God!! We have year 6 in for 2 days but that's it. We do have a ridiculous number of feeders (and I have 3 exam classes...hence the extra non contacts)
The head will say "but all the resources you need are here". Not true. But you don't trust us.

@MrsHamlet

Yea ours is excessive; we even do 8 days of summer school for about 20 kids each year. We have about 40 feeder primary schools and and take 280 kids and then head wants them all seen at least once. Then 2 days on induction in July!

I’ve got 6 exam classes and prefer having them in, as we are also expected to travel around the whole of Bristol!

The marking is hideous - 1 teach 146 GCSE students a week. I only work 4 days!

They've done 4 past papers this term (directed to by SLT) and marking them was hard - they're all tracked mark for mark too. Written feedback for each one blah blah.

I'm maths though - the English teacher who sits next to me has a way harder job with marking and I genuinely think she should get more PPA time than me.

[quote OnceuponaRainbow18]@MrsHamlet

Yea ours is excessive; we even do 8 days of summer school for about 20 kids each year. We have about 40 feeder primary schools and and take 280 kids and then head wants them all seen at least once. Then 2 days on induction in July!

I’ve got 6 exam classes and prefer having them in, as we are also expected to travel around the whole of Bristol![/quote]
That's ludicrous.

@Workyticket

The marking is hideous - 1 teach 146 GCSE students a week. I only work 4 days!

They've done 4 past papers this term (directed to by SLT) and marking them was hard - they're all tracked mark for mark too. Written feedback for each one blah blah.

I'm maths though - the English teacher who sits next to me has a way harder job with marking and I genuinely think she should get more PPA time than me.

I once interviewed for a private school where the English teachers got an extra hour of PPA time. Sadly didn't get the job!

In my school the only dept with extra PPA is PE. As I plough through yet another pile of essay questions, I'm really not sure why.

I quit! 20 years in, 1 year out. Never felt better!

@MrsHamlet

In my school the only dept with extra PPA is PE. As I plough through yet another pile of essay questions, I'm really not sure why.

So they can all prepare for their future SLT roles as they have plenty of time to get these jobs.

So they can all prepare for their future SLT roles as they have plenty of time to get these jobs.
The official reason is fixtures but that's also a very good point!

I know it's off topic, but it always interests me to see which departments slt come from across the country. It's rarely English.
Wonder why that is?

£50 k as a deputy head of dept

Blimey!!! Our HoFs and HoYs earn that but our year groups are 420 so HoYs are effectively running something the size of a primary school.

Is you school huge mumserian??

my school treats us like intelligent human beings. If I’m not teaching in the afternoon I can go home early, if I need time off for a medical appointment I don’t have to fill in a bunch of forms.

My school was like this(for most staff...SLT still picked and chose who they tutted at) Sadly, since Covid and also a new head this has been eroded. Not really sure why since most staff stay on site even if free and the ones that leave if they are free eg last period aren't necessarily the less productive ones. We now need to show evidence of medical appointments too. I guess this lack of trust stems from having their fingers burned with bullyinga couple of members of staff and then the unions getting involved and pointing out some inconsistencies. Certainly, long gone are the days where we went out on Friday lunchtimes for a quick bite to eat. Lunch is way too short now and, if we did, we'd get told off.

That's sad, Piggy. Your post also shows what a huge difference a head and their regime makes. It's something that's always worried me about changing school - and not changing is no protection as the head can change.

You can earn £50k at top of UPS in Central London without being SLT. But of course there are other issues such as the commute.

Ah , yes, hadn't factored in London.

It is sad- my school has many many many foibles (and has a terrible track record for having favoured faces and bullying others and being addicted to data) but one thing it never was was faddish , so we have never had to teach in a certain way, mark in a certain way , all do the same as each other, or be slaves to the clock. I suspect it's a direction of travel in my school 'on delay' as it were. We are a standalone academy. We are beginning to behave like a MAT.

SLTs need to consider how they behave at interviews for new teachers. My husband has horror stories like

• after teaching those not selected for interviews being told 'they're not smart enough'
• being told in feedback his answers to interview questions were to long and he needed to stick to scripted questions ie they didn't want to go off script and adapt for interviews

There seems to be a power play in the recruitment of teachers where SLTs are beating down applicants before they've even been hired. They certainly don't encourage smart, independent thinkers...