Staff turnover primary schools

[Ifyubrgku]

Just got our class list for next year. DC is in primary and 5 out of 15 teachers are leaving this summer. Three more left through the year. Is that the norm? Or is DCs school particularly bad? The lack of continuity is worrying.

I hope it’s not keeping you up x
There’s been a few posts and lots of teachers giving their POV. Think it’s across both secondary and primary.

That is high but could be coincidence if a number are retiring/moving away from the area?

Are you happy with the school otherwise? Do you know if they’re fully staffed for September?

I think your DC’s school is particularly bad. It’s the same at DC1’s school. She’s had 5 head teachers and 2 long term acting heads in her 7 years there. Same with teachers, infact both year 6 teachers left around Christmas time and they had new ones brought in from other schools in the trust and one of them just went on maternity leave last month. A year 6 class would have had 3 teachers in a year. People who can are not taking siblings there anymore, same as us as well.

The school has also had a change of head and DC had three teachers thisbyear. The school trust keeps telling us that's normal.Is it?

I'd say that was high for five to be leaving. Have any left through the year too? Presumably so as your son has had three teachers. Are they moving schools or leaving teaching altogether? There is a massive recruitment and retention crisis that has been developing for years and I don't see it improving any time soon.

Not normal in my experience.

Far above normal; DS's school had 2 teachers and 1 admin leave last year, all promotions, but it also has more people; 25 teachers plus all the TAs, admin staff, etc. One school near us used to be considered great only 7 years ago but has a lot of turnover of heads, teaching staff and now has loads of kids in-year moves. You would hope one of the heads would turn around the issues with the school, but I wouldn't take the risk with my child.

It's not usual to have turnover throughout the year although this is becoming increasingly common.
It is common for staff to leave when a new head joins. Sometimes they don't like how the head leads, sometimes they are established members of staff (expensive) and are 'encouraged' to leave. The last being widespread due to budget cuts.
I'm seeing lots of issues with recruiting TAs as well as most don't want to be 1:1s but that's all that's allowed in the budget.
Some teachers are leaving because of abuse from children (and parents), less support in class, more pressure etc. The love of the job is definitely being eroded by these things.

Our school is losing staff. The senior leadership team seems to continue to grow but it feels as though every week there’s a new departure announced in the newsletter or post advertised. In our case I think the issues are exacerbated by the head, who’s been there a while. But I was quite shocked to find my DCs’ class is one of two in a two-form entry school which has the same teacher 5 days per week (as opposed to teacher 3 days/TA 2, etc).

That level of turnover is not normal, no. However, it is more likely to be the case after a change in headship due to the friction that change can cause.

1/3 staff turnover plus more leaving mid year is pretty high even in the current climate - to me it suggests that there is an issue with the trust or the school - especially if staff are leaving to take up jobs at other schools.

Unfortunately, I don't think there is much you can do about it as a parent unless you are able to move schools to one where you know there is more stability?

Do you know if all the posts are filled for September? If not I would raise that as a concern with the head.

Our once lovely little primary school has changed and not for the better: staff turnover, staff shortages and their general blatant disregard for some children whilst prioritising and favouring other children. Parents can be awful as well.

Breaks my heart because I have always loved the school so much.

That is quite high but it sometimes happens. New heads often see around 50% turnover just due to different personalities, times of change etc.

If it is happening consistently year on year that’s more of a concern.

Teaching is not in a great place right now & recruitment is very difficult. The entire teacher workforce only grew by something like 259 people last year. Lots of teachers are leaving.

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/teaching-workforce-grows-by-just-259-as-recruitment-stalls/#:~:text=Overall%2C%20the%20teaching%20workforce%20only,funded%20schools%2C%20up%20from%20468%2C434.

I was wondering whether it was the head though she doesnt start till September. Am just fed up with the lack of teachers - we've gone through so many this year.

Quite a lot of change happening in your school and increasingly in many, many others.

From 15 local schools, there are three headteacher resignations and two deputy headteacher resignations, all leaders with no job to go to and all who are leaving education completely. None retiring, all withing the 33-40 age group.

Not normal. My kids school has had some principal for 15 years, same for teachers. Only teachers brought in have been to cover maternity

Very common for turnover to be high when a new new is appointed. Staffing is a massive issue so I wouldn’t say this unusual at all.

Sorry new head.

Not normal, DD’s school hasn’t had anyone apart from a TA leave in the 3 years she’s been there. The head is now leaving in September, but they are promoting within so no huge staffing changes.

Same at my kids school - such a lack of consistency that I'm tempted to look for a different school for my youngest who had 4 different teachers in a day yesterday.

So the new head has actually been promoted form within so not that new.

Not normal in a happy school. You would get 1 or max 2 in the bigger primaries around here... none for years in the tiny school my kids went to.

Don't blame them.....who would want to be a teacher with today's kids (and parents) behaving as they seem to be!?

I would say, you'll never know unless you know what kind of contract the staff members were on. We have lost several who were on repeated 1 year temp contracts (so working in the school for several years and would appear to be long term members of staff) who secured permanent posts elsewhere. We've also had lovely long term staff members leave to provide a better home for their children outwith the city centre as the commute was too much. It isn't necessarily a bad thing. Just people's lives being more important than their job.

I dont blame it on anyone - just wasnt sure whether that level of turnover was usual or not. I also work in public sector so not blind to salary and staff shortages.