Why is it so hard to get a job in a secondary school?

[BlackSun1989]

So my husband is doing his pgce to teach secondary history and he's had 6 interviews so far, no job. Well the 6th one was today and they said they'll let him know on Monday. I'm just getting really depressed about it. Is this normal? I've supported him through 6 years of doing a Phd and now his pgce and I was so looking forward to him working and not having to worry about money anymore but now I'm just getting depressed with each rejection. I worry I'll still have to be the main breadwinner and we won't have money to keep my toddler in nursery and I'm 14 weeks pregnant. I really thought it would be easy for him with a PhD and having worked in parliament to maybe teach politics and history. Where is this teacher shortage the government keep going on about?

Thank you for this it's very helpful. Initially I had thought that he would suit a private school better but we've only seen one teacher vacancy and one HOD one. I didn't know about speculative letters. Would you suggest he write a letter and send his CV to the heads?

A phd doesn’t mean he’ll be a better teacher than someone without.

History isn’t a shortage subject from what I understand.

What has his feedback been?

Don’t hate me op but history probably isn’t where the shortage is- at the last pt teacher the history teacher was sitting there for ages and I said it to my son and he said there’s only 19 in the history class, that everyone drops it as it’s too much studying (you only have to do history to approx age 15 over here)

Thanks for this, I think this could be the issue. I think he's mentioned that his presence could be better before and I think he just hasn't seen the behaviour issues most state schools deal with as he was privately educated himself. I went to one of the worst schools in Plymouth and remember talking to him early on where he was surprised at the behaviour issues he came across whereas they were normal experience for me.

Ah! If he's privately educated himself he'd definitely be best advised to be looking at the private sector and tbh I'm surprised he hasn't thought of that himself.

He should spend a morning gathering the emails of the Heads of all the independents in a feasible drive to work range and send a CV. Heads talk all the time - they'll pass it on to other Heads if it looks good.

I actually got my current job (in a state school) because of a contact. Of course I had to go through an application process but I already had a verbal offer. Actually that was how I got my first teaching job too. And the independent school I taught in, I heard about from another teacher at a student event.

Can he try further afield. I bet there are more opportunities in Bristol.

Does he have any sports? He could apply to work in a prep school potentially

Does he actually want to teach? You don't usually go from PhD to secondary school teacher. It sounds a bit like he's hiding from the real world tbh. Trying to get a job teaching a non shortage subject in an area where it's difficult to get a job... Is he actually bringing in any money or are you literally doing it all?

I think he does want to teach. He decided not to teach at university partly because of how it works with having to chase short-term contracts around the country which is difficult with a young family and my job makes it difficult to move. We don't want to leave Devon, both sets of parents are here and help a lot. We live in East Devon but he's been looking at things up to an hour commute. His degrees are history & politics so it made sense to go for history. He has student loans which basically cover nursery fees so yes it is mostly me which is why I was looking forward to him getting a job and us having twice the money basically.

He did work in Parliament for a few years before this when we lived in Eastbourne and he was teaching undergraduates as well as doing the Phd so was paid for that.

What about something like doing a cover role as a way in ?

https://www.thekings.devon.sch.uk/news/?pid=6&nid=2&storyid=135 cover supervisor in East Devon

Has he looked at teaching A-levels?
Both of our local colleges offer politics and history for Alevel.

He’s been exceptionally selfish and indulgent, by the sounds of it. Either he was he planning to do something else with the PhD or he’s spent years studying pointlessly and mooching off you.

My dd is completing her ECT2 at a 6th form college this year and is job hunting again.
Her feedback throughout the year has been very positive, she has an MA.
Although most adverts are for permanent History positions, in our experience the successful candidate will be offered a 12 month contract. This will allow the school to adjust their numbers according to their budget and the number of of students choosing to study History at GCSE and A Level.
The History dept is an easy target - they will be able to recruit easily should numbers improve. A Head Teacher will always prioritise keeping hold of a teacher in short supply (Maths etc).
My dd has just had the 'thank you very much, you have been brilliant but....' conversation.
She is despondent and will probably be leaving teaching in July.

There are plenty of teachers, and academics who do PhDs for the challenge or interest, hardly selfish, perhaps he doesn't want to make loadsamoney, some of us just actually enjoy the lifestyle of teaching, especially in private education where it literally is a lifestyle.

"one said they weren't sure how he would deal with difficult behaviour because the class he had wasn't that difficult to manage"

In feedback from an interview this sounds like he was given an interview lesson with a class that was quite easy, but there was poor behaviour and he didn't deal with it properly?

It can be difficult to address poor behaviour in an interview lesson because you don't know the policy etc, but it would be worth reflecting on this as advice. He's getting interviews but his lesson seems to be letting him down. How can he improve this?

Thinking outside the box a little, it sounds as if he doesn't have much experience with behaviour management. Does he have the capacity to do any volunteering while he is looking for a job? Youth clubs / scouting / sports are all places where he could get some experience that may help with his "presence" in the classroom.

I think I phrased it poorly, they said something about not seeing how he would deal with behaviour issues because the class was one which didn't really have any. However I think behavioural management is an issue and he does need to focus on improving the lesson.

Ok, so they see someone who has a PhD who taught undergrads who went a private school and are worried about his potential behaviour management.

How can he proactively address this in his interview/covering letter? He's presumably on placement - is he experiencing dealing with poor behaviour there? Can he think of specific scenarios he has dealt with to talk about?

When you put it like that it totally makes sense. I'll suggest this to him to think of scenarios he could talk about at interview.

Just an update in case anyone was wondering. He had a 7th interview he didn't get but the same day got a call from one he interviewed at before offering him 2 terms of maternity cover so he's going to take it. Half hour commute so not too bad and I guess it could turn into more/ will help him get practical experience.

That’s great news OP. He should request that the school register him for ECT induction, as two terms will count towards his two years. If they are LA maintained, they have to; academies can choose not to, but they really ought to.

I’m another who is saying a PHD doesn’t necessarily make a good teacher . If his lessons and interviews don’t impress, he won’t get the job. He needs to look at those factors. He also needs to apply for anything across the country. Not just Devon.

Great news OP a foot on the ladder.