Many staff leaving

[Legotastic]

My child goes to a two form entry ‘outstanding’ primary school.

Two years ago a new head was appointed. Nothing much changed at the start.

In July there was an article in the local paper stating that a large number of TAs at the school were going to lose their jobs due to budget cuts, the head denied that would happen and it didn’t. There was not a high staff turnover at that point.

At the end of the autumn term, quite a few staff left - 4 teachers and 3 support staff. The school have had difficulty recruiting teachers so a few of the part time staff are working extra days and long term supply teachers have been employed.

We have just been told another support staff member is leaving. Class TAs aren’t being replaced only 1-1s.

Do I start worrying as a parent that so many staff members have left recently? Or is this normal when a new head starts?

Think it is normal. Not everyone will agree with changes a new head might implement over the first year or two.

It's unusual for teachers to leave at the end of the autumn term I think - in my experience they tend to leave at the end of the academic year unless they resign as soon as they go back and then can leave at xmas I think.

At our school, quite a few teacher has left mid year, especially upper ks2 teachers in last few years. Our school has gone downhill massively since last HT left.

1-1's need to be replaced as they are paid for by a pupil's EHCP.

Class TA's are lovely to have; although funding is not being cut, costs are rising (inflation, pensions deficits, NI increases, general wage increases as agreed by the NJC and so on) so in REAL terms, we cannot afford to fund "luxuries" like vital support staff.

Also, schools need to fund the first part of an EHCP out of their own budget. More costs that often you cannot realistically predict.

Sounds like news story was true she was intending to make them redundant but decided instead to simply not replace them when they left. Likewise with expensive experienced teachers. Cheaper to plug gaps with PT staff doing a few extra hours. Ask to read governors meeting minutes. You should then have a better idea of what is going on.

Teachers leaving mid-year can be a bad sign. Not always (maternity, a good opportunity to move etc. may be factors) but it would worry me.

There is often a turn over of staff after a new head. People don't always like the way new Head's work so move on to pastures new.

Not replacing TAs is also common in the current climate with budget cuts.

Four teachers in a two firm entry school isn't many but I would worry about a high turnover of staff. There's a great deal of pressure to keep a school outstanding ...

Funding is being cut though, we are losing £50,000 in our next budget and will have to make redundancies. Agree re ehcps, we have so many in our school we can't afford to employ any class TAs, it is a nightmare.

School funding is being cut massively
because the Government has awarded significant unfunded compulsory pay rises
so schools have to slice everything else

EHCP funding covers a fraction of the actual cost of a TA

School funding is dictating that cuts need to be made. The new head has come , looked at the budgets and decided that savings are necessary. As each class needs a qualified teacher, it is the TA's that are cut. In many state primaries they are a luxury, in a primary near us I know of one school with just one TA for the whole of KS2. Your head is just looking at the budget with fresh eyes , not usually a bad thing. We'd all love one TA per class in every state primary but the funds are just not there. And yes, staff in all industries move on if they don't like the change that comes with a new boss. Give new staff a chance, they may be better!

In a two form entry school, four teachers leaving at the end of the year would be normal.
Four teachers leaving at the end of the autumn term is very unusual. It suggests to me that they are being put under an unbearable amount of pressure and felt they had to leave before cracking up. Expect a mass exodus at the end of the academic year.

Expect a mass exodus at the end of the academic year.. This is what I’m expecting and concerned about!

In my experience the teachers who leave mid year go because a DP gets a job elsewhere and they move.

No school likes making expensive redundancy payments and going through a redundancy procedure is costly and time consuming. Not replacing is far more cost effective. Also significantly less divisive than restructuring.

How did the internal HR discussions at the school get into the papers? The Head should not have said anything to staff until she and the Governors had an agreed policy as to how to manage the budget. That’s pretty poor quite frankly. Obviously someone was agitating against the Head!

What if the teachers who went were not that good? Although Ofsted have given it outstanding, when did they last visit?

Lots of new heads change routines and want improvements made. It’s their job. Some teachers don’t like change and don’t like to be observed, don’t want to follow policies, don’t want to make changes to their practice - the list is endless. There are many new heads who have high standards and some staff aren’t happy with change. I hope she can get new teachers though. However good teachers are what she needs. Not just anyone.

Our primary school had a lot of teachers (about half) leave in the first couple of years after a new head 5 years ago. We got some great ones instead that were fully on board with the new head’s plans and though it was worrying at the time turned out to be a good thing. It probably depends on the area however and how easy it is to recruit there.

You often get a fairly large number of staff leave with a new head. I wouldn't worry in the first year but if the high turnover continues in a 2nd or 3rd year I would be concerned.
Sometimes its good to get rid of deadwood however its often because the head is rubbish or a bully or both !

It could also be experienced staff seeing things for what they really are and getting out while they still can before reputations start.

I've seen both sides - new head usually has targets and gets to grips with the slackers. Some teachers hate to put their planning in each week and be 'observed' in the class.
The Head may have targeted theses teachers and wanted fresh teachers from his/her last school.

Teaching can be quite clique

The other side is a useless head who won't invest in teacher training and development and look at new ideas and practices.

I'd give it another year