School - can’t get staff or volunteers

[Mactaser]

Outstanding primary school in a ‘very noice’ part of town.

Currently the school can’t get anyone to chair the PTA despite numerous requests.

Similarly, school struggled to replace outgoing governors, nobody ran and several people were approached before they found someone.

Staff turnover is high across all areas.

Is this a post-Covid phenomenon that is impacting all schools?

Chronictonic, It's not really a shame at all.
If volunteers got the respect, gratitude and support that they need, then there would be more of them! Simple as that, but the culture of schools for too long has been to rely on people's goodwill. Look at a previous poster's post about the schools in her area giving all the TA posts to volunteers. It's all about saving money and not playing playing fair and showing gratitude to the people who are shoring you up!

It's not ingratitude : it's lack of money.

It is a shame for the children missing out on residentials, and many other enriching activities that PTAs raise funds for.

But, having been on the PTA I agree that it can feel like a thankless task sometimes and it doesn't help recruit volunteers.

The point is it's WRONG of schools to expect SO much back from people, without paying them any money or showing gratitude in other ways and it's been going on for years, even from Labour days. We can't even blame the Tories and their cuts for this completely.

We hardly have any parent volunteers for PTA events (primary school) and pressure is then applied to teachers to fill the gaps. Sadly, all good will from that quarter is gone too so not much happens.
I don't blame the staff - if parents can't be arsed to help out for the good of their own kids, why should staff, on top of the massive workload they're already putting in (to endless petty complaints)?

There are a hell of a lot of factors and reasons WHY parents can't or won't help out. It's not as simple as not being arsed, BlackFriday.
As for staff presence on the PTA, only the Head and occasionally one other teacher attended any PTA meetings in the year I was very reluctantly secretary, so certainly not a case of expecting staff to plug the gaps.

I think the idea is that it improves the educational experience for their own children.

💐
I’m so sorry 😢

@CremeEggThief You've quoted one school. So have I. In our place, staff ARE expected so it certainly CAN be the case.

agree @noblegiraffe

I don't think it's useful to pit teachers/schools against parents on this point...
the root cause of the problem is bigger and more complex and the system is flawed, now with new challenges, esp since the Pandemic.

It's regional. We're in the (very) SW and TA and teaching roles are all filled very quickly due to the flexibility and pay.

We don't even have holiday clubs here so working in a school is preferred for parents.

just shows how awful salaries are here doesn't it!

Also volunteers are in abundance. I actually enquired to volunteer in a school as I cam teach STEM and they didn't need me

Not all areas of SW are like that @Onebigmistake. Also quality of applicants can be a big factor

Don't have a PTA, have a friends of XXX school

Then you can get grandparents and the local community involved, not just parents . Recently retired people on the wider community are a fabulous resource.

Where in the SW are you?
Not Bristol ?

If its a nice part of town then the house prices are probably high in which case both parents probably have to work to afford to live there = less time to volunteer and/or work on the low term time only salaries.

They are probably just outstanding at pretending to be a good school to Ofsted

Our school is currently trying to recruit PTA members, not sure how that's going but I have no intention of putting my name forward. I was on the pre-school PTA for 3/4yrs and I'd rather eat my own face than repeat that experience.

Our primary PTA is struggling and needs parents involvement, but so many of the parents are working or have other commitments.

I used to do a lot of volunteering, fund raising, school trips etc when I was a SAHM, now I work a 40 hour week. DH works an 80 hour week. We barely have time to breathe let alone give our time away outside of our usual commitments.

Not to split hairs, Black Friday, but actually two primary schools as a parent who did (reluctantly) get involved with the PTA and awareness of issues at several more primary schools, in my time as a supply teacher. Frankly, some of the attitudes and opinions of staff towards parents in some schools were disgusting.

I think the original question was is this just happening since the Pandemic, and I'm saying it's been going on a lot longer than that, back to the 2000s.

I'm sure there are other posters who will say schools have always expected too much and not treated their volunteers and staff with the respect they should have, long before my time!

I've learned my lesson and now have an office job and I would not give any boss even a minute of working for free now after the way I have been treated and seen so many others treated by schools.

Cornwall. Most SAHMs became TA's.

I was at recently at an Exeter University and Plymouth University recruitment event which said a lot of teachers move here to continue teaching so there are fewer vacancies. They were recommending graduates to seek employment "up country"

I think that was Primary School focused though x

I suspect a lot of parents who might previously have been SAHMs are now going back to work full time, and earlier than used to be the case. No one has the time any more to work for free and possibly pay for childcare while doing it.

Additionally, accommodation in a "nice" part of town probably costs more than can be afforded on teacher/TA salaries. Where I work, only SLT or young teachers living with their parents can afford to live near the school!

You think that can happen? Do you actually have any idea how Ofsted works? There is no "pretending."

I've seen it happen

Nothing to do with post-covid. Schools can't retain staff because of how they treat them.

So many ex-teachers out here. Go figure!