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?

There most certainly is. 'Disappearing' troublesome children and flying in extra staff from another Academy in the group.

I don’t think it’s a Covid thing, more a sign of the times. Most mums have to work now so volunteering in school time is impossible and in the evenings we’re knackered! Retired teachers used to like to come back and hear readers etc but now they’re still working til they’re 67+ and by then time they’re probably sick of the sight of children!

We volunteer for a different organisation and my god, it’s a thankless task. All you get is people moaning because the events are not exactly what they want, yet they never bother to lift a finger to help and even leave those rubbish behind for us volunteers to clean up after them. There’s a post on here today where the OP is bemoaning that the PTA BBQ hadn’t catered for her as a vegan. Apparently with a little research, they could have come up with plenty of vegan recipes. Who has time to research and prepare recipes rather than just slapping a burger on a BBQ??

In terms of support staff, well it’s just not affordable to be one anymore and the amount of shit you get isn’t worth it. That’s why I have started a new career this year which is a shame as I loved it.

Of course it happens. It's just a matter of providing the right stats and paperwork. Nothing to do with being a good place to work. Same can be said for CQC.

Firstly, why would anyone volunteer to be pta Chair or a governor?

Both are utterly thankless tasks (I've done both), and as a governor, you have a statutory duty to do training courses each year and a huge amount of responsibility.

Since covid both pupil AND parental behaviour has deteriorated to such an extent that we cannot get staff and some parents are banned from school premises...fist fights in the car park, screaming down the phone, writing letters to ofsted (which the parent themselves tell us are bogus complaints...) but ofsted lap them up...
🤷

I won't be doing it much longer

I'll be very glad when my youngest is out of education tbh

And...in my nearly 20 years of volunteering I can assure you...the ones who complain loudest are the least likely to ever offer their time!

There's an award for being in post 10 years?