Bristol school "doubles up" science classes to cope with teacher shortages.

[LadyLance]

www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/john-cabot-class-size-teachers-2298250

I feel like this has fallen out of the news/people's consciousnesses a bit recently, so I just wanted to share a reminder.

I'm currently a PGCE Biology student- so I'm also aware of a lot of schools who haven't gone this far YET, but are taking measures to cobble together the best science education they can for children. A lot of these things are possibly/probably being hidden from parents, which I can understand, but also if parents don't know, there's little political pressure for things to change.

Things I'm aware of going on in schools right now (not all the same school, fortunately):

-Increased class sizes through all key stages.
-Lessons being taught by non science teachers (especially in KS3).
-KS3 students having highly complicated time tables where they are taught by 4/5 science teachers in a fortnight.
-KS4 students not being taught by chemistry/physics specialists.
-Science "interventions" for exam classes being cancelled as the school doesn't have the capacity to deliver them.
-Children having a revolving door of science teachers as schools can't retain staff/can't find quality staff.
-Science being taught by long/short term supply teachers.
-The amount of science lessons on the curriculum at KS3 being reduced.

In terms of good news- currently at my uni there's a lot of students training to be science teachers, including a reasonable number training in physics and chemistry. That's really good. What's less good is that due to teacher shortages, more and more local schools are saying they can't support a trainee in school. This leads to longer commutes for trainees, which isn't ideal, and when the workload is so high, a commute of over an hour can contribute to people struggling.

I don't know what the answer is, but I do think parents should try to find out what's going on with teaching in shortage subjects (especially science and maths) in their children's schools, and if it is a problem maybe write to your MP about it?

One thing I've heard suggested is more PPA (planning time) for science teachers being asked to deliver 2 or more sciences up to KS4. Teaching outside your subject specialism is (or can be) hard work, and a quality of life change like this might help retain some of the (good) science teachers who are still in the job.

And of course, retention bonuses for teachers (especially in shortage subjects).

It’s the norm now for teachers to be asked to teach more than one subject, sometimes even several. It isn’t just happening in Science.

PPA time is notoriously compromised. That’s not likely to change anytime soon. You’re aiming to be a teacher of a science, so you’re obviously going to focus on what you see happening in Science subjects. But there are English teachers teaching History and RE, Drama teachers teaching English and any other subjects that fits into a timetable.

I think that parents are becoming more aware of how challenging it is in schools. It’ll take a long time and a radically different approach in education to stop the rot and make the ‘profession’ one that people want to join and then stay in. MPs are far too busy messing up the country at present, to be able to effect root and branch change.

There was an article in the paper this week, the times maybe, about independent schools lending teachers and sixth formers to state secondary schools because of the maths teacher shortages.

I wasn't intending to make this "science vs everyone else" although science teachers are leaving the profession at a faster rate than everyone else.

I agree there are lots of lessons being taught by non-specialists (ironically, at my last placement school, some science teachers were covering lessons in maths!)- but surely that's a problem whatever the subject? It may be the status quo, but I don't think it's ok to accept it.

I agree right now MPs have other things to deal with, but if students have sub-par teaching in a key subject, that can affect them for the rest of their lives, and as a country we're definitely failing some students.

Independent schools lending teachers sounds very much like a short term stop-gap rather than a long term solution- presumably most independent schools aren't super overstaffed. Also, some teachers leave the state sector on purpose! I can't imagine they'd enjoy being told they have to go back!

If you’ve been watching the BBC2 series ‘School’ it will give you some idea of how difficult it is in some schools at present.

What is also very concerning, is the fact that a sizeable percentage of newly qualified teachers leave the profession in less than five years. Some stay an even shorter time. Coupled with the fact that experience is not valued because teachers with experience are more expensive and are therefore ‘encouraged’ to leave. Look at the forums to see how it’s affecting the education of young people and the well being of teachers.

I wasn't intending to make this "science vs everyone else" although science teachers are leaving the profession at a faster rate than everyone else.

Where’s your data/evidence of that? You say you didn’t want to make this Science vs everyone else but that is exactly what you want, it appears. This has been happening for many years in many different subjects/areas sadly.

I am a science teacher in an independent school. I would offer nothing other than being a warm body to the state sector (for a very short amount of time).

roly teacher retention data shows teachers most likely to quit are science, maths and MFL I think. Least likely to quit are PE.

Least likely to quit are PE

@noblegiraffe due to PE being more than likely to leap into SLT 😉

teacher retention data shows teachers most likely to quit are science, maths and MFL I think. Least likely to quit are PE.

That’s what I thought. Not just Science. Thanks noblegiraffe

I trained as a primary science specialist but have been offered work in the past as a secondary science teacher from staff I know in high schools. The shortage of teachers in science and maths particularly is awful.