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The staffroom

Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

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Original poster

How many teachers are you losing this year?

106 replies

TrulyTurtles · 13/05/2015 18:47

Is it worse this year than other years? Our school has lost someone from all but three departments this year, two (potentially three)from one core subject, one from another, and three from other subjects. One is just jumping ship, one is taking a significant step down, another is going back into research. The list of applicants isn't huge, so we are all very worried. Ours is a school of about 700, so is that proportionate?

OP posts:

Redlocks28 · 14/05/2015 21:51

It's awful, isn't it. Even up to about 2012, things were bearable. It's the last 2 years where it's all gone hideously wrong.

Zippidydoodah · 14/05/2015 23:21

Are the vacancies mainly in secondary? Think i might struggle to find another primary job in this neck of the woods if I'm insane enough to try .

slightlyconfused85 · 15/05/2015 20:04

We've lost 15 teachers this year in a large secondary. Some leaving teaching altogether and some moving sideways or up. As far as morale goes it's not great at the moment- SLT are relentless and unpleasant and expectations are unrealistic.

Notsoskinnyminny · 16/05/2015 15:07

We're a primary of 250, going up to 280 in September, and need an extra teacher. So far there's 1 definitely leaving and 2 have got interviews next week, 1 will probably get the job because her DH is SLT at the school she's applied to, 2 have just announced they're pregnant, again, and another is trying! 2 support staff are also going. Head doesn't want any more NQTs as we've had 5 in the last 3 years and the extra PPA time is a killer.

Redlocks28 · 17/05/2015 09:50

That's a lot of teachers leaving-do you normally get many applicants for positions at your school?

Charis1 · 17/05/2015 09:57

6 (including HOD)out of a department of 12, all shortage subjects, all leaving teaching, no response at all to adverts, some of which will be going out for the third time next week.

My last department was also in London. They were down to one full time member of staff, and one HOD when I left, all others were agency staff. i think it makes sense to apply to jobs as an agency staff member with no contract, as you get treated far better if SMT know you are well within you rights not to come back tomorrow if you don't want to.

TheHappyCamper · 17/05/2015 10:07

We have about 10% leaving this summer. It was actually worse last summer, when we were up to almost 20%. My school is RI (was outstanding last time) and the pressure is quite frankly ridiculous. We have advertised for HOD for a core subject and had zero applicants! Nada . Vacancies for support staff could have been filled 3 times over. 'm quite tempted to become a TA!?!?

Not quite as bad as a school 20 miles away that was in special measures with a new Head and SLT, who lost 58 staff last summer. I swear I'm not making that up. I think out of an English dept of 13, they lost 9 staff.

Redlocks28 · 17/05/2015 10:09

I can't see this helping the situation much either

link

Apologies for posting it twice.

toomuchicecream · 17/05/2015 18:42

I went out for a coffee this morning with a friend who is support staff at a local secondary. 50 teachers. Last summer 20 went and this summer 26 are going, quite a few of whom are the wonderful new staff brought in by the new head to replace the "dead wood" who all got new jobs elsewhere easily - maybe because they are good at their jobs.

Original poster

TrulyTurtles · 17/05/2015 19:04

Since then another one is off for interview, our htla is up for one of the vacancies in house, one vacancy has no applicants and another (that I'm fretting about as one of my dc is taking that subject in yr 13) has now one applicant, who doesn't teach that speciality, so a returning teacher, who doesn't have a great record will be taking them.

OP posts:

HerrenaHarridan · 17/05/2015 19:19

Good grief!

In the nicest way this is why I home educate.

I'm sorry to see that it's coming to this, good schooling should be available for those who need it.

It's absolutely outrageous that this is where you all find yourselves

ravenAK · 17/05/2015 19:27

I'm handing in my notice next week & off to teach in Forn Parts.

To be fair, it was precipitated by H buggering off with another woman (I was so busy working & stressing I didn't actually notice for 6 months that he was having an affair...) - but I get effectively a £10k payrise, free accommodation with staff, & virtually free education for the dc at the rather desirable private school I'll be teaching in....

Our (English) department is struggling to recruit & Maths have practically taken to confiscating the NQTs' shoelaces & belts on arrival so they can't escape.

fortunately · 17/05/2015 19:35

I did the same as you raven - never regretted it!

Where are you off to?

MrsUltracrepidarian · 17/05/2015 19:37

Maths have practically taken to confiscating the NQTs' shoelaces & belts on arrival so they can't escape.
This did make me laugh out loud, but sorry things are so desperate, and sorry for your situation, Raven, although you seem to have managed amazingly well to find a good outcome.
When I started training (in a completely unrelated subject) and was found to have a Maths A level, I was cold called repeatedly by the Teaching Agency trying to persuade me to teach maths instead. And in schools where I go (supply teacher) I often teach physics and then get repeat calls back to specifically teach physics, not because I am by any means a wonderful teacher or have any real subject knowledge but because I am have a pulse and enjoy physics...

HagOtheNorth · 17/05/2015 19:38

I wonder what the total will be when the May resignation date has passed?

BathTangle · 17/05/2015 19:50

Not a teacher but wondered what you make of this in a v small primary I know: since February, the head teacher, 3 of the 4 teachers and 1 of the 4 TAs are leaving / have left. Governors maintain that this in itself is not a indicative of a management problem - but it seems quite a lot to me!

whotookalltheusernames · 17/05/2015 19:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Redlocks28 · 17/05/2015 19:54

I wonder what the total will be when the May resignation date has passed?

Me too.

It really pisses me off as as I wrote to my MP before the elections about the growing teacher recruitment crisis and got this reply

Regarding your concern that a lot of teachers are leaving the profession, he (David Laws, minister of state for schools) assures me that this is not reflected in the official statistics that were published this January. He states that what the statistics show is that vacancy rates are declining with the majority of new teachers still teaching after 5 years. Further to this, he states that teacher retention remains stable with 91% of teachers who began teaching in maintained schools in 2008 still teaching one year later and 76% still teaching five years later and in November 2013 there were just 750 vacancies across the country, a rate of 0.2%.

I'd like to see the numbers now, though no doubt they'd just be made up or made to look much better than they really are.

spanieleyes · 17/05/2015 20:05

We have advertised twice and not had any applicants! ( Primary, OFSTED rated Good consistently,) We simply can't find anyone!

MrsUltracrepidarian · 17/05/2015 20:29

whotookalltheusernames
I chose to do supply immediately after training as I had seen awful situations where NQTs took on jobs in schools that were not great places to work. My intention was to do supply and get to see schools from 'the inside' before doing NQT year. Schools vary massively and is not always evident just form the interview day - some I go back to repeatedly, some I will not go hear ever again
I have had 5 days a week work pretty much from the start, (so no experience apart from the PGCE year) tho' some supply teachers find it difficult - depends on where you are in the country, and also a bit hit and miss with agencies, you have be quite savvy in dealing with them as some do try to exploit you. I get a lot of repeat work, and so do get to build relationship with the staff and children, and now only do advance bookings, not on the day.
Secondary supply is 5 teaching hours a day, then you go home. No marking, prep, planning, parents' meetings, staff meetings, data, or other stuff you get with a full time job. (Primary - don't touch it - lovely kids, but long day with virtually no breaks at all from the DC and then masses of marking afterwards and hostile and awol TAs not always full co-operation from the TAs.)
Lot of advice and info on the TES supply forum.
I enjoy it and at the moment have no intention of applying for permanent jobs, although I do get asked from time to time in the schools I work in. But for me would only be downside, as have teenage DC doing AS & GCSE and want to have time with them which would not work well with full time teaching job.

wannabestressfree · 17/05/2015 20:35

I am debating the working away thing. Am a core teacher in secondary school and stress is crippling :/

whotookalltheusernames · 17/05/2015 20:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HagOtheNorth · 17/05/2015 20:41

Primary supply is great, I get my evenings and weekends to use as I wish.
No marking if you're secondary?

MrsUltracrepidarian · 17/05/2015 20:53

No marking

HagOtheNorth · 17/05/2015 20:57

I have a red pen, a green pen, a purple pen a pink pen and a blue pen. Plus several stamps.
I teach across Sussex, and different areas use different colours in their marking. Sometimes it gets truly confusing. Every piece marked in the appropriate colour and a developmental next step is expected.
Stay out of primary supply if you aren't used to it!

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