How many teachers are you losing this year?

[TrulyTurtles]

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?

That's interesting ravenAK. I keep wondering about homeschooling and wish I had insight into the local infant/junior schools. I'm secondary trained and out of touch.

To be fair, where I currently teach we'd definitely rather have a specialist English OR Maths teacher than a primary colleague who could teach up to L6 in either - we've got year 7s achieving beyond that, never mind top set year 9...
I don't doubt that, but our local secondary doesn't have that type of catchment. I've seen the work they do in Year 7 and my class have done more challenging work in Year 5 (...it's quite sad, really,...but it doesn't surprise me that my more able ones transfer to other schools). I used to teach mainly Years 7 and 8 - lower sets - before I moved areas, so I know what type of work they should be on. I'm qualified to teach English up to GCSE, if needed (not terribly keen on KS4, though,...boring). In terms of Maths, I don't think Level 6 is necessarily my limit...having topped up the A-Level with Economics and Statistics at degree level.
It would have freed the "proper" secondary teachers up to teach higher sets and more KS4. It might also have improved their rather poor record when dealing with transition. Oh well. I get paid more in my new role.

Well, had a text today fro
My colleague and she has decided to resign too. So that's 5 teachers out of 6 in my department.

The secondary i Was in didn't have anyone that taught maths AND english - it was subject specialists for both. They'd also have been unlikely to employ from primary too.

It sounds like you've ended up in great job instead though.

Thatssofunny - of course you're qualified to teach GCSE English - you have QTS.

I'm 'qualified' to teach A Level Urdu, on that basis, but it'd probably be better for everyone if I don't try.

I wouldn't want you teaching GCSE English if you think it's boring, though, & if you think you know what year 7-8 ought to be learning because a few years ago you used to 'know what type of work they should be on' then I'd also be concerned.

Your post rather exemplifies my concerns about what is currently happening to core subjects at KS3, tbh. It's not a good thing to 'free up' the 'proper' teachers to teach higher sets & KS4 - KS3 deserve teachers with the right depth of subject knowledge, too, & lower ability groups if anything need them more if they are to make progress.

Sounds like you've found a post which is a better fit for you, so it's nice that it also pays better!

Well, I know the shouldn't still be doing the same stuff they have done in Years 5 and 6. (I also don't think 2 years is that long ago...I used to teach KS2/3 at a middle school.)

I may have been a little unclear. I find the idea of teaching the same subject for the entire week rather boring, which is why I didn't like KS4 and have no desire to teach GCSE. (There are people, who really like that. They are the ones, who should be doing it.) I've taught English, Games and IT at KS3, in addition to having my KS2 class, because I'm actually rather good at it. They gave me lower sets, because I am good with them and tend to get very good results. It's not a question of "I have QTS, so I can teach anything". I have a degree in English (in addition to a degree in Economics) and have gained QTS through an English PGCE (albeit a KS2-4 one).
I used to work in IT before becoming a teacher and led IT at the point. Games...well, that just happened because the department didn't have any teachers and I'm a qualified coach for a range of sports. I quite like it.
I find EY and KS1 boring, too...for different reasons.

The "proper" was meant more tongue-in-cheek.
I grew up in a country, where all secondary teachers teach at least two subjects, so I find the idea that you can only be a specialist at one thing a bit odd. It feels rather limiting.