We have 10 staff leaving in May...

[TheSnowFairy]

They're not even staying til July. It's getting worse, isn't it?

I taught KS3 & 4 for nine years and have a degree in an engineering subject. I had considered supply on a part time basis to get back in the swing of things. How feasible is this as all adverts suggest recent experience (in the last two years)

No but creating a situation so they can sell it off whilst at the same time removing need for qualified teachers both creates and solves the problem. That was the main point of the white paper - the forced academisation was just to create some noise to cover it and for them to have something to back down on. Academisation will come via the back door as schools fail to meet new targets.

But we can already have unqualified teachers and still can't fill maths vacancies.

What are all the teachers, who are leaving the profession, going on to do with their lives/careers?

I know lots who are retiring or have retired very early-in their early 50s. They are either doing a bit of supply or have got a 1/2 day a week role locally doing ppa cover only-they stipulated no planning/PMR/observations or assessment. They are lucky in that their mortgages are paid off. They are not on a contract so can just go on holiday when they wish!!

Others have gone to work as a TA. One has gone to work nights in Tesco, one is teaching piano, one doing tutoring (11+) and another works in a children's centre. Two have husbands on a v good wage so have given up completely for now (one is horribly broken and on anti-depressants because of a horrible head teacher, so is really just recuperating :( )

Very interesting/depressing thread. for all those teachers out there and for those who have left/leaving.

I'm not involved in education at all now. I was an education solicitor in a local authority some years ago. The things I came across were really shocking - not what the children were doing so much, but some of the parents. One of headteachers dealing with an aggressive parent was really traumatised. Meanwhile my colleague was having to sell off the schools turning into academies. Looking back I'm proud to say that she said she was the bane of the Dept for Education because she was trying to protect the teachers rights in the transfers to the academy trusts.

Of course it wasn't all rosy but for the most part I saw very experienced staff doing their best. Not even sure that department will exist now - most of the maintained schools contracted in but we had to get special dispensation from the Law Society to even begin to advise academies unless we did it for free. I left due to health issues but they were needing to lose people from Legal as we were back office.

Local authorities were definitely not perfect and I know a lot of teachers had problems with them but there was a wealth of knowledge in one place we could refer teachers to - welfare officers, SEN, admissions officers - I wonder how many are still employed and where the expertise went or how complicated it is for the academy chains to contract for the services?