Staff cuts

[LornaD40]

Wondered if anyone else is already witnessing/experiencing cuts at their school? We are and the atmosphere (which is usually really positive) is starting to dip. It's really quite depressing!

Oh yes definitely- it's awful. There are quite a few threads about budget cuts and staffing reductions...

Sadly it is happening everywhere.

Most schools will try not to cut staff posts and rely on natural attrition, with existing staff being spread thinner.

The birth rate is going up, and new teacher recruitment targets haven't been met for years. Something is going to have to give.

As a PRU we have lost:
All our mental health practitioners
On site SALT
Our Ed Psych funding.
Forest school/animal care.
1 full time teacher.

Bleurgh... Single form entry, inner city. Two FT class teachers leaving in July, two PT colleagues on maternity leave. Been told we can't afford to replace any of them next year. We'll be the equivalent of 3 FT posts down. How the hell is that ever going to work? Makes me feel really guilty as PT 'expensive', UPS teacher.

I just found out we have 4 teachers too many for our budget next year and we have to save £250K in the next 2-3 years. Definitely worried about my job.

It's so shit. Teachers salaries are hardly amazing, and, in my view, represent incredible value for money. Like, really incredible. Mine is a small school, so we all hold several extra responsibilities and leads, have a full schedule of extra curricular activities, and often attend out of hours or weekend events, accompanying groups of pupils. And the rest. It is shameful that education is facing such cuts, yet teachers are expected to work much longer before retirement, along with everyone else.

We already provide masses out of our own pockets for our classrooms-even paper, pencils and glue sticks this year, but things are going to go properly tits up in September.

We are a 3-form entry primary school and have to lose the equivalent of two teachers. We already have a full time teaching deputy in class so can't save money there. No one wants to leave, so the choice is either ...

Make two teachers redundant and their classes will have to be 'taught' by teaching assistants 100% of the time. I can't see parents liking that.

Make a large number of TAs redundant.

Everyone is properly stressed about it-there are people bursting into tears at every corner.

It's so depressing! I think all schools everywhere are feeling the pinch horribly...
It seems to me a really combustible situation: more children, less teachers, less resources, more staff leaving, less staff joining, lack of head teachers, freeze on wages, average age and experience of teachers decreasing nationally... I think our poor children are in a pickle... And seemingly the only strategy (unofficially!) is to ask staff to do more with less, get bashed over the head by OFSTED and focus on Grammers! Seriously, I wonder where education is going to be in 10 years...?

I agree with a pp who said that teachers represent great value in terms of salary. DC is a teacher so I know how long they spend at work and I see how many hours they work at home. I am certain that the total number of hours they work, for the salary they earn, means they actually earn less than the living wage for this area. I also work in a school and know how hard all our teachers and the staff work to try to ensure the best outcome for all our children. The pay does not reflect this and to have to make further cuts, either by not replacing staff who leave, or by making staff redundant, I'd not going to improve the situation one bit. No wonder teacher training targets are being missed year after year.

All of the TAs are being cut at my school-September is going to be awful :(

i've seen tas been axed but i don't think teachers should be overly worried just yet as in my school we have struggled to recruit and retain staff.

ALL of them roll?? Christ! What is the staffing plan?

We (2 form entry Primary) are going down 2 teachers and a TA via natural attrition. It means less intervention and less release time for those with additional responsibilities. We've actively recruited NQTs for the two posts that did have to be filled for financial reasons.

There seem to be far fewer jobs being advertised just new than normal and I assume this is because other schools are also not replacing leavers.

The F1 teacher at my school is going and not being replaced and given that all of the other staff are long time teachers (on a whack of salary) i think they will just replace with nqts when the time comes.. if they can last that long

I think it will be increasingly difficult to get a job as an experienced teacher with a higher salary and many good, expensive teachers will be managed out. Bring on the election and get labour back in!!!!

We are also phasing in classes of 40 in ks2 with no TAs AT ALL!!! I had 35 this year, its been hell. My tops arent being pushed, my middles are slipping, my lower middles are making little progress and i have to devote my lesson times to a child with major behavioural issues because unless i sit with him 1-1 throughout lessons theres a danger he'll be seriously and violently disruptive my results are going to suffer!

e seriously and violently disruptive hmm my results are going to suffer!

You mean the kids education surely

Was obviously a tongue in cheek comment wouldnt put up with all the shit if i didnt care hugely about the kids in my class