Less jobs around this year

[Rubiscoisfantastic]

Hello,

I have been a PGCE Science mentor for well over 20 years. I always keep an eye on TES, etc for the jobs for the trainee teachers in my department.

Has anyone noticed a serious drop off in jobs available? I live in Greater London and it’s pretty slim pickings. My trainee told me a friend had applied for a science job and there were over 100 applicants. She’s an extremely high calibre candidate, but she’s not even getting a sniff at an interview.

What on earth is going on?!

I have too! I was science but moved to psychology, and there hasn't been many vacancies at all - I assumed that it was because I'd gone into a smaller field, but it's interesting to know it is the case for science too! One of the English trainees at my school hasn't got a job for September which surprised me, and I've kept an eye on tes for her but there's not been much. Am in Midlands.

https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/secondary-teacher-job-adverts-lowest-level-years

@redsquirrel07 Interesting. I’m surprised they’re quoting falling numbers to explain secondary job shortages. Is that just an excuse?

I wouldn’t have thought the birth rate decline had filtered through yet.

My school is in severe financial difficulty. I think it’s more likely there’s no money to hire. The rest of us get shafted with larger class sizes and teaching out of specialism.

I’ve never seen it so bad in 25 years of teaching.

I guess it depends on the area and subject. In my school this year, we have had 13 vacancies to fill for a September start - which is lower compared to normal. We had 34 to fill last year comparatively. I just don’t think teachers are moving about this year!

Classes covered by cover supervisors or get supply in ? I have worked in 2 schools where this happens.

I'm trying to get a job too in local schools as an Art Technician or DT Technician. I've seen a role that wants an Art and DT and Food Technician for one role! But these are whole roles in themselves and the school has 8 forms/year group so it's not a small school. I've had to widen my search as I haven't gained a role after 4 interviews, so I applied for a Librarian role which also wanted the post to also cover Reprographics - that's the responsibility of a whole job role in another school I worked at. On top of that, the Librarian role wanted 1:1 pastoral interventions (SSCO responsibilities) and do Reading Interventions (Teaching Assistant responsibilities). To me, it looked like the school hasn't got the money to employ enough staff, so they were packing out this role to the max. It seems unreasonable. Furthermore, I enquired with the HR person at the school and I found out they were "overwhelmed with applicants", what figure that was, I don't know. I'm just outside Greater London. Maybe there's a funding crisis which explains fewer jobs out there.

Yes, far fewer jobs out there. There are regional variations but the peak of the birth rate nationally is the current year 9. Schools are widely reducing PAN.

The birth rate combined with budgeting the unfunded pay rise is a factor. The current job market is also stopping teachers who in normal times would be leaving the profession are now staying put.

How very depressing 😥