the educator mag May 24 (1) - Flipbook - Page 78
Tackling the teacher
retention crisis:
Why aren’t we talking about HR in schools?
Across the UK, a significant number of
teachers are leaving the profession. New
data from the workforce census shows
that 39,930 teachers (8.8 per cent of the
sector) left state schools for reasons other
than retirement last year, up 7,800 on the
previous year (6.9 per cent) - the highest
since the 2010-11 census.
While financial incentives have been a
major focus in tackling this crisis, they
aren't the whole story. Schools need to
look beyond salaries and benefits, and
embrace a powerful, yet often overlooked
solution: effective Human Resources (HR)
strategies. By fostering a supportive and
engaging school environment, HR
practices can play a crucial role in
attracting and retaining talented teachers.
A new report, developed by education
software provider, Access Education, dives
deep into these strategies and provides
valuable insights for schools looking
to build a thriving faculty. The report,
entitled, "Learning Unleashed: A guide
to streamlining HR processes, retaining
teaching talent and maximising efficiency
across your school”, can be accessed by
visiting the link at the end of this article.
The Teacher Retention and
Recruitment Crisis
This year, the government significantly
missed its recruitment targets, falling
short by 50% for secondary teachers and
38% overall. The lack of qualified teachers
forces schools to go to extreme lengths
to fill these gaps, with many relying on
teaching assistants (TAs) to cover lessons.
The Guardian reports on the impact,
highlighting how thousands of students
are relying on TAs due to teacher absence
and vacancies. Unions cite a “desperate
recruitment crisis” and “inadequate
funding” as reasons schools struggle to
place qualified teachers in every
classroom.
The burden of this shortage falls not
only on students, but also on TAs. These
essential staff members, earning between
£14,000 and £21,000, are often asked to
take on additional responsibilities with
little to no additional pay. In primary
schools, they may lead classes across all
age groups with minimal preparation
time. At the secondary level, TAs are even
stepping up to teach subjects at GCSE
level due to unfilled teaching positions.
The axing of a “much praised”
teacher recruitment scheme
To make matters worse, in a move
criticised by educators, the government
recently cut funding for Now Teach, a
program that successfully transitioned
experienced professionals into teaching
careers.
These findings, reported by The Guardian
state, “The end of the scheme appears to
be part of a wider government drive to
find savings wherever it can as the DfE
tries to deal with a shortfall estimated
to be as much as £1.5bn because of the
funds needed to meet teacher pay rises.
Existing budgets have had to be used to
meet much of the cost.”
Amidst this crisis, schools are urged to
find success by focusing on internal
improvements through strong HR
strategies that enhance the teaching
experience.
Beyond Financial Incentives:
The Evolving Role of HR
The teacher shortage crisis demands
innovative solutions. Financial incentives
are a piece of the puzzle, but effective HR
strategies are key to building a thriving
school. By fostering a supportive
environment through professional
development, work-life balance initiatives,
and strong leadership, HR can attract new
talent and retain the valuable teachers a
school already has.
Modern HR software can streamline these
processes, automating tasks, facilitating
communication, and providing valuable
data to inform HR decisions. David Myatt,
Chief Financial Officer at Deal Education
Alliance for Learning Trust comments,
“[By using systems like Access Education
People & Payroll] Staff can log in and
download their payslips, access leave
requests and log overtime within just a
few clicks. Previously this would have
been done manually over email and it
was incredibly inefficient”.
This shift towards a tech-enabled HR
function empowers educators to focus
on what they do best – teaching young
people. By simplifying administrative
tasks and fostering a positive work
environment, HR technology is a powerful
tool for attracting, retaining, and
empowering a world-class teaching force.
The road ahead: Let’s talk
about HR
There is no quick fix for teacher retention,
particularly in an already challenged field
where teachers are leaving at concerning
rates. Senior Leaders must look holistically
at the school environment to understand
where change can occur and how staff
can best be supported, so they can
develop an effective teacher recruitment
and retention strategy.
To learn more about how your HR
strategies can help retain teaching
talent while maximising efficiency
across your school, download Access
Education's latest report, "Learning
Unleashed".
