We are experiencing a shortage of teachers in England and a number of subjects in secondary schools are incredibly challenging to recruit into.
Maths and physics, despite significant financial incentives, are still the main subjects I worry about, but not far behind them are chemistry, geography and languages.
Every so often I read a statement or quote from the government claiming that the teacher shortage is being addressed and we are recruiting record numbers of graduates – but on the ground I am not convinced.
At the same time, I am finding it increasingly concerning that many teachers are quitting the profession; we all remember Sir Michael Wilshaw warning that two-fifths of teachers are quitting the profession within their first five years.
Over the weekend, I bumped into an ex-colleague who I had worked with two schools and six years ago. I hadn’t seen him since I left the school but when we worked together we were good friends. Our form rooms were opposite each other and we used to play sports alongside other staff every Friday after school.
As we both did a “double-take” in a busy high street we stopped and had a chat. I was genuinely sad when he told me that he had quit teaching two years ago because he’d “had enough of the bureaucracy” and the volume of work was affecting his personal life.
I was saddened because this guy was a great teacher. He was passionate about his subject, loved working with young people and he got great results. Yet he felt that he could not continue in a profession he loved because he felt that if he was to genuinely do the job to the best of his ability then he would have zero work/life balance. I am sure that many of you reading this could think of a similar person who has left teaching for similar reasons.
I understand that by working in this profession we undertake a huge responsibility and that for the vast majority of teachers it is more than just a job, it is our vocation. I am the biggest advocate for ensuring we relentlessly pursue the best possible outcomes for our students and that we all need to have high aspirations for all our young people.
But following this conversation, I reflected on whether I am doing enough to keep the teachers in my school in the profession. What role do headteachers have in teacher retention? Am I protecting them from bureaucracy and unnecessary workload? Am I providing teachers with the conditions necessary for them to teach great lessons and enjoy their work? Am I harnessing the skill, expertise and potential of my staff with a level of professional challenge that keeps them motivated and hungry to improve and develop?
It is clear to me that there has never been a more challenging time to enter teaching and that means the role of headteachers and school leaders has never been more important.
I want my school to be as good as we can make it, but we have to do things for the right reasons and we can’t kill ourselves achieving it. I have to take the mental health of my staff very seriously indeed and ensure that we have high but manageable and achievable expectations.
I hate red tape and bureaucracy and teachers have enough to do without having to worry about which colour they should be marking in, so I think that heads and senior leaders should do everything they can to allow teachers to focus on the core and most important aspects of their roles.
We also have to set an example in the way that we work so that teachers do not feel under even more pressure than they already are; it is no good for teachers to be staying up beyond midnight to get their marking done because of an unreasonable school policy.
I reinforce the importance of work/life balance regularly with my staff; as educators we accept the fact we will spend more time with other people’s children than we will with our own, but I desperately don’t want my staff to sacrifice time with their families because I am working them into the ground.
We have to get the balance right or people will become unhappy, burnt-out and disillusioned with their jobs; yes, we have to work hard and get the best results for the students in our schools but we have to do it with smiles on our faces and pride in our hearts.
- SecEd’s headteacher diarist is in his third year of headship at a comprehensive school in the Midlands.