Staff shortages and work-life balance
95% of state school and college heads are struggling to recruit teachers, reveals a survey by the Association of School and College Leavers. Out of the 766 schools surveyed, 43% said this issue was severe.
This fresh, national level research closely matches the finding of a recent poll we ran. Of the 250 people we engaged with by social media, 66% of respondents agreed that staff shortages have affected their school.
At Moxi, we’re seeing huge demand from schools for well-trained, classroom ready staff with the skills and perseverance to excel in their careers. But the truth is, this works both ways – in order to ensure the quality of staff we need to pull together as sector to improve the work-life balance and look after the brilliant teaching staff working hard in schools across the UK.
Why are schools finding it so hard to recruit?
In the last two years we’ve seen huge changes across the private and public work sectors. The standard office job can now come with offers of hybrid/flexible working, unlimited paid holidays, and even completely remote positions to give their employees work life balance, but most importantly to give them more control over their lives. This led us to question what it is exactly that schools can offer their teaching staff to give them better work life balance and retain the talent in the sector.
So, we reached out to our education network with another poll. Of 330 respondents, over half answered better pay would be important, with reduced admin and mental health support following behind. This could explain why retaining teachers proved to be difficult for 65% of headteachers, as highlighted in the recent report.
So, what does this mean for schools?
We need to show talent how rewarding a career in education can be, and support teaching staff already in the sector so they can continue to make a difference in the lives of young people and enjoy their time at work. For this to happen, we need to show our support by making their jobs as easy as possible and listening to their demands.
How can we help?
“We stand out as a business because we’re all educators or former educators ourselves, so we know the challenges and pitfalls of recruiting strong teachers and support staff,” said James Lowe, Founder of Moxi Recruitment.
He continued: ‘’At Moxi, we are passionate about encouraging talent to join the sector, from young people in the early stages of their career to those from other sectors looking to try a new challenge. Our aim is to provide the necessary guidance and support so that that those new to the sector are prepared for the challenges of a career in education, we believe it’s the only way to fully experience how rewarding a career in education can be.’’
Source: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/schools-drop-subjects-to-cope-with-staffing-crisis-z3njc5dwp
