Teach Secondary 14.4

RECRUITMENT | STAFFING | TRAINING School improvement advice for headteachers and SLT THIS WAY! Personnel PROBLEMS Anthony David shares his advice on how to recruit much-needed teaching staff for shortage subjects F illing those vital posts within shortage subjects can seem like an impossible task – but there are ways and means of covering the lessons you need to cover without compromising the integrity of your curriculum offer. Here’s how. I run a small group of schools across London, and for the last three years we haven’t had to employ a single supply teacher. However, that’s not to say that our recruitment process is an entirely stress-free process. Believe it or not, there was once a time when I actively looked forward to it. After all, a new teacher will typically bring with them a set oqf fresh ideas, enthusiasm and a unique perspective that can enrich our school community. Recruitment today, however, is no longer just about filling gaps; it requires careful strategy, long-term thinking and a focus on sustainability. Definewhat you need andwhy Before rushing to advertise a role, ask yourself, ‘What do we actually need?’ Recruitment should never be a kneejerk reaction to a resignation. Instead, you should assess your staffing needs through the lens of long-term planning. Are you thinking short-term, to fill a sudden vacancy? Or do you need a more permanent solution? If a teacher is going onmaternity leave, for instance, will you require a like-for-like replacement, or can you restructure timetables and use internal resources to cover the absence? One of the best ways of ensuring continuity in teaching is to develop a flexible and skilled team. Mapping skill sets across departments allows you to readily identify staff members who can step up in times of need. For example, when one of our schools faced the sudden departure of a physics teacher – a subject that’s notoriously difficult to recruit for – we didn’t immediately seek an external replacement. Instead, we assessed our existing team and found a maths teacher with a physics background. With some additional training and support, this teacher was then able to take on key physics lessons while we looked into arranging a more permanent solution. Adopting this approach not only meant that we were able to ensure consistency for our students, but also provided some valuable career development for the teacher concerned. 45 teachwire.net/secondary L E A D E R S H I P