Teach Secondary Issue 13.4

43 teachwire.net/secondary A hire PURPOSE T hey may be increasing in regularity, but those headlines around secondary teacher recruitment targets being missed and the worsening retention crisis become no less alarming. The NFER’s latest Teacher Labour Market in England Annual Report (see bit.ly/ ts134-RR1) suggests that out of 17 secondary subjects, 10 are likely to under-recruit in 2024-25, based on ITT applications up to February this year. Overall, secondary recruitment is forecast to be around 61% of target – the only blessing being that this is a slight improvement compared to 2023-24. So what can we practically do to reverse this decline? Clever marketing campaigns and enticing offers from specific schools plainly aren’t enough. What we need is sector-wide change that goes far beyond what secondaries and ITT providers can do. Here, then, are three solution-focused approaches that could make a genuine difference to recruitment today and retention in the long term... 1.Make ITTmore affordable Teacher pay tends to get the most attention, but it’s not the only problem. All ITT candidates must be able to afford the cost of training in the first place – an issue that’s already had a critical impact on the talent pipeline and diversity of applicants. Possible solutions could include reducing tuition fees for all trainees (through government subsidies for ITT, rather than providers being paid less for the programme), exploring the potential for fee grants during the training year and the introduction of bursaries for all. The latter could prove to be a particularly effective driver for persuading people to enter teaching – especially in high-priority subjects. At the same time, however, these aren’t levered regionally. Schools that fall into opportunity areas, for example, aren’t necessarily those areas where we see the most teacher shortages. A more nuanced approach in terms of both region and subject is sorely needed. We’re currently working with partners onmodelling the impact and potential benefits of awarding new teachers student loan reimbursements after they’ve worked in state schools for a certain number of years, and will report the findings later this year. 2. Embrace flexible working We also need to close the gap between existing approaches to flexible working and growing demands for more innovative approaches. In a recent NASBTT survey, 89% of ITT providers told us that greater opportunities for flexible working would attract more applicants to the sector. It’s also widely known to be an important factor in retention. By focusing our efforts on retention – perhaps even over recruitment, at least for now – we could reduce the need to recruit so many new teachers going forward. Alongside the team behind the FlexibleWorking in Multi-Academy Trusts and Schools (FWAMS) project, we’ve develop guidance aimed at helping the ITT sector implement flexi- working as a starting point. Many organisations now embrace opportunities to work more flexibly, but there remain obvious barriers to schools replicating similar practice. It’s vital, however, that the sector feels empowered and confident in pursuing bold, ambitious plans for flexible working environments. 3.Tackle public perceptions At the heart of all this is a discussion on what we want schools to be and do Following the closure of other key services, teachers’ roles increasingly entail supporting a much wider range of health and social care issues . We knowwhy some people want to become teachers – but we must also understand what discourages young people from considering careers in teaching, and use those insights to inform the next steps we take. One such step could be for the DfE to commission research into precisely which undergraduates aren’t choosing teaching as a career option and why, instead of basing their research activities around examining those who do. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Emma Hollis is Chief Executive of the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers; for more information, visit nasbtt.org.uk R E C R U I T M E N T How can we attract more people to the profession – and keep them? Emma Hollis puts forward her suggestions...