to decide what is acceptable and take action where needed. But it’s important that completing these surveys doesn’t add to teachers’ workload. However, it’s also about encouraging teachers to work smarter, for example by using resources that are already available, and avoiding pointless and repetitive tasks that don’t benefit pupils, such as producing lengthy planning documents to show management.
Combatting absenteeism As well as stress-induced staff turnover, absenteeism is also a big problem. Of the quarter of teachers who told researchers that they had taken time off for stress, over a half had been absent for more than a month in the academic year. This is putting a huge strain on remaining staff
and budgets, with agencies typically charging a commission of up to 30% for supply teachers. In 2015-16, schools spent £835m on agency supply, and, anecdotally at least, teachers feel pressure to work through illness. This leads to teachers suffering doubly; they fear that admitting stress-related illness could affect their careers, and will add to their colleagues’ workload. However, soldiering on can be harmful to their pupils and their own health. Some illness is inevitable, especially working in
the petri dish environment of the classroom, but it is important for management to analyse the type of absences that are happening, and implement strategies to prevent them where possible, such as stress awareness training, access to counselling, regular health checks and flu jabs. Kathryn Birch, Managing Director at Staff
Absence Management, adds, ‘Monitoring absence can help to identify any issues early on, providing support to the employee and in turn encouraging staff retention. Holding return-to-work meetings after every absence helps the employer to ensure that there are no underlying reasons for high levels of absence, while also reminding staff of the need for regular attendance. This is often just enough to deter them from taking unnecessary time off if this is the case. It also shows employees that you’re concerned about their wellbeing. Tracking absence and using monitoring tools to set targets helps school leaders to keep on top of absence and get staff back to work more quickly.’ Indeed, Lauren McGuire at Affinity Workforce
adds, ‘Strategic workforce planning is vital. By having more accurate data and insight on their workforce, schools and MATs can make
better hiring and resourcing decisions, as well as developing longer-term plans. For example, by analysing data one MAT found that the number of staff on maternity leave was not that variable year-on-year. This has enabled them to be proactive about planning, saving time and reducing costs.’ The primary reason new teachers give for training
as a teacher is to make a difference to young people’s lives. And the number one motivating factor for staying in the profession is that they feel like they are making a difference, so it’s vital that they continue to feel this throughout their careers.
Developing staff Bridget Clay, a former maths teacher who has worked in teacher development says,‘There are a lot of different reasons why people might leave teaching, but where they are not supported in focusing on their students’ needs and driving their students’ learning forward, there’s potential for them to feel far removed from what they came into teaching for.’ But it’s easy to see how, in a culture of SATS,
Ofsted, and hyper-accountability, teachers’ confidence in their own capability might be eroded. Clay says, ‘The opportunity and the solution
is to empower teachers to be focused and develop themselves so they can best meet their students’ needs. It’s about an evidence-informed culture where staff are driving their own students’ progress. It can be a challenge for some schools but the way to invest in performance is to invest in their staff.’ There is, in fact, good evidence that investing in
teachers through CPD improves staff retention. Research commissioned by Wellcome found that science teachers who participated in CPD courses were 160% more likely to remain in teaching. The charity Teacher Development Trust works
with schools on how they implement and run CPD. Over the past few years they have seen real improvements, with teachers having more access to evidence-informed ideas, and more participation in CPD that is really focused on pupils and learners. But there is huge variation throughout the country. Chief Executive David Weston says, ‘Some spend four times what others spend. Some schools allow just three proper training days whereas others allocate more than two hours each week for staff to work on best practice together.’
‘Budget cuts have obviously resulted in reduced spending on CPD. But there are ways to be more
effective, such as collaborating with neighbouring schools, and shopping around for providers’
18 SUMMER 2018 FundEd
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