CONTRIBUTORS Could migrant
teachers help alleviate the skills shortage?
This month NAOMI HOWELLS, Managing Director at recruitment specialist Class People and regular Education Today columnist, discusses the role of teachers from overseas in helping to solve the skills shortage problem
To complement training and retaining British teachers, and reduce the number of teaching vacancies in the UK, the Department for Education (DfE) has been utilising a £10,000 international relocation package to entice overseas teachers. In 2023, over 1,100 work visas were issued to qualified secondary school teachers, compared with just 555 in 2022 and 205 in 2021. Now, more than one in four teacher training course applicants come from outside Europe.
Currently, any overseas candidate can work in the UK for four years without qualified teacher status (QTS), but thereafter will need QTS to work in a state school. Academies, private schools, and free schools can continue employing a teacher regardless. Under these rules, not every overseas candidate is able to automatically teach in the UK long-term, either because they haven’t completed an equivalent qualification in their own country, or because there is a lack of like-for-like conversion. Most must apply to ENIC/NARIC, however, not all qualifications can be translated directly, with teaching styles, traditional roles and responsibilities, and/or curriculum content not matching up. This creates a pool of prospective candidates that know how to teach but aren’t officially recognised, including candidates from countries such as South Africa, Singapore, and India for example.
Taking advantage of the four-year rule, as well as placing candidates outside the state school system can help fill vacancies, matching them to schools based on their experience and expertise. At Class People, we do this through our ‘Class Instructors’ programme working with leading academies in the South West. Placing a candidate at equivalent lead supervisor level, the scheme specifically targets candidates for whom QTS is potentially unattainable and allows those teachers and teaching assistants to utilise their wealth of experience instead. It recognises the intrinsic value of the candidate and their skillset, matching them uniquely to the best school based on their needs.
Beyond the reality of filling long-term vacancies there are significant advantages to tapping this pool. For many academies and private schools, particularly those with a significant number of EAL students (English as an additional language), overseas candidates offer opportunities for cultural and language adaptations, as well as helping schools meet their employer inclusion and diversity targets. Furthermore, it offers schools the opportunity to learn from international best practice, and to remodel class and working patterns to best maximise employee expertise, over traditional employment models, in turn supporting teacher engagement and retention.
It will be interesting to see how the new Labour government will align their proposed policies with the realities of the skills shortage. Earlier this year, as well as committing to recruiting an additional 6,500 teachers, and targeting retention, they also outlined initial plans to ensure every teacher in England has QTS, or is on an appropriate learning pathway. Whether this will see the advent of overseas training conversion pathways into QTS, or will ultimately see rejection of overseas candidates remains to be seen. It will be disappointing however to lose the cultural, lingual, and diversity advantages that meet the needs of our multicultural schools.
How EDClass is meeting the growing need for alternative provision
This month we hear from SAL McKEOWN, journalist and editor, who takes a look at what DfE- accredited online AP provider EDClass is doing to help students who struggle in traditional settings
Schools are reporting a sharp rise in disruptive behaviour. A Teacher Tapp survey this year revealed that teachers
are now witnessing more fighting, aggression, and violence compared to two years ago. This behaviour not only disrupts the learning environment for other students but also places schools under pressure to address the needs of excluded pupils. The Department for Education has announced plans to reform unregistered alternative provision settings. They have found that children as young as five are attending institutions that lack proper oversight. These unregulated settings often fail to provide the education and support that troubled students require. EDClass, an online AP provider accredited by the Department for Education, offers a solution to both these challenges. The platform works with schools to support students who are at risk of exclusion or who require a tailored curriculum. EDClass provides individualised learning plans, live lessons with qualified teachers, and support for wellbeing. This helps students stay engaged and connected to their education.
Schools like Wayland Academy in Norfolk are turning to EDClass to support students who are struggling in traditional school settings. Glen Allott, principal at Wayland Academy, recommends the platform to help students learning English as an Additional Language and facing other challenges.
The benefits of online AP
EDClass offers benefits for both students and schools. For students, the personalised approach and one-to-one tuition can provide a more supportive and engaging learning environment. Online learning means students can access education from the comfort of their own homes. This can be particularly beneficial for those who struggle with attendance or social interactions.
For schools, EDClass can be a cost-effective and efficient way to provide alternative provision. The platform’s flexibility means that schools can tailor their use of EDClass to fill the gaps in students’ learning. It also reduces the number of costly bounce-back exclusions by providing students with the support they need to reintegrate into the classroom.
EDClass has robust safeguarding systems in place, including regular checks on student engagement and wellbeing. Woodkirk Academy in Wakefield says: “It takes that strain off schools and stops them worrying: ‘is this child safe at home? What are they doing? How long have they been inactive for?’” Danielle Myles, Head of Teaching and Learning at EDClass, emphasises that the platform is not a destination but rather an intervention. “On average, 78% of learners engage in some form of education and training once they have left EDClass,” she says. This could include returning to their original school full-time, going on to college or an apprenticeship, or transitioning to another school or AP setting.
As the number of students requiring alternative provision continues to grow, online platforms like EDClass offer a promising solution. Jacob, a Year 9, learner says: “The EDClass teachers are nice and answer my questions. They are friendly too and ask how I am, and what I have been up to and they are very helpful. EDClass has supported me to learn when I thought there was no chance at one point due to my anxiety.”
https://www.edclass.com/ October 2024
www.education-today.co.uk 17
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