WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY....
UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF THE OVER-50S WORKFORCE FOR SCHOOL ESTATE TEAMS
Comment by NICK ORDE-POWLETT, Managing Director at TIB Services
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ecruitment for caretaker and estates roles is one of the most pressing challenges facing schools and multi-academy trusts today. Many schools are struggling to fill positions, and this has a direct impact on the smooth running of daily operations, from maintenance and security to event setup and health and safety compliance. Addressing this challenge requires schools to think creatively about who they hire and where they look for talent. One group that often receives less attention in recruitment discussions is professionals over 50. Research from TIB Services indicates that this demographic tends to prioritise purpose and impact over financial reward, making them ideally suited to roles that support the operational backbone of schools, including caretaking, site management, and facilities support. These individuals bring a wealth of transferable skills, including reliability, technical competence, problem-solving, and integrity, that are directly relevant to the day-to-day needs of school estates teams. Many of the over-50s who we work with have backgrounds in fields such as the military, emergency services, engineering, and trades. Military veterans bring discipline, leadership under pressure, and a collaborative mindset. Former emergency services personnel excel in risk management, rapid decision-making, and keeping calm in challenging situations. Engineers and tradespeople offer practical skills, technical knowledge, and hands-on problem-solving abilities. When applied in schools, these qualities translate into operational excellence, safer environments, and more efficient estates management.
In practical terms, these professionals can undertake essential duties ranging from routine maintenance and security checks to event setup and compliance tasks, allowing teachers and leadership teams to focus on learning outcomes. Their experience also provides opportunities for mentoring and knowledge-sharing, helping to build stronger, more resilient teams. Flexible working arrangements, such as part-time or project-based roles, make these positions accessible to mature candidates while giving schools practical solutions to staffing pressures. Since 2019, TIB Services has developed a candidate pool of over 9,000 professionals, many aged 50 or older, who have supported schools and multi-academy trusts across the country. Feedback from schools highlights high satisfaction with this approach, demonstrating that age- inclusive recruitment can reliably fill caretaker and estates roles with skilled, motivated staff.
For schools and trusts, the wider lesson is clear: recruitment challenges require fresh thinking. Age-inclusive hiring is not just a way to fill vacancies. It can enhance stability, resilience, and engagement within school teams. By looking beyond traditional hiring pools and past job titles, schools can access individuals motivated by meaningful work, equipped with practical skills, and committed to long-term contribution. Considering the over-50s workforce as a strategic solution to caretaker recruitment challenges provides both operational value and cultural enrichment, helping schools run smoothly while fostering a supportive and inclusive environment.
DFE WRITING FRAMEWORK RISKS CREATING A GENERATION OF WRITING ROBOTS
Comment by PENNY SLATER, Penny Slater, Partnership Lead at HFL Education
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he Department for Education’s new Writing Framework demonstrates ambition and clarity – but it could also create a generation of ‘writing robots’. While thoughtful and well-researched, and rightly focused on improving outcomes for pupils, without careful implementation it risks repeating the mistakes made in primary reading teaching a decade ago.
As someone who has spent years working alongside schools to develop effective literacy practice, I agree with a great many of the new framework’s recommendations. But I fear that in 10 years’ time we could be in the same predicament as we are with reading in primary. There, a narrow implementation of a previous framework has led to a situation in which KS1 is seen as when phonics is taught and KS2 is when comprehension is taught, leading to groups of children who associate good reading with being fast rather than understanding meaning.
I think the new Writing Framework risks a similar fate if we are not careful.
The framework is dominated by references to ‘sentence/s’ while ‘reader’, ‘audience’, ‘effect’ and ‘purpose’ are far less visible. It’s not too much of a
November 2025
stretch of the imagination to see subject leaders coming to the conclusion that accurate sentence construction – for the sake of accuracy alone – is the goal.
Fast forward 10 years and I think there is a very real danger that we will have a new challenge to address – ‘writing robots’ who can create sentences in a ‘paint by numbers’ manner but with no deep connection to purpose or audience or even an awareness of why we write. With thoughtful implementation, the Writing Framework can help us raise standards and close gaps. But we must learn from the past. That’s why it’s so important to keep the reader at the heart of the writing process, because every sentence must be part of a larger whole – an idea, a story or a message worth sharing.
Because let’s not forget that while learning their scales is essential to any budding musician, in the end it’s the music that moves us.
HFL Education has this year launched an innovative Early Years writing programme called ‘ESSENTIALWRITING’, to give children aged 3-5 the best possible start to learning to write. The new programme is part of a sequenced curriculum which continues with the highly-successful ‘ESSENTIALWRITING’ programme for Years 1-6.
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