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A legal and PR response to the Prevent duty: implications for schools         

We are being approached on a daily basis by schools, Local Authorities and Multi-Academy Trusts who are going to extreme measures in a bid to fill their teaching positions. Whilst we cannot (and will not!) claim to have the answers to the national shortage, we do support the notion that marketing has a role to play.

We are in a teachers’ marketplace and school leaders need to change their recruitment habits in a bid to stand out from the crowd.

• Have you considered your unique proposition for staff?
• How is this being promoted?
• What is the experience of a candidate who comes for interview?
• Or even when an applicant goes through your application process?

The channels you use are crucial. We recommend a combined approach that includes traditional advertising, social media and creative methods such as utilising your teachers’ personal networks through incentive schemes.

Over the past few days and weeks, the news has been filled with speculation on the content of the spending review and autumn statement. The comprehensive review of public expenditure covers everything from health to transport to welfare and, of course, education.

As schools go to increasingly extreme measures in a bid to recruit the right staff, we think there are some key pointers to follow before embarking on a trip to Canada in search of the future generation of teachers.

Ofsted has released an eye-opening report – Key Stage 3: the wasted years? – indicating that pupils’ development in KS3 is hindered because the transition from primary to secondary is poorly handled.

Whilst the bad news continues on the teacher recruitment difficulties across the UK, we challenge schools to consider the importance of teacher retention. From a cost perspective, the investment organisations are making on advertising vacant posts could (and should) be reassigned to creative retention programmes and packages for teachers.

High national A Level standards are once again maintained this year with a pass rate of 98.1% and 77.3% of students achieving the high A* to C grades.