TTR0145

 

Written evidence submitted by Manchester Metropolitan University

This submission has been prepared by Dr Steph Ainsworth, Dr Carrie Adamson, and Dr Jeremy Oldfield in the Faculty of Health and Education at Manchester Metropolitan University. The authors are currently conducting a three-year project (Decentring the ‘resilient teacher’ | Education Research Programme - UCL – University College London) funded by the Economic and Social Research Council in partnership with Education Support and the National Education Union. This submission integrates recent data, collected from our school project partners in response to the call for evidence, with our previous work on teacher resilience. The submission is based heavily around the voices of teachers and school leaders, offering their first-hand perspectives on the teacher recruitment and retention crisis.

We are also in the process of gathering survey data about teacher resilience from teachers across England (with responses from nearly 4000 teachers already, survey to close at the end of May). For more information about the research on which this submission is based or to request oral evidence, please contact Dr Steph Ainsworth

What are the main factors leading to difficulties recruiting and retaining qualified teachers?

Workload

  1. 68% of teachers cite workload as the main reason for thinking about leaving (Savill-Smith and Scanlan, 2022). In our research, workload explained the most variance in teacher wellbeing (Ainsworth and Oldfield, 2019) and teachers speak frequently of the challenges of fitting all that is expected of them into their directed time, putting them at risk of burnout. One senior leader noted that:

 

“…staff feel they are unable to lead a ‘normal’ life during term time, not attending events or making arrangements during the week.”  (Assistant Headteacher, Primary School)

 

  1. Teachers also report increases in workload due to their widening support role beyond teaching, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Excessive workload of teachers due to the additional pressures on school caused by increases in mental health, SEND and learning support needs. The expectation of teachers to pick up the role of parents/carers, social workers, police, and many more to ensure the safeguarding of young people today. (Senior Leader, Secondary School)

“Managing deteriorating behaviour and societal issues without adequate funding or support. Budgets do not reflect the needs of the children we are teaching.” (Secondary School Teacher)

  1. While most teachers report that their schools have made changes to their policies and practices with the aim of reducing workload, only three in ten teachers reported that changes to marking and feedback policies had reduced their workload and a quarter of teachers said that changes to data tracking practices had actually added to their workload (DfE, 2023).

Accountability and inspection in the education system

  1. The foreword to the DfE Teacher Retention and Recruitment Strategy (2019) highlights the importance of harnessing the energy and purpose of teachers, but our research suggests that the pressure and workload associated with Ofsted lead to passion being squashed. (Senior Mental Health Lead, Primary School)

 

  1. In our current research, teachers report that inspections continue to generate additional work:

 

“…due to teachers not being trusted and doing things to prove what they are doing and ticking boxes for Ofsted.” (Primary School Teacher)

 

  1. Teachers report that the current inspection system has a major negative influence on teacher wellbeing and retention. For example:

 

“High stakes accountability, due to fear of Ofsted outcomes, results in high levels of monitoring and a feeling of lack of trust in the profession. In turn, this adds additional pressure and a constant feeling of anxiety that there is always something more to be done or improved upon.” (Senior Leader, Primary School)

“The process is very negative and unsupportive. It has often led to the end of teachers’ careers.” (Assistant Headteacher, Primary School)

Recently we got a ‘Requires improvement’, from Ofsted which lowered the staff morale right across the school … workloads increased, people are under so much stress.(Focus group participant in Oldfield and Ainsworth, 2022, p418)

 

  1. Our research suggests that a high stakes accountability system diminishes rather than fosters teachers’ motivation. Teachers are intrinsically motivated to apply their knowledge, skills and understanding to achieve the best outcomes for children (Ainsworth, forthcoming). Our research also suggests that teachers need support to do this, rather than the threat of surveillance and grading.

 

There needs to be professional accountability, but this should be a framework which identifies positive achievements: staff should look forward to showcasing the good practice in their school. We are open to improving practice and getting the very best outcomes for children; that is why we teach.” (Senior Leader, Primary School)

              Negative perceptions of teachers

  1. 60% of teachers cite not feeling valued as a key reason for considering leaving the sector (Savill-Smith and Scanlan, 2022). In our research teachers talk often about not feeling valued by the government and about the prevalence of negative perceptions of teachers in the media.

“The perception of teachers by the public, media and government is also a significant factor. Teachers are not trusted to do the job they have worked hard to qualify for. Our knowledge and skills are not recognised or respected.” (Assistant Headteacher, Primary School)

Perceptions of teachers are at an all-time low, a lack of respect from students, parents and society in general fuelled by negative local and national media.” (Classroom teacher)

The teachers spoke of how “teacher bashing” (Primary School Teacher) and a “deficit model” (Senior Leader, Primary School), which focuses only on what is perceived to be wrong with schools, affects both teacher retention and recruitment.

 

Pay

  1. Teachers in our current research cite pay as a key issue affecting recruitment and retention, where there is a mismatch between the pay offered and the workload and responsibilities that the role involves. For example, one senior leader noted that:

“…retaining teachers will be challenging as the reward doesn't seem to mirror the commitment required, specific skill set needed and the journey (and hard work) to become a professional.” (Senior Leader, Primary School)

Another leader argued that if teachers’ pay “was worked out as an hourly rate, it would be very low for the accountability of the roleand would reflect an unfair pay difference between UK countries.(Assistant Headteacher, Primary School)

Flexible working

  1. Flexible working has emerged in our discussions with teachers as a key concern. They report that such opportunities remain limited for teachers and that this restricts teachers’ capacity to achieve a healthy work-life balance. While there have been items in the media recently showcasing schools who are experimenting with innovative approaches to support recruitment (e.g. offering a 4 day week), teachers in our project have expressed a desire for a consistent centralised funded approach to flexible working as teachers are currently “at the mercy of their individual school’s management team” (Senior leader, Secondary School) in terms of the degree to which they are able to work flexibly. 

 

What action should the Department take to address the challenges in teacher recruitment and retention?

Actions to address – workload:

  1. Provide funding for teachers to have additional PPA time to allow them to cope with their multiple responsibilities, and to provide space to engage in professional development and strategic activities/leadership.

 

Funding needs to be increased significantly to increase capacity of staff within schools to achieve everything that the government expects of us. Additional PPA would also support with workload and ensure that teachers were able to gain a greater work/life balance.” (Assistant Headteacher, Primary School)

 

…more funding so that staff are able to commit to professional development.(Secondary School Teacher)

 

Give middle leaders time to be strategic.” (Secondary School Teacher)

 

  1. Provide funding for further support roles to allow teachers to focus on teaching. For example:

Ensure pastoral, SEN and support roles are increased in schools to allow teachers to teach whilst ensuring we are able to emotionally support our students and families that are struggling. More support from the government with in-school counsellors, social workers, police etc. (Senior Leader, Secondary School)

Provide adequate funding that is not retrospective to support student mental health, SEND and other needs. Allow us to employ enough pastoral and support staff. (Secondary School Teacher)

  1. Provide further training on workload and time management within ITT and the ECF (see section on the ECF).

 

  1. Dramatically reform the current inspection regime, which our research demonstrates continues to contribute to excessive workloads (see below for suggested reforms).

Actions to address – the current inspection system:

  1. Develop a new accountability system in place of Ofsted, which is supportive rather than punitive and adopts a pedagogical approach to school improvement, with a focus on professional learning rather than judgement:

 

“Treat teachers how we treat students. This, we know, is how people learn best, in a supportive environment, rather than a draconian accountability system.” (Secondary School Teacher)

 

Our recommendation is that this should be the immediate priority as this would reduce workload, the feeling of immense pressure experienced by school leaders and make a significant difference to the way that teachers are perceived and valued.

 

  1. Abolish grading of schools and focus instead on formative assessment of schools, conducted with the school as part of a supportive, developmental approach to school improvement with a ‘school development adviser’ rather than an ‘inspector’.

Ofsted inspections need to be changed to get rid of judgements. They should be more supportive, commenting on the progress that a school is making and identifying areas for development. It should not feel like a threat. (Assistant Headteacher, Primary School)

  1. Develop a collaborative and supportive approach to school improvement, where schools work together and with school development advisers to share good practice and create innovative strategies to address areas for development.

Actions to address – negative perceptions of teachers:

  1. Address negative perceptions of teachers in the media by establishing a task force (including unions, the Chartered College of Teaching, subject associations and researchers) to develop a plan for media coverage that promotes teaching as a highly skilled and valued profession.

 

  1. Address the current deficit discourse around education within government discourse and policy.

“I think it's about the government talking about the profession with respect.(Senior Leader, Primary School)

  1. Demonstrate that teachers skills and knowledge are valued by ensuring that teachers are represented in government and decision-making more broadly.

 

I think the people who are put in positions of high power (Education Secretary and Head of Ofsted) need to be well respected by the profession, media and society. For me, they need to have worked in schools and done the job day in day out (recently, not 20 years ago!) to be able to make the right decisions.” (Senior Leader, Primary School)

  1. Provide support and guidance to school leaders experiencing abusive behaviour from parents and other members of the public.

It is commonplace for particularly senior leaders and headteachers to routinely suffer online abuse for basic policy decisions. This can sometimes make peoples jobs untenable. Support for these staff from their trust/LA etc. alongside legal support from the police would help. (Secondary School Teacher)

Actions to address – pay:

  1. Provide a funded pay increase for teachers that aligns with the level of professionalism, accountability and workload required.

Actions to address – flexible working:

  1. Develop a centralised funded approach to creating flexible working opportunities for teachers.

What has been the impact of the Early Career Framework (ECF) implemented in September 2021?

Positive impact – time to explore practice with a mentor

  1. In our research teachers acknowledged that the ECF benefits early career teachers (ECTs) by providing them with space to “build practice slowly” (Mentor, Secondary School) rather than being under pressure to complete induction in one year.

ECT's feel less pressured as they have two years to complete the training as opposed to the one-year NQT programme.” (Primary School Teacher)

  1. Teachers also spoke of how the ECF supports regular time for the ECT and their mentor to engage in structured reflections on practice.

“It is good to have a framework to focus mentoring conversations.(Mentor, Secondary School)

“The step-by-step approach breaks down the framework and allows time for ECTs to meet with their mentors throughout the programme.” (Senior Leader, Secondary School)

Additional workload pressures for ECTs and mentors

  1. However, teachers also noted that ECTs are still under a lot of pressure as “all teachers are still expected to meet the teacher standards from day 1.” (Senior Leader, Secondary School)

“My NQT year is still the most stressful year of my teaching career and when talking to current ECTs, they are sounding like they will feel the same in years to come.” (Primary School Teacher)

  1. The concern about the ECF that was cited most frequently by teachers was the additional burden in terms of workload for both ECTs and mentors, aligning with similar concerns raised in other research (DfE, 2023; Uttley, 2022).

 

“…all the content, assignments, seminars actually add to their workload.  Mentors also have significantly more workload with time only being given to meet, not to complete training materials and observe, thus impacting their workload and wellbeing. (Mentor, Secondary School)

 

There is a heavy workload for ECTs even with the reduction in timetables which can result in drop-outs during the first two years as this workload alongside the continued learning and the role of a classroom teacher can become untenable while their careers are still in their infancy.” (Senior Leader, Secondary School)

 

The increased workloads of induction mentors, also has an impact on ITT, limiting the capacity of schools to host placements for student teachers.

Concerns over generic structure and insufficient content around supporting children with SEND

  1. Teachers also expressed concerns over the generic nature of the framework, highlighting the fact that diversity in terms of school contexts and the prior knowledge and skills of the ECT require a more tailored approach.

 

“The generic nature of the framework doesn't allow ECTs to focus on particular areas that they need to.” (Secondary School Teacher)

 

  1. Teachers also reported a need for further coverage within the ECF on supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

 

As a SENCo, I feel strongly that there is no way near enough training on SEND. Trainees knowledge and understanding of SEND is largely dependent upon the number of SEND children in their class on placements, alongside the skills of their teacher and, possibly, the school as a whole. There is an ever-increasing number of children with complex SEND needs in mainstream with no acknowledgement of this in the training. (Senior Leader, Primary School)

Limited impact of the ECF on retention

  1. Overall, teachers expressed the opinion that the ECF had not had much of an impact beyond the focus on the Teacher Standards.

 

It has cost a lot of money, for something that has not had a huge impact on staff development or retention. (Mentor, Secondary School)

 

“I have seen very little impact of the new framework. Our school buys into support, which is very limited. As with training, it feels very much a lottery which is dependent upon the staff who support the ECT, as well as other factors such as class complexity. (Senior Leader, Primary School)

 

  1. One reason why the ECF may have had a limited impact on retention is that it is aimed at addressing factors relating to the individual teacher, rather than addressing issues with the broader climate within which teachers work. Our research demonstrates that while individual factors such as self-efficacy and self-esteem are important factors in relation to how well a teacher is able to cope with the demands of the profession (Ainsworth and Oldfield, 2019), our findings suggest that individual factors are often driven by contextual factors which are out of the control of individual teachers (Oldfield and Ainsworth, 2022; Ainsworth, forthcoming). In other words, interventions which seek to improve teacher competence like the ECF are likely to have a limited impact if they are not accompanied by changes to teachers’ working environments.

 

  1. The recent DfE (2023) data suggest that it is not the core business of teaching that is behind the crisis with recruitment and retention. 84% of teachers enjoy teaching all or most of the time and confidence levels in relation to planning, teaching, assessing and managing behaviour were all high (87% and above). This brings into question the predominant focus on creating ‘better teachers’ in order to address the retention crisis. While teachers value and benefit from ongoing CPD opportunities, the wider climate needs to be addressed for teachers to want to join or remain within the profession.

Actions to addressthe Early Career Framework:

  1. Revise the Early Career Framework to support a more personalised approach to induction.

 

A more personalised support package would be more valuable where the responsibility was placed on the mentor to get to know the ECT and structure support for them based on their needs/interests. This could then be verified by the ECT Tutor to ensure that the support is in place and is having an impact.” (Assistant Headteacher, Primary School)

References

Ainsworth (forthcoming) ‘‘Work smarter not harder’ – what does this mean and what does it ‘do’? To be submitted to Teaching and Teacher Education.

Ainsworth, S., Oldfield, J. (2019) 'Quantifying teacher resilience: Context matters.' Teaching and Teacher Education, 82pp. 117-128.

Department for Education (2019) Teacher recruitment and Retention Strategy. Available at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/786856/DFE_Teacher_Retention_Strategy_Report.pdf (Accessed: 12 April 2023)

Department for Education (2023) Working lives of teachers and leaders – wave 1. Available at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1148571/Working_lives_of_teachers_and_leaders_-_wave_1_-_core_report.pdf (Accessed: 12 April 2023)

Ofsted (2023) HMCI commentary: improving how we work. Available at HMCI commentary: improving how we work - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) (Accessed: 21 April 2023)

Oldfield, J., Ainsworth, S. (2022) 'Decentring the ‘resilient teacher’: exploring interactions between individuals and their social ecologies.' Cambridge Journal of Education, 52(4) pp. 409-430.

Savill-Smith, C. and Scanlan, D. (2022) Teacher wellbeing index 2022. London: Education Support.

Uttley, S. (2022) Early Career Framework – school leaders’ early experiences of the new model. Available at https://sites.nd.edu/druttley/files/2022/03/Koinonia-Research-paper-2-21-Early-Career-Teachers-school-leaders-early-experiences.pdf (Accessed: 12 April 2023)

May 2023