School leaders and teachers could play a vital role in solving the teacher recruitment crisis by selling their profession to the next generation, a leading education consultant and former head has said.
Dr Helen Wright said school leaders and staff were “very influential” and should be aware of how they were portraying their jobs.
She told a webinar hosted by School Management Plus and MTM Consulting last week: “There are lots of teachers leaving the profession and the throughput is not there, it’s absolutely an issue.
“I don’t think [improving teacher recruitment] is just the responsibility of schools – we have to have a much wider discussion about how are we going to bring people into this profession, value them and help people see it’s not just something you go into because you can’t do other things.”
She stressed it was important for teacher recruitment to highlight the potential for career progression and the opportunities to develop a career abroad, for example.
She told host Daniel Cohen, head of business development at MTM: “School leaders and teachers play an important part in that, they are very influential, if they are all the time effectively telling their students how difficult their life is and how hard it is then is it any wonder that there aren’t people applying?
“I’ve got a little challenge in there, but if we can get people to a point where teachers are enjoying their job and it’s something they want to bring younger people into as a profession then absolutely we’re going to be in a much safer place.”
The webinar was convened to discuss elements of The Confidence Index, a recent survey carried out to gauge heads’, bursars’ and marketers’ thoughts on the future of the independent sector. In addition to teacher recruitment, panellists were invited to discuss a finding from the research that staff now regard wellbeing as the most pressing issue for schools.
Duncan Murphy, CEO of Kingswood House School and director of education at MTM Consulting, said that he thought schools were still only at the “tip of a mental health iceberg.”
He said: “The word wellbeing was a buzzword five years ago, but it was probably just that. The difference now is that if you aren’t actively thinking about what you are doing to promote the wellbeing of the students in your care, then you are not fulfilling your responsibilities.…mental health and wellbeing should be the most pivotal point of education.
“If our boys and girls do not have that foundation, how on earth can they learn, how can they form and sustain meaningful relationships moving through school and beyond?
“It should be something that is not only embedded in the curriculum of every school but prioritized. I see this as an area of growth still.”
Mr Murphy also stressed the importance of training and investment in pupil and staff wellbeing: “It’s a logical assumption that the more you take on in terms of other people’s problems, that weighs on you. What staff need is training and they need time.”
The webinar also touched on a key element of the Confidence Index research, which showed that VAT on school fees is seen as the leading threat to the independent sector in the future.
Dr Wright said the Labour Party’s plans for VAT on schools “feel a bit unfair”, but there was a lot the sector could do.
She said: “The future of the sector lies in schools continuing to be beacons of excellence – of course they shouldn’t be islands – of course they must be working with other schools, with their local community, focus on outreach, social mobility…it’s absolutely right they should do that, be engines of development in so many ways.”
Mr Murphy added that schools needed to be preparing now: “If you haven’t got a contingency financial plan to set some money aside for a rainy day to cover VAT on fees, then I strongly suggest that you have one.”
He added that there could be a “battle” ahead for independent schools if the Labour Party sweeps to power: “That is only going to unsettle our customers, unsettle people who are thinking about sending their child to an independent school. Because why would you do that if the next government is likely going to shut them down?
“This is a rhetoric we need to start counteracting.”
