School Workforce

Action research

Aiming for headship

CPD

Early Career Teachers

Flexible working

Pay and conditions

Recruitment & Retention

Remote working

Support staff

Teaching staff

Trade unions

Workload

Pay and conditions

Pay and conditions, including workload and performance-related pay, is a crucial area for schools to get right. Our articles offer advice on the latest legislation and general best practice.

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The changing shape of performance management

Decoupling performance and pay does not mean a less robust appraisal system, in fact it can mean quite the opposite. Pay specialist Louise Hatswell advises

Early retirement: Five things teachers must consider

More teachers than ever before are considering early retirement. Lee Quinn, a specialist financial advisor, outlines the key factors to keep in mind for those considering stepping away from the profession

Social media, teachers and schools: How to avoid the pitfalls

Planned changes to safeguarding law could see schools conducting social media checks on prospective teachers. Legal expert Sarah Linden considers the common pitfalls of social media use for teachers…

How flexible working can succeed in your primary school

Flexible working is increasingly seen as a solution to recruitment and retention challenges, especially given our recent experience during Covid. Colin Hooker advises on some effective ways to offer flexible options which benefit schools, staff and pupils

Resignations and retirement: A looming leadership crisis?

There are real fears that the added pressure of Covid-19 will drive many more headteachers to quit. Suzanne O’Connell looks at the barriers we face to headteacher retention and recruitment

Flexible working: How can it work for your school?

Over the last 18 months more school staff will have worked flexibly than ever before, but what does flexible working actually mean in the school context? Louise Hatswell looks at employment law, best practice and offers some guidance for employers

Achieving workforce diversity (while avoiding tokenism)

How do we create meaningful representation in our schools? Hannah Wilson, director of the Diverse Educators network, advises how we can diversify our workforce while avoiding tokenism

Employment law and Covid-19: The key issues

With a new term upon us, where do we stand in relation to our school staff, vaccinations, self-isolation and other key Covid-related issues? Employment law expert Jane Hallas offers her reflections

Four ideas to tackle workload in your school

Teacher workloads have always been heavy but the pandemic has added to the strain. Former deputy head Graham Cooper suggests some practical approaches to cut down on time-consuming tasks and give teachers more time

Early Career Framework: Choosing your school's induction mentors

Under the new Early Career Framework, schools must appoint an induction mentor for their early career teachers. Simon Clark explains the role of the mentor, how you can pick the best candidates, and ways you can support them in their role

Ten ideas to boost your school staff’s wellbeing

Wellbeing is high on our agendas right now. With the summer fast approaching, we asked Julie Norman to give us 10 areas we might prioritise from September in order to ensure good staff wellbeing

Recruitment & Covid: What is in store for schools?

The stresses on the profession this year have been immense. What will the impact of this be? Will we see a flurry of resignations before the May 31 deadline? Former National Schools Commissioner Sir David Carter gives his view on the recruitment picture facing schools in the months ahead

The unsung heroes of the Covid-19 pandemic…

The Unsung Heroes report has revealed the key role played by teaching assistants during the pandemic. However, Jon Richards says that if these support staff are to play their part in the recovery effort, then they need proper training, a healthy career path and a decent wage

Staff wellbeing: Five resilience hacks

Protecting the wellbeing of our education workforce is crucial during the pandemic. Martina Witter offers five resilience hacks for teaching staff to help support wellbeing during these times of change and uncertainty

Boost your wellbeing: Five simple steps for school staff

The pandemic continues to take a heavy toll on the wellbeing and resilience of school staff. Dr Pooky Knightsmith explains five simple steps to boost your wellbeing when things feel hard

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Workforce planning in an era of Covid-19

This academic year will see continued disruption with the intense demands on the school workforce constantly shifting and showing no signs of letting up. Chetan Sood considers workforce strategy for the coming months

Covid-19: Managing and supporting your school's staff

With increased staff absence due to Covid-19, increased anxiety among our colleagues, and an ever-changing landscape, supporting and managing our teaching colleagues is a priority for school leaders this year. Employment law expert Jane Hallas offers some tips

The Wheel of Teaching: How do you score?

The Wheel of Teaching sets out eight aspects of your teaching life that are crucial to your wellbeing and job satisfaction. Drawing on the advice in his new book Love Teaching Keep Teaching, Peter Radford explains

Back to School Guide: Staff wellbeing and support

In this 12-page guide, we consider how lockdown has affected the wellbeing and mental health of school staff and offer practical advice and ideas for promoting wellbeing and supporting colleagues, both now and this autumn

Seven solutions to your teacher retention challenges

More than one in nine primary teachers are leaving the profession each year. Drawing on a range of research, Matt Bromley looks at seven key factors that schools should focus on if they want to boost retention rates

Reducing teacher workload: Four key areas to review

From scheduling to marking, school leaders looking to reduce the workload burden for their staff should review four key areas of school life. Matt Bromley explains

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NQTs: Supporting good mental health

Supporting trainee teachers with their mental health and helping them to develop good habits for the future is vital – but are we doing enough? Pearl Gibson looks at work in Essex to support new teachers

Workload is improving, but there is more to do...

The Department for Education’s latest Teacher Workload Survey results show that teacher workload is improving, but there is still a way to go. Jack Worth and Matt Walker investigate the latest research findings

Retaining our new and experienced teachers

With more teachers leaving the profession than joining, improving retention rates is crucial to tackling the on-going supply challenges. The government has recently announced new plans to boost teacher retention, particularly with additional support for new teachers. Dorothy Lepkowska reports

Workload reduction: What will 2019 bring?

In 2019 there will be a new Ofsted framework, the introduction of a mental maths test and the return of Baseline Assessment is on the horizon. So what hope for Damian Hinds’ pledge to support schools to tackle workload?

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