City schools struggling to recruit new teachers

SCHOOLS in Birmingham are facing a teacher deficit - as the number of unfilled positions rises.

New Government figures published on Monday revealed there 34 full-time teacher vacancies across schools in the city as of November 2018.

That was up from 28 the year before and is the highest since 2013, when there were 39 unfilled positions. Teacher vacancies include positions that have been advertised but remain unfilled.

Campaigners said government policies are “sapping” current teachers’ energy and enthusiasm for the job as well as “deterring” new entrants.

The 34 teacher vacancies in Birmingham affected 25 schools in the city.

Lordswood Boys’ School and Calthorpe Teaching Academy had three vacancies each, while Oasis Academy Short Heath; The Olive School, Birmingham; Jewellery Quarter Academy; Small Heath Leadership Academy and Hodge Hill College all had two unfilled teacher positions.

Chris Keates, general secretary of the teachers’ union NASUWT, said: “Despite Government claims to the contrary there is a crisis in teacher supply.

“It is the Government’s policies which have resulted in excessive and increasing teacher workloads, dwindling pay, starting salaries which are increasingly uncompetitive and the relentless pressure of the high-stakes accountability regime.

“These factors are driving existing teachers out of the profession, sapped of energy and enthusiasm for the job, and deterring new entrants.

“The crisis will not end until the Government takes responsibility for and takes action to address the devastating impact of its relentless attacks on teachers’ pay, workload and working conditions.”

Overall in England there were 987 unfilled full-time teacher jobs in England last year. That was up from 944 the year before and is at its highest since 2014 (1,025).

Figures are not available at a local level but, nationally, the rate at which teachers quit after just a year of qualifying is at a record high.

There were 23,820 new qualified teachers as of November 2017. Within a year, though, more than one in every seven – or (3,646) had left their job.

Nick Gibb, Minister for School Standards, said: “We do recognise there is more to do to continue to attract and retain talented individuals in our classrooms, which is why we launched the first-ever Teacher Recruitment & Retention Strategy earlier this year.”

The figures reflect the situation as of November 2018, so it is possible some of the vacant teacher positions have since been filled.