Looking for a new teaching job? Don’t wait until Easter to apply
EASTER is traditionally the busiest recruiting period of the year for teachers, with schools looking to hire new staff for the start of the next academic year.
However, at this point, teachers are so preoccupied with their students, they do not always have the headspace to think about changing jobs.
Also, schools should take note: more teachers look for jobs at the start of the year, so it is a better time to start recruiting, as they will not only have access to a wider pool of talent, but the calibre of candidates can also be higher. Searches for jobs in January are 65 per cent higher than average, according to data from TES, and it is not just experienced teachers who start looking for a new role — many trainee teachers also look for their first job at the start of the year.
“We have 1,500 vacancies from around 600 schools currently, and there are a number of reasons why jobs might come up — retirement, changes in the curriculum which create a new role or teachers handing in their notice,” says Jon Romer-Lee, research and strategy director at TES. “If a school, for example, knows that someone is retiring this summer, then this is a good time to advertise.
“In the past seven days, some 40,000 teachers have been looking for new roles in London, and although some might just be browsing to see what is out there, it shows how busy this time of year is.
“From a teacher’s point of view, searching now also means you can be more discerning and you are more likely to find the job you want. We also know people will look further afield, as they have nine months to move and find a different house, rather than only having a few months if they begin looking for a new job in May.”
This year, schools are also being advised to think creatively about how they advertise jobs, offering more roles on a part-time basis or as job shares.
“As education is a heavily female-weighted profession, a flexible option could make it more attractive to return to work,” adds Romer-Lee.