The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Pupils may get to quiz new heads
EDUCATION: Move an effort to attract staff to Perthshire
Children could get the chance to interview new head teachers, as part of a shake-up of how Perth and Kinross Council recruits school staff.
The local authority is changing its appointment process to attract more prospective heads and deputies to the area.
It comes as the area struggles to attract suitable candidates. One school has had to readvertise after failing to secure a new head teacher. Education chiefs are considering giving children the chance to question new staff, despite the fact some teachers found the practice in other parts of the country “humiliating”.
Schoolchildren should be given the chance to interview prospective head teachers, education chiefs have suggested.
Perth and Kinross Council is considering letting pupils quiz candidates as part of the recruitment process.
The new interview stage could be introduced as part of a shake-up aimed at improving the chances of securing heads and depute-heads for hard-to-fill posts.
It has emerged that, in an ongoing bid to find and retain staff, some applicants have been offered travel costs and relocation expenses.
Videos have also been produced to make schools more attractive to potential heads.
Allowing children to interview new teachers is a practice already used in other parts of the country, but has proved controversial.
The teaching union NASUWT previously considered industrial action to stop pupils’ questions, which some staff said was humiliating.
The organisation said applicants had been asked “frivolous” questions such as “do you like children?” and were requested to sing their favourite song.
Next week, members of Perth and Kinross Council’s Lifelong Learning Committee will be asked to agree a range of improvements to the recruitment process.
They will be told that since procedures were revised in April last year, three head teachers and six deputies had been appointed.
In her report, head of education Sharon Johnston said: “An analysis of the recruitment process for these posts show that lower numbers of applicants are received for head teacher posts than depute head teacher posts, and that fewer applications are received from external candidates for both.
“On one occasion, no permanent head teacher appointment was made after the recruitment process was concluded and this post has been re-advertised.”
She said head teacher recruitment was a “significant challenge” nationally.
Parents were consulted as part of a review of Perth and Kinross Council’s procedures and they suggested applicants should have “more involvement with pupils and spend more time in the school”.
Ms Johnston said: “In order to attract the strongest leet possible for these posts locally, a teachers working group has developed an action plan.
“In some circumstances, decisions have been made to offer travel costs and on occasion relocation expenses for hard-to-fill posts.
“It is important that Perth and Kinross is promoted as a desirable place to live and work, and this has been featured in improved advertising material and bespoke job advertisements for head teacher posts.”
Children at two schools which are recruiting new head teachers – Scone and Oakbank – have been working on short films aimed at showcasing the school and the community to potential candidates.
“Feedback will be gathered on the impact of this approach and, if successful, will be incorporated into the process where appropriate,” said Ms Johnston.
She added: “Pupils taking leadership roles is well embedded within schools and it is proposed that pupil interviews can be considered as part of the selection process.”