A serious shortage of teachers in the region has prompted Felsted School to devise its own unique programme to encourage and support new teachers, and keep them in the job for longer.
Low pay and long hours have led experienced teachers to resign or retire from teaching at the fastest rate for more than a decade and, with trainee recruitment down by 25,000 compared to last year, it is likely that there will be a significant lack of teachers in the UK for many years to come.
With the number of teaching vacancies rising steadily, many schools are taking up the opportunity offered by the Government to devise their own training plans to support graduates who do take the plunge and go into teaching, and try to keep them engaged in the profession.
One is Felsted School, an independent co-educational boarding and day school in north Essex, which launched its own new programme for Early Careers Teachers last year and has this year seen an increased take-up.
‘We recognised the potential of instilling best practice in teachers in the formative early years of their careers, feeding their intellectual curiosity and giving them a flying start to teaching,’ says Beth Roberts Jones, Director of Teacher Development at Felsted, and also Head of Theology, Ethics and Philosophy.
‘It is getting harder and harder to recruit teachers, so supporting the ones who are coming through is important if we are to make sure they stay in the job for as long as possible.’
Roberts Jones spent the summer holiday of 2021 devising a concept for Felsted’s own Early Careers Teachers (ECT) programme for new teachers who have already got their teaching qualification, such as a PGCE. It was put into action immediately in September for the nine new teachers the school had recruited.
‘Inspectors from the Independent Schools Teacher Induction Panel (ISTIP) came to visit in our very first year of operation and said this was one of the highest numbers of new teachers they had ever seen on this type of programme,’ says Roberts Jones.
The inspectors were impressed: ‘Felsted School is running an excellent programme of induction,’ they reported, praising the standard of mentoring, the high quality of the provision and the way the programme can be tailored to suit each individual teacher.
‘My aim was to create a personalised, school-based programme for new teachers at Felsted, aligned with the school’s academic development priorities and offering plenty of academic rigour,’ explains Roberts Jones.
The two-year programme (extended from the previous one year specified by the Government) gives more time to develop good learning habits, so Felsted’s programme centres on key pedagogical areas that are important for the holistic development of teachers, in line with the statutory teaching standards, and there is also a focus on academic research and how to develop this into excellent practice. Books, articles and blogs are also shared with new teachers to keep them up-to-date with the development of cognitive science and the latest techniques in teaching and learning. Fortnightly sessions bring all the Early Careers Teachers together to discuss any problems and work through solutions, and to extend their understanding of certain areas.
‘The importance of providing a supportive group cannot be underestimated,’ says Roberts Jones. ‘We recently ran a session on supporting neurodiverse students, and we have also covered developing strategies for effective feedback, alongside exploring how to practically implement the school’s learning goals and academic priorities.’
Now in its second year, Felsted’s programme has 13 Early Careers Teachers and is evolving to suit their needs and interests. Mentor support has been added, as well as training in ‘instructional coaching’.
‘It is already clear that through offering our own bespoke ECT programme at Felsted we are creating a diverse and highly skilled body of teachers, who have so much to offer our pupils,’ says Roberts Jones.
The success of Felsted’s Early Careers Teachers programme has prompted ISTIP to recommend that the school become a regional ECT training hub and the school has already been approached by others keen to emulate their success. As Felsted’s programme is bespoke, it can be tailored for independent or state schools, whether prep, primary, or senior.
‘Teachers at the very beginning of their careers are the future of our profession,’ says Roberts Jones. ‘They are key to maintaining the character and quality of the education we are able to offer each new generation of school pupils.’
To learn more about teaching at Felsted School, please visit www.felsted.org/vacancies to view our current vacancies.
Categories: Felsted School School News
