How Portsmouth is trying to buck the trend by recruiting more teachers

This year the government missed its teacher recruitment target with 3,300 places unfilled and in September 2019 there were 940 vacant teaching positions in England, up from 380 in 2010.

There are currently 350,000 qualified teachers not teaching and every year, on average, 9.9 per cent of teachers leave the profession.

Yet during the same period, the Portsmouth Teaching School Alliance (PTSA) has seen the number of qualified teachers taking part in its initial teacher training course increase nine fold. The course sees prospective teachers learn on the job.

Alliance director and former English teacher, Sophie Venables, said: ‘The first year we had six people qualify and by the second it had gone up to 24.

‘In recent years we are providing an average of 45 teachers who are entering the school system here in Portsmouth.’

For Sophie and training course director, Lynn Nicholls, it is not just about numbers but ensuring the right calibre of people are educating the city’s children.

The course is for graduates who may be changing career and want to ‘learn on the job’ rather than going the traditional university route.

Lynn said: ‘We get the right people in the first place and only accept around 50 per cent of applicants onto the course.

‘Not everyone is cut out for teaching and it’s about ensuring we have the best people in the classroom.’

The quality of applicants, including those destined to teach children with special needs, has been recognised by city headteachers.

Ashley Oliver-Catt, headteacher at Cliffdale Special Academy, said: ‘The ITT programme has allowed us to train our own teachers specifically for special schools, which alongside the high quality support that they get from the Teaching School throughout the year, has meant that we have been able to recruit high calibre, highly skilled, newly qualified teachers directly into special school.’

Sara Spivey, headteacher at Springfield School, added: ‘Springfield School has worked closely with the PTSA over a number of years and has found their professional development and teacher recruitment programmes to be of great value to the school and to the teaching profession.’

One of PTSA’s biggest successes is not just the number of people being recruited to Portsmouth classrooms but in keeping them in schools.

Retaining new teachers is a national problem, with almost one in three leaving within the first five years.

But over the last five years an average of 92 per cent of ITT teaching recruits are still teaching in Portsmouth.

The last three years have seen retention rates of 94 to 95 per cent.

Overall, 97 per cent of newly-qualified teachers in Portsmouth - including those who go through university or the more vocational ITT - complete their induction year.

The PTSA is also aiming to develop senior leaders, especially as in 2018 figures showed 27 per cent of schools in England failed to fill their senior positions.

Sophie, who works closely with Portsmouth City Council, said: ‘It’s all part of the Grow your Own initiative for the city to develop its own senior leaders and headteachers.

‘We’ve been heavily involved in running the National Professional Qualification for Headship with middle and senior leaders.

‘The first year we had five people whereas last year it was 50, and this year another 27.

‘We now have a whole cohort of teachers involved in developing as senior leaders and potentially headteachers of the future.’

Key to this success is working with the local education authority and schools throughout the city.

Sophie said: ‘Local authorities no longer have the budget to provide local networking and training which is where we come in.

‘Schools in the city really work together. We facilitate leading schools providing support through the sharing of best practice.

‘If a subject isn’t performing well then we can also provide targeted training and support.’

As reported, the PTSA and council set up a Maths Hub after the subject was identified as an area of concern.

Council’s cabinet member for education, Councillor Suzy Horton, said: ‘We work closely with the PTSA and have a very productive partnership.

‘The purpose of the Maths Hub was to drive school improvement in the subject and the PTSA have been instrumental in developing teacher training.’

The PTSA have recruited specialist leaders of education in maths who have been deployed to primary schools across the city to help train primary colleagues to improve teaching and learning in the subject.

Sophie added: ‘Headteachers will identify really great specialist teachers and they are invited to apply for the role.

The strategy has had a real positive impact on Key Stage 2 (Year 6) Standard Assessment Tests (SATS) results.’

Last year’s SATs results showed 75 per cent of Year 6 pupils attained the ‘expected standard’ in mathematics, a seven per cent increase compared to the previous year.

CASE STUDY

After graduating with a law degree in 2003 and working for several years for a legal firm, Fiona Burgess, 35, wanted to do something more meaningful with her career.

‘I knew that I wanted a rewarding career but one that would enable me to inspire and get the best out of others as well as keep me motivated and challenged,’ she said.

‘I had always thought that teaching would be a great path to follow but needed to make sure before I took the leap.’

To get a feel for school life, Fiona spent a year working as a teaching assistant before deciding to take the plunge by signing up with PTSA.

She added: ‘I completed my teacher training with PTSA after deciding that I wanted to train on the job and throw myself into school life as soon as possible and it did just that.

‘The course was challenging and required total commitment but was so supportive so that by the time I finished I was ready and confident for my NQT year.’

After her successful placement at St Paul’s Catholic Primary School in Paulsgrove she was offered a full-time position at the school where she is now a senior leader and English manager.

Fiona said: ‘This role has developed me professionally more than I could have imagined where I now lead other adults as well as children to achieve their potential in education. I’m also a student mentor and support trainees through exactly the same process that I went through.’

WHAT DOES THE COURSE ENTAIL?

The Initial Teacher Training (ITT) programme provides a more vocational pathway for people who don't want to go down the traditional university route. It allows people to develop their classroom skills while working in a school and actually doing the job.

While at placement schools, as well as having support from the Portsmouth Teaching School Alliance, each trainee will have an allocated mentor to help with their professional development.

The course is particularly popular with recruits who may have worked in other professions and are looking at teaching as a career change. Unlike university, the ITT also offers people with three or more years career experience the opportunity to be paid as an unqualified teacher.

WHAT THE HEADTEACHERS SAID

Andrew Olive, headteacher St Swithun’s Catholic Primary School

'Through the PTSA, local teachers have been inspired by national leaders. The excellent and thought-provoking curriculum workshops have led to our school improving the lesson design and engagement of the children.

‘The phonics training was perfect for our returning teacher; very practical and full of ideas to improve the children’s learning.'

Natalie Sheppard, director of education, Thinking Schools Academy Trust

‘Working with PTSA is great because they utilise their network to bring relevant and interesting speakers to the city. Most recently, they have been given an opportunity to coordinate a hub on behalf of the Chartered College of Teaching.

‘This is going to help to grow the expertise of Portsmouth leaders and teachers.’

Ashley Howard, Manor Infant School headteacher

‘The PTSA have always been able to provide support and challenge for our school through carefully tailored training. The training which the Alliance offer has always been well-received. As a result, staff have developed as leaders and now support other schools in the city.’