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Recruitment and retention

 
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School leaders are driven by an ambition to provide opportunities for young people to reach their full potential. To fulfil that ambition, teaching must attract and retain a high-quality, well-trained and properly rewarded workforce. 

Through our work with members, NAHT is documenting and communicating the unfolding recruitment and retention crisis taking place in our schools to policymakers at the highest levels. 

NAHT is campaigning to:

Ensure all schools can recruit and retain excellent teachers and leaders

  • Lobby for change and reform of key macro issues affecting recruitment and retention: pay, accountability, funding and workload and identify key actions to be taken to improve these
  • Press for the development of a range of flexible leadership and non-leadership pathways to support recruitment and retention, including new opportunities that will retain the experience and expertise of mid to late career leaders
  • Build on the opportunities offered by the Early Career Framework to press for similar support for new heads, deputies and assistants, and school business leaders
  • Maintain a watching brief on the impact of Brexit on teacher supply
  • Lobby the DfE for practical measures to address the workload of school leaders, including protection of strategic leadership time
  • Campaign for a staged real term, restorative pay award for teachers and school leaders
  • Develop a position on the role of CEOs and other posts outside the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD) including a position on which roles should have a requirement for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
  • Lobby for a review of the pay system, including the STPCD
  • Press government to maintain and enhance the teacher's pension scheme and/or Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
  • Support work to ensure the profession represents a diverse workforce, including those with protected characteristics
  • Support effective partnerships between school leaders and governors with clarity of roles and responsibilities across different school structures.

Create a safe working environment for school leaders and their staff

  • Lobby the DfE to take concrete steps to tackle verbal and physical abuse and aggression against school staff, including harassment online and through social media.  

Ensure professional recognition of school business leaders (SBLs)

  • Lobby the DfE for SBLs to be included within a new national framework of terms and conditions for school staff
  • Promote the professional standards framework for all SBLs
  • Raise the profile and understanding of the SBL role across the school sector, including with governors.  

 

Read our latest report on the school leader retention crisis (December 2022)
 
Read the latest updates in our pay hub
 
Read the latest updates in our pensions hub
 
Find out more about our campaign to Restore Pay in Education
 
Find out more about NAHT's work for school business leaders
 

Independent schools and the teachers' pension scheme – additional option for withdrawal

From August 2021, independent schools will be allowed to choose to phase out their participation in the teachers' pension scheme England and Wales (TPS), following the implementation of new regulations.

On Wednesday, the Department for Education published a consultation in relation to a change of regulations which included details of how independent schools in England and Wales will be allowed to withdraw from participation in the teachers' pension scheme for future employees while allowing existing staff to remain as active members.

This follows a consultation published in November where the government sought a solution to the increased rate of independent schools leaving the TPS.   Independent schools, unlike maintained schools or academies, are not required to participate in the TPS and such are able, following consultation with staff, to cease participation for all staff in the TPS (before this proposed change to allow phased withdrawal from the TPS, independent schools either had to remain in the TPS for all staff or completely exit). This new approach creates a 'mixed economy' model for those schools that choose to take it.

While NAHT recognises the difficulties that some members in independent schools may face in relation to provision of the TPS when considering this from a management perspective given the cost to the employer of membership, we remain of the view that continued membership of the TPS for all staff is the best option. NAHT does not support any measures that reduce the rights of members; membership of the TPS is a major part of a teacher's remuneration.

In our view, not offering this could have long-term consequences for the retention and recruitment of quality staff.  While this 'mixed economy' model is preferable to the entire school exiting the TPS, it is not without complications as it creates a two-tier workforce in terms of benefits and will be a barrier to recruitment, as well as further eroding the principles of the TPS. On this basis, NAHT remains convinced that full membership of the TPS for those in the independent sector is preferable.

We would encourage any members who's pension provision is affected by these changes to contact NAHT. 

First published 10 April 2021

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