Memorandum submitted by The National Employers
Organisation for School Teachers (NEOST)
NEOST represents local education authorities
in England and Wales on schoolteachers' pay and conditions. NEOST
has conducted a survey of teacher resignations and recruitment
since 1987. The survey is based on information provided by schools
and is supported by the teacher unions and the DfES.
The survey allows detailed analysis of:
— turnover of teachers—this is
defined as a teacher leaving a school;
— teacher wastage—the numbers
leaving LEA maintained schools; and
In each case the survey shows the destination
(or source for recruits) rates by region, age group and salary.
The data is collected for calendar years to match the DfES survey
on vacancy rates. Details of the survey can be found on www.lg-employers.gov.uk.
The survey allows analysis of the factors that
affect vacancies. There is no direct correlation between the two
as high wastage can occur without an increase in vacancy levels,
as happened in 1997. The survey can be seen as providing the detailed
background to key factors behind the vacancy rates.
POLICY ISSUES
High turnover rates will have predictable effects
within schools. Disturbances in delivery of education to pupils
and the resources required to recruit and include replacements
are obvious factors. Too low turnover rates can cause problems
if it leads to promotion prospects being restricted.
NEOST has used the evidence of higher turnover
rates amongst younger teachers to press for the main classroom
teachers pay spine to be shortened. It now takes five years to
reach the scale maximum. The accelerated progression together
with the prospect of the threshold, was designed to assist with
the retention of teachers in the critical early years of their
career.
The survey points to above average turnover
rates for the London and South East regions. The growing emphasis
on the need to improve measures to increase retention as well
as recruitment reflects the findings from the survey.
There is no consistency of turnover or vacancy
rates within regions. That has led NEOST to advocate targeted
measures to allow schools to tackle retention.
It has proved difficult to persuade schools
to use the existing flexibility in the salary framework of recruitment
and retention allowances. Only 4.2% of teachers receive these
allowances.
Reasons given for the limited use include:
— concerns about the divisive nature
of targeted allowances; and
— concerns, probably misplaced, about
equal pay.
The emphasis on non-pay measures has been reflected
in a number of national and local initiatives on training, access
to housing as well as on workload.
Workload has been recognised as a major factor
in retention. The survey from the GTC in England confirmed the
findings from the Audit Commission across the public sector, that
workload is a major factor in decisions to remain in a major factor
in decisions to remain in employment in a sector.
The link with improving retention was one of
the reasons for NEOST signing the national agreement "Raising
Standards—Tackling Workload". The opportunity to allow
teachers to concentrate on key tasks of raising standards is another
key reason for supporting the change programme that is now established.
CONCLUSION
NEOST would value any opportunity to develop
measures to assist in retention. It has to be accepted that career
patterns are changing with greater movement between careers becoming
an accepted development. That must mean that emphasis should continue
to be given to maintaining measures for recruitment. Steps to
improve the image of teaching as an exciting career will continue
to be important in attracting potential teachers at different
ages.
June 2003
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