In this blog, we’ll explore how to improve teacher retention and go through some of the actionable next steps you can put in place today.
Listen to staff needs
The key causes of poor teacher retention come down to dissatisfaction with the profession. Show that you want to listen to your teachers and understand what’s driving their dissatisfaction, and then take on board their feedback to tackle it. This could include regular reviews of teacher workload, as well as providing support in areas they feel they most need it.
As a result of their workload, teachers can also feel disconnected from school leaders. Having office hours or regular 1-to-1s where staff can drop in to raise concerns or ask questions is a great way to pick up on issues and help staff feel more connected with the school. Don’t forget to make sufficient time for appraisals, too, which will help them in the career progression (more on that later).
Prioritise and promote teacher wellbeing
Many teachers currently suffer from a poor work-life balance, with one survey indicating teachers do the most unpaid overtime of any profession. But when overworking becomes part of the culture of a school, it can understandably make teaching staff resistant to staying.
There are plenty of things you can do to ease teacher workload or make it more manageable: regularly check in with teachers on their workload to help them find strategies to lower it; offer flexible working so teachers can work from home; and make sure you’re not setting an example of overworking.
Vast amounts of admin and challenging students have also fuelled a mental health crisis among teachers. It’s imperative your team are able to spot the signs of mental health problems including depression and burnout, and can provide sufficient support, such as in the form of Employee Assistance Programmes or from mental health first aiders.
Encourage professional development
Limited opportunities for career progression is one of the core reasons behind the teacher retention crisis. There are lots of ways to support teachers’ progression whether it’s outlining clear pathways for promotion, offering more opportunities for CPD and subject-specific professional development, or putting teachers forward for Chartered Teacher Status, all of which can empower and inspire your staff.
This is especially important for experienced teachers that no longer have to do mandatory CPD and therefore must seek out opportunities for it instead which can be particularly challenging with their increasing responsibilities.
Invest in technologies that make teachers’ work lives easier
There are plenty of solutions available, like Bromcom MIS, that can help make teachers’ and school staff’s jobs easier. With the most fully featured MIS on the market, our users don’t have to worry about moving between different third-party apps to get their daily tasks done, saving precious time. Our system’s advanced capabilities streamline a range of processes, too, like reporting, taking registers, sending communications to parents and guardians. And because it’s such an easy-to-use system, users can quickly and easily navigate the MIS and complete their tasks without hassle.
Over 5000 schools have chosen to switch to Bromcom MIS and are benefiting from cost savings as well as streamlined processes and time savings. You can learn more about our MIS and how it could benefit your establishment here.
