Whilst parents are overwhelmed with the pressures of home schooling and concerned by the lack of live lessons provided, confusion has erupted over state school head teachers who are blocking teachers from hosting online lessons due to privacy concerns. They are claiming streaming live-lessons from inside a teacher's home is a 'huge invasion of privacy' and takes away 'professional distance'.

But many have asked why teachers don't utilise Zoom's 'virtual background' feature - or present in front of a blank wall. Others have asked why teachers don't go into schools to teach their remote lessons from an empty classroom.

Almost three million pupils were not receiving any live lessons meaning they may not be having any interactive schooling with their teachers during lockdown.

Headteachers Banning Zoom is the fault of over-zealous teaching unions, said Chris McGovern, chairman of The Campaign for Real Education.
Speaking to Mailonline he said: “Of course you can change a background. They are finding problems where no problems exist.”
“It is teachers looking for reasons to keep schools closed as part of a political battle with the Government. Here we are looking after children's futures. It seems that for a very minor aspect of this problem they are prepared to sacrifice children's futures, particularly underprivileged children.
He blames unions for creating 'an atmosphere of threat and intimidation' which puts pressure on teachers, adding: 'I don't think teachers should be seen as pawns in a political battle'.

Not all head teachers had this view. Pauline Wood, head teacher at Grange Park Primary School in Sunderland, said she was 'at a loss' as to how live Zoom lessons could be deemed a privacy breach.
She told MailOnline: “Teachers can set up their own devices in a position which suits them surely?”
“If in school, it is no different from a regular lesson. If at home, choose a blank background.”

Last summer militant teaching unions strongly urged teachers not to live-stream and said teachers must be able to choose whether to live-stream lessons or not and that it should only be used 'when essential'

Pushy parents

The largest teaching union, the National Education Union appeared to suggest that only pushy parents want live lessons, adding that the call for live teaching is 'often related to minority, but insistent, parental pressure'.
And teachers' union NASUWT is strongly advising members to avoid live lessons unless there are measures in place to stop privacy breaches. The union goes as far as raising privacy concerns about pupils recording teachers' live lessons and uploading them to pornography websites.

School governor and former-teacher Calvin Robinson said he understands that some schools don't allow teachers on the premises to teach remotely. But he said a different digital background would fix any worries about teaching at home.
He said: 'It depends if they're allowed in schools, some have sent everyone home without the option to come back. 'I can relate, my mother's a lecturer and she expressed those same concerns, but she just blurs out her background. 'It can make people feel uncomfortable, but there are methods you can take. 'What I'd like to see is children back in classrooms'.

Mike Power, teacher and head of year in Manchester, said using an alternate background is 'a sensible approach'. He said: 'There will be steps people can take to keep the intrusion to a minimum such as blurring backgrounds, even removing photos from a wall to use as a blank background if necessary. 'No teachers are sat thinking how can I avoid delivering live lessons, which at times it can feel like that's what people think. 'Teachers fundamentally want to teach as best they can in the circumstances.'

Stressed out and under pressured parents have pleaded with schools to step up live online classes, as experts warned the lack of real-time lessons threatens to widen the equality gap between state and private students.

The mounting pressure on parents to juggle work and home life has been heightened by the demand to take on the role of teachers too - as the abrupt return to virtual learning wreaks havoc across the school system.

Most independent schools and top-performing state schools have rolled out full days of live lessons via Zoom and other video platforms since the new national lockdown came into force. But large numbers of secondaries and primaries, particularly in poorer areas, are relying on pre-recorded lessons, YouTube videos and online worksheets for their pupils.

Mark Lehain, director of the Campaign for Common Sense, said: 'Private schools had a big advantage: if parents can afford school fees, they've definitely got decent broadband and laptops galore at home. “State schools couldn't rely on this. But the teaching unions were a disgrace, and made things a lot worse by telling staff not to plan at home, or that they didn't need to do online teaching.”

Leading education Professor Alan Smithers explained: "Children want to learn in real-time and thrive by interacting and learning with their friends. Pre-recorded lessons are no way near to being in school."
According to government guidance, primary school pupils should have an average of three hours work a day, and secondary schools should have four.

Lessons should be delivered by teachers through "curriculum resources or video", though teachers unions have stressed educators have the choice to live-stream lessons or not and they should only be used "when essential".
A poll of 800 subscribers to the app Parent Ping found: -

- 8% of parents said their child received more than five hours of live lessons
- 13% said their children were in live lessons for three to four hours
- 11% reported one to two hours
- 31% said their children had no live lessons at all
- 11% had less than one hour

Following the closure of schools last Tuesday, teachers swamped social media with complaints that they did not want to deliver lessons via video platforms.
According to the Daily Mail one teacher from Manchester said she "feels sick" with nerves before teaching a live lesson, saying: "The fact it’s my home does feel invasive."
Kent headteacher Cassie Young suggested "professional distance" was essential, and claimed "working at home and seeing inside people’s homes feels like a huge invasion of privacy". She added she "can't and won't" agree to staff doing live lessons due to pressure, safeguarding and workload for teachers.

Lauren Evans blasted the sanctimonious stance of staff online, writing: "Just blur your background! Microsoft Teams and Zoom, maybe you should post tips to help teachers feel more comfortable hosting live classes?"

Michael Igoe commented, "It's time teaching unions joined the real world. Live zoom meetings are a way of life for business, we've been doing it for years from home."

Just a day before the second lockdown kicks in, the Department of Education (DfE) have issued new guidance; "face coverings should be worn by adults and children aged 11 and above when moving around the premises, outside of classrooms or activity rooms, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing cannot easily be maintained", and the same applies to further education colleges.

This should be implemented as soon as possible, however the department said, but can have until Monday 9 November if they require additional time.

Face coverings had already been required for secondary school pupils within areas under Tier 2 and Tier 3 restrictions in England, with those local restrictions now to be replaced by the national measures.

Those who are exempt from wearing face coverings are primary school children and those older children with special educational needs or disabilities. It will also remain at the discretion of primary schools as to whether staff and visitors should wear face coverings in communal spaces.

The announcement brings English schools more in line with their Scottish counterparts who have been under stricter COVID-19 restrictions for several weeks. 

The DfE also says teachers with serious underlying health issues should keep away from the premises. "Those individuals who are clinically extremely vulnerable are advised to work from home and not to go into work," the guidance says. "Staff should talk to their employers about how they will be supported, including to work from home where possible, during the period of national restrictions.” "All other staff should continue to attend work, including those living in a household with someone who is clinically extremely vulnerable."

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders' union, said the lockdown was announced four days ago and that it "beggars’ belief that schools have had to wait until now to find out how it affects them". "Frankly, it is ridiculous that this new guidance has landed on school leaders' desks less than 24 hours before the start of the national lockdown. "There is very little in the guidance that could not have been communicated with schools 72 hours ago."

Mr Whiteman also expressed concern about the impact vulnerable teachers staying at home would have a schools' ability to operate. "Given the restrictions around clinically extremely vulnerable staff, the reality is that some schools may now find it increasingly difficult to remain open to all pupils."

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, welcomed the move, but said: "It will mean that there are more staff missing from the workplace, on top of those who are self-isolating. "It is imperative that the government reimburses schools and colleges with the cost of hiring supply cover for staff absence. "We have received reports of schools having to spend £6,000 per week on supply cover, and this situation is going to become worse - schools and colleges cannot sustain these costs."

Mr Barton said the extension to the rule on face coverings was a "sensible response to rising Covid levels, and will act as an extra level of protection on top of the other safety measures in schools". He added: "The government's education recovery planning does need to take into account the impact of these restrictions on health and wellbeing."

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said: "We must put the interests of our children and young people first, especially when the benefits of being in the classroom are clear.
"Children are settled back into their routines and schools have protective measures in place keep their staff and pupils as safe as possible.
"Education is a national priority and we cannot allow it to be disrupted again."

David Goodhew, head of £21,000 a year Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, said a survey of staff at his school found they feel reassured by pupils having to wear masks in the classroom.

Since August, pupils at the school had to wear masks in lessons and in communal areas. Mr Goodhew said: “Pupils and staff in the classroom are still wearing masks and that has worked well for us. I wouldn’t be surprised if more schools followed suit.” He added: “Our experience is that there are solutions to the two main objections, namely pupil discomfort and problems with communication.”

Mr Goodhew said he does not believe that schools are “engines of transmission” of Covid-19, but added: “I think people who work in schools are absolute heroes. Everyone else is being told stay at home if you can, but teachers are going in.” He said it was vital for the mental and physical health of children that schools stay open, and warned that many have “whole year groups or large numbers of staff who are off having to isolate as a precaution and waiting a long time to get test results back”.

Related articles

Welcomed changes for supply teachers in new guidance

How teachers can take care of their mental health during Covid-19

How to effectively teach from home

The BBC have reported bookings for the new National Tutoring Programme have opened for disadvantaged pupils in England.

The catch-up tuition was introduced to help close the learning gap following clear that poor pupils lost out most when schools were closed.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said "This is about levelling up those opportunities."

32 organisations have been selected to deliver the programme for pupils from poorer families aged five to sixteen and are prepared for an influx of tuition bookings. 21 of the partners are for-profit organisations, while the remaining 11 are not-for-profit. The NTP said this reflected the applications, 62 per cent of which came from commercial organisations.

However, education unions say tuition should be delivered by qualified teachers.

The tutoring will be subsidised by 75% and some sessions could cost schools as little as £50 for a block of 15, say the organisers, the National Tutoring Programme.

Aim of the programme

Five independent charities developed the scheme and is funded from part of the government's £350m allocation to tutoring through the £1bn coronavirus catch-up package.

• tens of thousands of pupils enrolled before the end of term, with provision increasing after Christmas
• schools able to choose the provider and type of tutoring that suits them best, whether face-to-face or online
• 15,000 tutors ranging from post-graduate students to qualified teachers and volunteers

"We need to do everything in our power to help pupils make up for any lost time, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds," said Mr Williamson.

"Tutoring provides tailored teaching support to individual pupils and can be transformational in boosting academic progress.

"This is about levelling up those opportunities across the country."

Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the Education Endowment Foundation which selected the organisations providing the tuition, said he was delighted schools would have access to high-quality tutoring.

"For too long, low income pupils have not been able to afford tutoring.”  "This is an important step in enabling them to access it."

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, while welcoming the programme said it was "an incredibly complicated way of delivering catch-up support when it would have been far simpler and quicker for the government to have given this funding directly to schools alongside other catch-up money".

"There is good evidence that small group tuition can be extremely beneficial, but this funding could have been used to support schools in delivering this through their teaching staff who already know their pupils, rather than this system in which schools buy in subsidised tuition from external agencies," he said.

Andrew Morris, assistant general secretary of the National Education Union, called the NTP "a cut-price scheme which doesn't require qualified teacher status and pays any qualified teachers who do sign up far less than they should be earning".

While Nick Brook, deputy general secretary of school leaders union NAHT said the scheme was not enough to help all pupils in need.”

"The scope of the NTP this year appears to be capped at 250,000 pupils - a significant number but still a fraction of the 1.4 million children in receipt of free school meals."

Support for a further two years

Nick Bent and Abigail Shapiro who co-founded the Tutor Trust which is one of the organisations selected and already delivers affordable tuition to schools in Manchester, Leeds, Bradford and Liverpool said the programme "puts rocket boosters under our mission of 'transforming lives through tutoring' across the North".

However, they too suggested it could go further: "We are doing all we can to support teachers and to help every child achieve their potential, despite family disadvantage or the impact of Covid."

"As an active member of the Fair Education Alliance, we campaigned for the National Tutoring Programme and we welcomed the Prime Minister's announcement in June.

"Now, we urge Mr Johnson to follow the logic of the evidence and of his own commitment to 'levelling up', and to fund the NTP for a further two years."

Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson has announced next year’s GCSE and A-level exams will be going ahead – but with some changes. Firstly, content will be reduced for some subjects and secondly, exams will be pushed back by three weeks to give students more time to prepare and make up for lost learning.

 The government has rejected calls made by unions and leading figures in Education to cancel exams and instead use teacher assessment grades.

Usually exams start around the middle of May, they will now start from 7 June. Some exams – such as one maths and one English GCSE paper – will be scheduled for before May half-term. This will give students

Normally results are handed out a week apart, however they’ll not be given out in the same week; A-level results day will be August 24 and GCSE results day will be August 27.

Vocational qualifications like BTECs are also expected to be delay in-line with this changed timetable.

Gavin Williamson said more back-up plans would be decided later for “all scenarios.” The Department of Education plans to publish more details “later in the autumn”, in order to “ensure students have confidence that they will be fairly treated in terms of assessment in 2021”.

This year’s summer exams were cancelled due to the pandemic - leading to chaos for students whose marks were downgraded by an algorithm. The government was forced to make a humiliating u-turn and allow students to keep their teacher-predicted grades following a public outcry.

“Fairest Way”

Education secretary Gavin Williamson said: “Exams are the fairest way of judging a student’s performance so they will go ahead, underpinned by contingency measures developed in partnership with the sector."

“Students have experienced considerable disruption and it’s right we give them, and their teachers, the certainty that exams will go ahead and more time to prepare.”

“I will continue to work closely with stakeholders and I’m grateful for the commitment and willingness that’s been shown in delivering this additional time to ensure young people have the best opportunity to succeed.”

He added: “Combined with our £1bn catch-up programme and the changes proposed by Ofqual to free up teaching time, the changes I am announcing today give young people the best chance of being ready for their exams without undermining the value of the qualifications they receive."

“Unrealistic and Unfair”

Last week, education unions warned moving the timing of exams back slightly was unlikely to make any significant difference following the vast gulf in learning experiences between pupils.

Dr Mary Bousted, of the National Education Union, said it was "unrealistic and unfair" after the disruption to their schooling.

She said: “Today’s announcement is yet another appalling example of political ideology trumping practical reality.” "It demonstrates that this is not a government which is interested in levelling up because the impact of these decisions will impact most severely on the most disadvantaged."

She has called for a broader range of topics in exams to give students a fairer chance.

She added: "If government will not reconsider and change its mind quickly, members tell us that exams, even with greater optionality, are no longer tenable.” "In which case, the only route to fairness would be a complete cancellation of exams and the use of robustly moderated, externally quality-assured teacher judgements.”

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the ASCL school leadership union, said he was “dismayed” by the announcement, and said delaying the start if exams would be “of marginal benefit when compared to the loss of learning from the national lockdown and ongoing disruption”.

“It has taken the government an eternity to reach a very inadequate response to the scale of the challenge which lies ahead for students who are taking GCSEs and A-levels next year.”

Paul Whiteman, the leader of the NAHT, added: “Having started this discussion in July, it is disappointing it has taken this long to get to this point when there are so many more decisions to be made.”

Labour’s shadow education secretary, Kate Green welcomed the delay to next year’s exams, but said it should have been announced earlier.

“The government have finally listened to Labour’s call for exams to be delayed,” she said, “but they could have done this weeks ago to give schools more time to prepare.”

Wow. This is a first.

Never have we faced such a tough and unknown situation than the one we are all going through now. Covid-19 has changed the way we live, work, socialise, shop and commute in a way none of us would ever have imagined.
With so many restrictions, constant changes and hearing negative news it can have an impact on your mental health and well-being.

Stress, anxiety and fears of how the pandemic will affect our future and everyone around us can easily creep up on us without even realising. Now, more than ever it is vital that we take care of ourselves.
Working in education is probably one of the toughest challenges at the moment and one where there is a huge amount of uncertainty.

Follow these top five tips to help you keep in control, calm and focused.

1. Keep talking
One of the best things to do when you are feeling overwhelmed is to talk.
Talking helps to ease your worries and help you see things from a different perspective. Have a conversation with your manager or a member of the senior team, it will help them see things from view and provide the support you require. It’s also good to talk to friends and family, although they may not be able to change things at work, they can help to give you advice and sometimes it’s nice to talk to people outside of your school colleagues without the fear of being judged or worry about any implications your concerns may have.

It’s equally important to keep talking to your students and check-in with them of how they are feeling. Young minds are constantly developing and taking in new information, however many of them won’t have the emotional capacity to handle or process this in a healthy way.

If you can encourage all the staff to adopt the same practices, it can really help the well-being of the whole school.

2. Stay on top of basic things
Daily life mustn’t stop or change. It’s really important to keep on top of basic things like shopping, cleaning, laundry, eating, sleeping and exercising. If you keep up with the little things, you’ll be able to handle new changes and extra tasks that come your way.

3. Stay connected in the correct way
With so many restrictions in place you can easily find yourself locked away and out of touch with friends and family. Use the technology and social media around you to keep in touch with people remotely. And, if social media becomes too overwhelming then it’s okay to disconnect for a while.

4. Be kind to yourself
We are all constantly learning a new situation which is ever-changing. Don’t be hard on yourself if you’re struggling to adapt to new ways of working. Not only will you be faced with your fears and emotions, but also new types of reactions from others. You wouldn’t be hard on children when they are learning new things in the classroom, so why be hard on yourself?

If you find yourself having to take on more responsibilities, or work a different way. i.e. teaching via online videos, try to keep what you are doing simple. Don’t over complicate your work or do things that are not necessary, keeping to the basics will help keep the pressure off yourself.

5. Plan time for you – and only you
 This looks different to all of us, but it’s vital to regularly take time out for yourself.
During the day try to find a few minutes in the day for a bit of peace or get some fresh air. Even if it means taking 10 minutes out to eat lunch without having any distractions around you.

Find small moments in the week to distract yourself and switch off from the things that are affecting your mind. There are lots of things you can do which don’t require a lot of investment, such as:
- Going for walks, bicycle rides or even a class at the gym. If going out is not an option; join a fitness class online
- Jigsaw puzzles – doing a bit at a time will give you the motivation to complete it
- Painting, making a collage, embroidery, pottery
- Playing an instrument – there are lots of tutorials on YouTube
- Cooking, learning a new dish or just experimenting with different foods. There are tonnes of social media groups, recipes and videos online showing you step by step guides

Whatever you do, remember the time is for you, no one else. It’s tempting to keeping looking at our phones, to stop temptation, switch off your phone and leave it another room.

We all need time to reflect, relax and recharge; after all, we’re only human.

Further guidance and support can be found by visiting the following websites.

The government have provided extra mental health support for pupils and teachers - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/extra-mental-health-support-for-pupils-and-teachers 

The Education Support Partnership supports all staff in educational settings with mental health and well-being - https://www.educationsupport.org.uk

The NEU has published a guide on protecting mental health during Covid-19 - https://neu.org.uk/coronavirus-what-you-need-know-staff-mental-health-and-wellbeing

MIND is a leading mental health charity that provides support to anyone experiencing mental health problems - http://www.mind.org.uk/

Related articles

Sky diving for mental health

Taking care of your mental health during lockdown

Almost everyone involved in returning back to school will be feeling nervous and anxious while COVID-19 is still floating around. From teachers, pupils, non-teaching school staff to parents; everyone will have concerns about returning back to the classroom.

We’ve put together some helpful tips to help you get ready.

Government updates
Stay up to date with the latest government guidelines and information which is continually evolving as we continue through the pandemic https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education. Save the link as a bookmark or shortcut on your phone or computer. Seeing it will prompt you to keep checking the website without having to search and find the correct website each time.

Communicate with the school regularly
Most schools will brief their staff prior to going back, however, if you have not heard anything before you start work make sure you have spoken with your school to understand what their policies and procedures are around the coronavirus is. This is particularly important for supply staff who are new to the school and not familiar with the school’s surroundings.

Be PPE ready
Understand the personal protective equipment (PPE) you may be required to wear and have some ready with you at all times. This includes, face masks, face shields, hand sanitisers and gloves. The government is continually implementing immediate changes, therefore its best to stay one step ahead and not get caught out. Some schools are implementing their own policies on PPE so its best you are aware of these and ready to go.

Regularly wash and sanitise hands
From the start keeping hands clean has been the key to preventing and slowing the spread of the coronavirus. Always keep a bottle of alcohol-based hand sanitiser with you and regularly use it. It’s worth investing in a personal bottle of hand gel with a keyring clip so that it can be kept handy at all times and refilled when needed.

Minimise direct contact with your environment
It’s difficult to avoid touching your surroundings but if you can try to avoid making direct contact when opening doors, operating light switches, using computers, laptops and projectors. You can purchase a hygiene hook keyring which is a hook shaped keyring that allows you to open doors and press buttons without the need for direct hand contact.

Listen and be supportive to pupils
Pupils will be feeling a range of emotions as they return back to school, so it’s important you listen and be patient with them.
Ask them what they did while schools were closed, find out how they are feeling and recognise any difficulties they have had through activities and groups sessions.
Letting them know that it’s okay to feel how they are and to talk things through will help ease their emotions and settle back into school life. Never avoid the situation as it will do more damage in the long-term.

Take time out for yourself
Remember you are of no use if you feel burnt out and struggling to keep yourself healthy. It’s important you take time out for yourself to maintain a healthy life and recharge. You may need to take more breaks during the day as it can be overwhelming having to deal with new procedures, being a support arm and taking on work which is new to you.

Be responsive to parents’ concerns
Naturally anxiety levels will be high for parents and they’ll want reassurance that schools are safe and precautions are being taken. You may feel yourself repeating the same information several times to different parents, but remember this will be all new to them just as it is for you.
Give them the time they need and perhaps set up a weekly email update to keep parents up-to-date and keep them reassured. This will also help reduce the number of requests from parents.

Related articles

Taking care of your mental health during lockdown

Teachers to benefit the most from inflation-busting pay rise

£1bn catch-up programme for England schools

As schools work towards filling their staffing plans for the next academic year, it’s a great time to consider how supply teachers can help bridge any gaps - - particularly given the current situation with COVID-19.

Over the year’s schools have relied on education recruitment agencies, like TLTP Education for their staffing needs and have become an integral part of most UK school recruitment strategies. We are proud to be on the Supply Teachers and Temporary Staff framework which is supported by DfE and recommended in current DfE guidance. It can help schools efficiently get best value when recruiting supply teachers, classroom assistants, tutors and other temporary staff.

Usually at the start of every academic year comes the inevitable press coverage about schools using education recruitment agencies; usually focused on the ‘cost’ to schools, these articles rarely highlight the benefits for a school of outsourcing its recruitment.

It is important to point out that, whilst agencies are typically described as ‘supply agencies’, many of these, including us, provide staff for a range of contract types. These include day-to-day and short-term supply to cover unplanned teacher absences, and also to fill longer term vacancies such as maternity cover, long-term illness, and permanent positions.
Just as there are a host of different reasons why organisations from most other industries use recruitment agencies as part of their overall hiring strategies, so too with schools.

How schools benefit from using recruitment agencies

Save time and resources
Schools often lack the time and/or experience to effectively screen candidates – failing to separate the top candidates from the wealth of applicants.
Some job applicants oversell their abilities, enthusiasm and dedication in their CVs, whilst other, very talented, teachers may submit weak applications, being inexperienced in writing a professional CV. Experienced recruiter are equipped to identify the worthwhile recruits – saving schools valuable time and resources. This also minimises a school’s risk of making a poor recruitment decision.Good agencies, therefore, help to improve education standards by ensuring the best possible candidates are placed in schools that best match them.

Compliance
Quality agencies – accredited by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) Audited in Education – have stringent registration and vetting procedures in place to ensure that all legal and contractual requirements are met before a candidate starts work. They should also ensure candidate compliance criteria are up-to-date, including the monitoring of key expiry dates such as Disclosure and Barring Service certificates and visas. This relieves schools of a huge administrative burden, thereby enabling them to focus on their core business of educating children. TLTP Education are proud to have continually retained the the REC Audited Award – the gold standard in safeguarding.

Flexibility and experience
Schools require staff to cover an absence under a variety of planned and unplanned circumstances including sickness, training days, maternity leave, and unfilled teaching posts. As such, supply contracts are flexible and can range from just a few hours to days and long-term placements. 

The diverse nature of supply teachers they have a large amount of experience working in a variety of schools in a short amount of time. This enables teachers to offer more skills and knowledge and have the ability to deliver across a range of age groups and subjects. 

Quality teachers often prefer to be recruited via agencies
A growing number of educators only seek work through recruitment agencies, rather than applying directly to a school. Job-seekers use agencies as it’s generally a far quicker way to find a position, and larger agencies typically have a wide variety of jobs to choose from. Professional education recruiters typically, such as TLTP Education, have extensive knowledge of schools in their area. The best agencies will consult meaningfully with job-seekers to ensure the best possible fit between school and jobseeker. Again, this reduces the risk of a bad recruitment decision, and helps ensure a better standard of education for students.

Temp-to-Perm Options
Many schools and jobseekers like to work on a temp-to-perm basis. In this situation a teacher is appointed on a temporary contract with a view to becoming a permanent member of staff. This reduces the risk, both for schools and teachers, of making the wrong recruitment choice. It enables both parties to trial working together before making a more permanent commitment.

Difficulties due to teacher shortages
The UK teacher shortage is well-known, as are the regional imbalances and deficits in specific subject areas. With soaring numbers of pupils entering the education system, particularly in secondary schools, and large numbers of teachers leaving the profession, the teacher shortage is projected to increase to over 13,000 by 2021. Fewer people are entering teacher training courses due to the wider career options available, compounding the shortage because there are insufficient graduates to replace retiring teachers.
How does this influence a school’s use of supply agencies? Schools that do their own recruiting say it is increasingly difficult to find suitable candidates – even after spending large amounts of money on job advertisements. It’s more efficient for schools to get an agency – which has a large, pre-vetted pool of agency candidates from which to choose – to do the recruiting for them, with no risk of it leaving them out of pocket.

Talk to one of our recruitment experts
If you are school interested in finding out more about how supply staff can help you with your recruitment needs, have a conversation with one of our recruitment experts to find out how we can help you ensure you are fully staffed and ready to return to school in September. Simply fill in a few details by following this link www.tltp.co.uk/fill-a-position and we will be in touch.

Latest Temporary Vacancies
If you are a teacher of support staff looking for supply work, have a look at the latest temorary vacancies and apply today.
If you cannot find what you are looking for, don’t worry. We receive new vacancies daily and as a result not all are advertised as they are filled straightaway. To ensure you don’t miss out please register your details by following this link and a recruitment consultant will be in touch to discuss your requirements. Alternatively, please give us a call on 020 8709 6540.

Related articles
How to be a first-class supply teacher
Why teachers are great role models

Throughout the year TLTP Education attend university recruitment fairs meeting enthusiastic students who are studying for their PGCE and BA Education degree and will soon be looking for their first teaching role as a Newly Qualified Teacher.

Each year we help hundreds of NQTs start their teaching career in all divisions of education, including: Early Years, Primary, Secondary and SEN.

We have an extensive network of schools all of which we work closely with on a regular basis. As a result, we are able to gain valuable insight into their school’s requirements, needs and ethos. Which, in return we are able to closely match with suitable candidates.

Over the past four months TLTP Education have been very busy visiting universities including:

• University of East London
• St. Mary’s University
• Roehampton University
• Cambridge University
• University College London – Institute of Education
• Bedfordshire University

It’s been a pleasure meeting bright and talented graduates and we are looking forward to meeting many more. 

We are continuing our tour and will be visiting Goldsmiths University on Thursday 13th February 2020 and Greenwich University Friday 14th February 2020.

On a daily basis we are liaising with schools across all of London and the Home Counties to understand their NQT vacancies, therefore we are receiving new roles constantly. Schools are keen to get ahead of the game to secure talented graduates, and, as a result interviews are now being scheduled.

If you would like to be informed as soon as a new job opportunity is available, please Register and subscribe to job alerts to ensure you never miss our latest roles. Alternatively, contact us on 020 8709 6540 and a consultant can talk through your individual requirements.

If you prefer for us to call you, no problem. Simply, click here to fill in a few details and a member of the recruitment team will be in touch.

We can help ease the stress of finding your ideal NQT role, give you maximum exposure to the job market, and more importantly leave you to focus on completing your PGCE!

Working in the field of teaching often comes with a bad rep. From being underpaid to the pressure of classroom management, it’s fair to say that teaching is not an easy job.

 However, being a teacher can also leave you with an abundance of joy and happiness.

 Whether it’s the positive impact you’ve made to a child’s academic, emotional and social learning or the set of skills and knowledge you’ve acquired along the way; here are our 10 reasons why teaching remains a rewarding career choice.

1. Children teach you as much as you teach them 

Being around young children and adults six hours a day can keep you feeling young. They can positively influence your vocabulary, fashion sense and ensure you are kept up to date with the latest pop culture references.  

2. No day is ever the same 

Most jobs come with a lot of repetitive tasks, which can sometimes result in feeling unfulfilled and unchallenged. Teaching is one of the few professions where you get the chance to be creative and engage in something new every day.  

3. You are a role model 

Ever heard the expression, with great power comes great responsibility? As cliché as the saying may sound, teachers are highly admired for being a good role model to their students. It is a great accomplishment when children can look to you to guide and advise them not just with school work but also with their social life. In fact, being an inspiration to young leaders is just one of the many perks of the job.  

4. Expect to laugh… a lot 

Children may be a handful at times, but there’s no denying their ability to make you chortle. They are a bundle of joy and, most of the time, have a great sense of humor. So if you’ve had a bad start to the day, you can always rely on your students to cheer you up and make you laugh. It’s these precious moments that make teaching absolutely worth it.  

5. Learn new skills 

Being a teacher allows you to expand and develop on new skills. Whether your chosen subject is English, Maths or Science; as a teacher, you can choose to build upon transferrable skills by participating in sports days, managing breakfast and after school clubs and can even offer counseling sessions. Did we mention that no day is ever the same?  

6. Establish genuine relationships along the way 

Working in teaching enables you to build positive relationships with students, parents and the wider school community.

7. Make friends for life 

You get the opportunity to form real and long-lasting friendships with like-minded colleagues, who share the same passion for teaching as you do.

8. That memorable and cherished moment when a student finally gets it

Nothing beats the moment when a student’s lightbulb goes off and they finally understand what you’ve been teaching them. Witnessing their growth and knowing you contributed to the child’s learning progression is a feeling like no other.  

9. Schools out for summer

There are many rewarding highlights of being a teacher. However it can be sometimes feel chaotic and nonstop, which is why teachers are rewarded with a much-needed and well-deserved six-week summer break. While your non-teacher friends continue to work their 9-5 jobs, you get the chance to relax, recharge and enjoy your summer holiday. The summer break is also the perfect opportunity to reflect on your teaching strategies and improve on lesson plans, if needed, for the upcoming school year.

10. End of year teacher gifts

Whether it’s a hand-made appreciation card or a purchased gift, it’s really the thought that counts.   There are so many advantages of being a teacher, fact. However, the best feeling is knowing you are educating tomorrow’s leaders and opening the door to all other professions. Now that is the ultimate job satisfaction.  

Teaching Assistants play a critical role in helping educate pupils. Managing a class of 30 is a huge task for any Teacher and the responsibility covers a wide scope of activities. This is where the Teaching Assistant (TA) comes in.

Teaching Assistants helps to set up the classroom, mark papers, answer student questions, support students in accomplishing tasks and can even supplement course materials and lessons from time to time. A TA will help to manage student behaviour in a discreet manner without disrupting the whole class and allowing the focus remain on the Teacher to deliver effective teaching. TA’s also go one step further and build happy and valuable relationships with students, parents and other staff members at the school. They play an essential role and often are the unsung heroes!  

Here are our ten reasons why we believe teaching assistants are essential and should always have a place in the classroom.

1. They offer one on one support

Many children are overwhelmed by packed classrooms and are unable to take things in, especially for those beginning primary school it can be quite daunting. Teaching assistants play a pivotal role in important one on one sessions and helping children overcome their anxieties. 

2. They provide access for children

Previously many children with disabilities would not have been able to access education so easily as they can today without the help from specialists. Teaching assistants today are highly trained in supporting with mental and physical disabilities, speech and language issues, behavioural difficulties and a range of other conditions. It’s a tough job however very highly rewarding. 

3. Extra set of eyes

An extra set of eyes is always handy and teachers don’t have eyes in the back of their heads!

4. They help your child find a Eureka breakthrough

Reading a tough word for the first time, reaching the end of a book or finally cracking a Maths problem, that excitement on a child’s face when they explode back into the house with a gold star could be thanks to the TA. 

5. Reduces the pressure off of the teacher

A class full of thirty students all needing help during a difficult lesson is impossible ground to cover for one person. A teaching assistant will help ease the load off of the teacher allowing them to focus on what they do best – teaching. TAs can be utilised in situations for all students to reap the benefit.  

6. Class control

Teaching assistants help to control the classroom by identifying on those difficult students or helping the teacher implement rules and taking the appropriate action where required. 

7. Teaching assistants work together with the teacher to implement strategies

A teacher and their assistant can work together and identify a group of people that need some intervention. Whether it’s a group finding the work difficult and need a helping hand or a group needing a good push because they’re excelling, having someone to take them aside means that there’s less chance of a child being left behind or held back.  

8. They’re friendly and approachable

Teachers have a position of power and authority and even though they can come across assertive they are in fact lovely, down to earth wonderful people. However due to their power they can be harder to approach, and many students find it easier to talks to the teaching assistant instead. 

9. They do a lot behind the scenes

There’s for a teaching assistant. Many arrive very early and / or stay behind after school finishes to help plan lessons, prepare the classroom, monitor and report on progress as well diving into the daily tasks of school life. 

10. They can also team teach

Interactive lessons are always a big hit especially when they are a bit different and are not just the same face lecturing them from the front of the room. Having seen teaching assistants and teachers join forces to deliver fun and exciting presentations, pieces of drama and even singing a song together, makes a difference in .  

For many students the teaching assistant is more than just a face in the class. They are a big part of their life who can have a serious impact on their future.  

3 cheers for Teaching Assistants!

Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray!

We are recruiting for some fantastic Teaching Assistant roles n Primary, Secondary and SEN schools. Browse through our current vacancies and apply today.

• Primary Teaching Assistants 
• Secondary Teaching Assistants
• SEN Teaching Assistants
• ALL JOBS