As a school governor, I know all too well the trials and tribulations of recruiting new teachers, whilst also trying to balance the budget book. In fact, the issue of recruitment was the longest discussion point covered during the last committee meeting for my school.
For governors and those heading up the recruitment process for their schools, the topic is set to remain high on the agenda in the lead up to the next academic year. But how can those who want to get on the front foot look to cut their recruitment costs, attract the right staff and retain the teachers they do have?
Cutting recruitment costs
Spending on teacher recruitment advertising nationwide has been estimated at a huge sum of £75 million – clearly this cannot continue. Schools typically spend a big chunk of their budgets on staff recruitment. And I know how tight these budgets can be. I recall the time my fellow governors and I had to discuss what we would do if the old kitchen equipment in the canteen broke, as there was no spare money if it packed in!
Luckily the ovens have survived, but this can be a nerve-racking position to be in as a governor or school leader, and there are always things that can take you by surprise. For example, you can predict and plan for teaching staff to resign at the standard times in the school year but unfortunately, it’s not always the case that things go as you might expect.