There are plenty of job opportunities for teachers across the country, and schools are increasingly competing for great teachers to join their teaching staff. Because of this, schools and educators have been paying more attention to professional development and career progression opportunities to retain their staff and to ensure that the best teachers remain on their payroll.
Does professional development as a teacher play a role in teacher retention?
When it comes to professional development as a teacher, there are plenty of opportunities to progress. The majority of teachers start as NQTs and, as their years of classroom experience rise, so does their pay scale as well as opportunities to apply for more senior or specialist roles.
Professional development and teacher retention go hand in hand. A teacher who can prove they have undertaken professional development opportunities will more likely be offered more senior and better paid positions which can lead to greater job satisfaction and lower retention rates within the school.
There is no doubt that providing attractive job positions for current and aspiring teachers is crucial. The 2019 Department of Education's Teacher Retention Strategy went some way to addressing this. The strategy, structured around four key priorities aimed to help teachers feel more supported and ease some of the pressure that teachers experience in their demanding roles- they were:
- Creating a Positive School Culture: Emphasising the importance of supportive and inclusive school environments.
- Transforming Support for Early Career Teachers: Introduction of the Early Career Framework, providing new teachers with a two-year, fully-funded support package, including 5% off-timetable time in the second year.
- Encouraging Flexible Working and Career Progression: Promoting part-time and flexible working opportunities to retain teachers.
- Simplifying the Process for Becoming a Teacher: Making it easier for qualified individuals to enter the teaching profession and return after a career break.
The strategy also included financial incentives, such as bursaries and scholarships, to attract individuals to initial teacher training, particularly in subjects with significant recruitment challenges. Additionally, initiatives like the teacher vacancy website and student loan reimbursement schemes aimed to support both recruitment and retention efforts.
In more recent years, unions have worked hard to demand better pay for teachers across the UK.
By July 31, 2023, the four principal teaching and leadership unions in England agreed to a 6.5% pay rise for the 2023/24 academic year, as advised by the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB).
The government stated this increase would apply to teachers and leaders in maintained schools starting September 2023. Individual schools and academy trusts retain some discretion over pay and progression. For 2022/23, the pay bands increased by around 5%, with up to 9% for new teachers. The Department for Education also agreed to provide around £1.4bn to help schools fund the 6.5% pay raise over two years, plus a £40 million hardship fund for financially strained schools and local authorities.
Factors contributing towards teacher retention
As well as working hours and pay issues, other factors that contribute to teachers leaving their posts include a lack of leadership support, disillusionment with a teaching career, testing working conditions, limited resources, feeling undervalued and a lack of administrative support.
Teachers have also called for more collaboration opportunities and better teacher engagement to not only improve classroom teaching outcomes, but also as an organic form of professional development for teaching staff.
Professional teacher development - what can schools do?
Great teachers crave a collaborative environment, a place where individuality thrives alongside teamwork. A school that believes in fostering continuous learning opportunities and well-defined professional development opportunities will attract teachers looking for a clear development path.
Teachers who feel as though they are valued team members, and have supportive leadership that celebrates their voice in key decisions, are more likely to feel fulfilled, engaged and inspired to continue in the profession.
Are you looking for your next teaching role?
At Horizon Teachers, we’re here to encourage professional development as a teacher, and to help teachers take that next step in their career and land their dream teaching roles. Browse our jobs board or talk to our team to see how we can help you today.
