Teacher recruitment and retention are a massive consideration for headteachers and the statistics can paint a grim picture of the profession.

In 2018, the Department for Education’s analysis of teacher training, recruitment, retention, mobility and specialism in England showed some worrying trends:

• Male newly qualified teachers (NQTs) were more likely to leave the profession in their early career than female NQTs.
• NQTs over the age of 30 were more likely to leave the profession in their early career than younger NQTs.
• Non-white NQTs were more likely to leave the profession in their early career than their white counterparts.
• NQTs who completed a postgraduate training course were more likely to leave the profession in their early career than those who had completed an undergraduate teacher-training degree.

It is also worth noting that NQTs who completed an undergraduate course, such as a Bachelor of Education (BEd) or a BA Primary Education were more likely to remain in post than those who did a postgraduate degree.

Perhaps the extra years of training provided by the BEd supported these NQTs to be better prepared for their crucial first few years of teaching?

The benefits of probation

I must now dismantle my argument slightly by saying that I undertook a BEd in Scotland and completed my probation year there so, when I moved to England at the end of that year, I was not required to undertake an English NQT year.

Although I felt very comfortable teaching in Scotland, the education system in England is very different to what I had experienced in my Probation year and so I think it would be to the benefit of all parties if staff with fewer than say three years classroom experience, should be required to undergo some form of NQT or probation year when they start in a new country.

I don’t mean to say that there is no way that any teacher could possibly cope without this probation year, but simply that they should be entitled to the same support and training that NQTs are offered.

Nor do I wish to criticise the actions of those I worked with - it is simply that the system at the time and the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document doesn’t allow for a probation period, which I feel is unfortunate.

I am pleased to see the introduction of the new Early Career Framework, which will extend that NQT support into the recently qualified teacher year and further support new teachers to succeed.

But should this sort of probation period not follow us around throughout education?

This year, I moved from the state sector to an independent school and, despite having 11 years of experience as a teacher and eight years in curriculum and pastoral leadership positions, I have been required to participate in a probationary period.

Support and guidance

Having mentored student teachers and NQTs previously, I was quite nervous at the start of the year and felt a little bit scrutinised at first, but once I had relaxed into the new school a little bit I began to see the process for what I was - supportive.

The difference between leading a non-core subject in the state sector and leading it in the independent sector was as different as moving from Scotland to England to teach.

The expectations of me as a curriculum leader were completely different, the data demands and expectations miles apart and the focus on extra-curricular offerings massively more than I had been used to.

Many schools are now going down the route of offering fixed-term contracts, which can be renewed (or not) at the end of the spring term in lieu of a formal probation period.

Speaking as someone who has supported postgraduate certificate in education students and NQTs, I see the benefits of having a formal probation period being that you have very explicit guidelines for success at all levels of a career.

Take the initiative

The onus is on the school to outline exactly what they wish to see in your performance and to highlight in a timely fashion if they think there is a danger that you wouldn’t exhibit these skills before the end of the probation period.

Probation periods can be extended if necessary, which is surely more supportive than being told that your fixed-term contract is not being renewed.

The probation period, whether as an Early Career teacher or simply as a new member of staff in a school, should provide the teacher with an opportunity to learn what is expected of them, give a system for the school to set out quite explicitly what they need the teacher to do and highlight what the school will do to facilitate the teacher being successful in this.

As teacher recruitment and retention has dipped dramatically in recent years, perhaps developing a probation mentoring system would be a great use of Headteachers’ limited funds.