The Department for Education plans to pay up to £768,000 for the delivery of a “culture change programme” focused on embedding flexible working in schools and multi-academy trusts.
The DfE launched a Recruitment and Retention Strategy in 2019, in which it made a commitment to support headteachers to adapt to changing workforce demands.
Two years later it gave eight schools and academy trusts in England contracts to promote flexible working to schools in their regions in order to “help to recruit, retain and motivate teachers”.
And this year’s Schools White Paper further committed the DfE to championing a culture of flexible working, which can include initiatives such as offering part-time roles to staff.
Increasing flexible working to improve teacher retention
In a tender for the contract published yesterday, the DfE said it was seeking a provider to “design a strategy for culture change and promote the programme across the sector”.
It said the provider should ensure a focus on “schools/MATs with high proportions of pupils receiving pupil premium” and “specific specialisms, such as pupil referral units/alternative provision and SEND”.
It added that it should support the flexible working ambassador schools, and deliver a programme of “workshops and webinars” targeted at “key audience groups”.
Bidding for the contract closes next month, and the contract will run from the autumn until spring 2025.
