New government guidance is urging schools to make use of a scheme to help them introduce and embed more flexible working.
The guidance, published today, encourages schools to seek advice - via the scheme’s operator, Capita - from a group of specialist flexible-working “ambassador” schools and multi-academy trusts, attend webinars and workshops and seek support from a dedicated website.
The programme is part of the government’s Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy, launched in 2019, in which it made a commitment to support headteachers in adapting to changing workforce demands.
A contract tender for the programme, published in June last year, said the government would pay up to £768,000 to whoever took on the scheme.
Today’s guidance highlights the seven regional flexible-working ambassador multi-academy trusts and schools (FWAMS), which have been “appointed by [the Department for Education] to support school leaders in implementing and embedding flexible working in their schools”.
They could offer advice on a range of topics, including designing a flexible-working policy, flexible hiring and overcoming common challenges, such as timetabling and budgeting, it says.
Increasing flexible working in schools
Capita will also oversee a national programme of free workshops and webinars covering the benefits of flexible working, co-headship and applying and working as a job share. These will also cover how to support equality of opportunity and diversity through flexible working and overcome barriers to flexible working.
The first webinar is due to take place on Thursday (29 June) and “will discuss the flexible-working landscape within MATs and schools, exploring the benefits and acknowledging the barriers that may be faced”, according to the scheme’s website.
It says the event would be “particularly helpful for school/trust leaders, governors and HR/school business managers in any school settings,” but stresses that anyone can attend.
The programme is being publicised just a week after Tes reported that the Education Development Trust had asked the DfE to investigate how schools can move away from a culture of “macho presenteeism” to help retain experienced women teachers and middle leaders.
This suggestion was made in written evidence to a Commons Education Select Committee hearing into teacher recruitment and retention.
The National Institute of Teaching (NIoT) also told the committee that the DfE should define “flexibility” in the school context and trial innovative approaches.
The NIoT added that its “evidence suggests that schools are not currently equipped to deal with requests for flexibility, or even define what flexibility means”.
“The sector needs to go beyond ‘part-time’ as a solution to flexible working,” it said.
Neil Renton, headteacher at Harrogate Grammar School, said his school, part of the Red Kite Trust, had applied to become a flexible-working ambassador because it had already made significant progress on the issue. The school has 115 teachers with 51 now on flexible arrangements.
Mr Renton said: “That’s been quite a significant change in our school. We’ve really responded to try and retain some of our best teachers and adapt to really a different flavour of teachers coming through who seem to want more flexibility in their working lives.”
The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) today welcomed the focus on flexible working but pointed out that there are “significant practical constraints” because of the lack of funding, lack of teachers and “the demands of timetabling”.
Julie McCulloch, the ASCL’s director of policy, said this applies in particular to small schools and those that face the biggest funding and staffing issues.
“Flexible working would be a great deal more achievable if the government addressed the crisis in education by improving pay, conditions and funding,” she added.
Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU teaching union, said she welcomed steps to encourage flexible working “to curb the exodus of staff from the teaching profession”.
But she added that many members had told the union that their employers “actively discourage” flexible working and that this is having a disproportionate impact on women.
Dr Bousted added: “The NEU has argued that additional and fair funding for schools will help remove the barriers to schools being creative around flexible working. We need also to look at childcare provision, with a boost to free support.”
