It seems almost unnecessary to say that something is different about this summer for education. It often seems that there’s very little that remains the same these days. 

But one thing, in particular, might be a positive outcome from this year’s strange goings-on in the world at large: it seems that, for the first time in years, there is a substantial increase in the number of people applying to be teachers.

It’s easy to be cynical about this - and with good reason. There are no doubt some people who have been made redundant elsewhere, or found that their current work has dried up and might see teaching as a safe profession. These are certainly not the qualities that make for a good teacher, but nor do they mean that someone won’t be. 

Equally, there will be others who have applied with too little thought, but then no doubt that’s always been the case.

Excellent teachers-in-waiting

Importantly, there will also be some excellent candidates in the mix, who up until now haven’t felt able to change profession.

It may be that the financial implications of the current crisis have finally persuaded some excellent teachers-in-waiting to make the leap. A redundancy package may be just enough to tide someone over through their PGCE year, or a closing company may be the spur to realise an ambition.

If one outcome of the pandemic is a greater number of career-changers choosing teaching, then we can be positive about the potential of that, at least.

There are many fantastic potential teachers who wouldn’t have been ready to train at 18 or 21, but can now bring a wealth of experience from other careers, and their families, that should be welcomed into the profession.

Whatever we think about the reasons why people have decided to apply, we now have an opportunity to make the most of greater interest in the profession. 

Focusing on quality

Firstly, too often in recent years we’ve seen the quantities of new teachers falling short of recruitment targets in many areas. If this upsurge helps to address that, then all the better. 

Secondly, a wider pool also hopefully provides opportunities to focus on quality over simply meeting the numbers. The NAHT said in its evidence to the teachers’ pay review body that recruitment failed too often because of the quality of candidates available. Hopefully greater numbers applying to train will help to address that need, too.

The next challenges for the profession are twofold: firstly, we need to provide the best training and support for trainee teachers, as they prepare to join the profession. And then - perhaps even more importantly - we need to make sure that the profession remains attractive to those new joiners in the years ahead, when the situation, hopefully, more widely improves.

Government and the wider system have a lot to answer for, in terms of long-term retention of teachers. But, when it comes to getting trainees qualified and into the classroom, more is within schools’ control.

News that training placements are at risk this year should, therefore, be of concern to us all. There’s no doubting that every school will have plenty on its plate this year. But, by reducing the support we offer to new trainees this year, we might only contribute to further challenges in the years ahead. 

Apart from anything else, teaching is not immune from the same process that may mean some teachers have plans to retire early in the year ahead, or go off and accomplish their life dreams. We may need a whole cadre of new teachers more than ever, as we emerge from the other side of this strange period.