Saturday, September 16, 2023

There is a season: turn(over), turn(over), turn(over)...

Allegedly it is quite normal for a large proportion of staff to leave a school when a new head takes over. I often heard this before I started writing this blog three years ago. There may be some truth in it. 

But what if staff turnover stays high? What if this churn of staff keeps on going?

Nine class teachers of 16 left my previous school throughout the 2022-2023 academic year – 60% of the teaching staff. Of the 6 who remain: 2 have become assistant heads. I guess, good for them! I do not know most of the others as they were not in situ when I was teaching there. Two other long-standing members of staff have also left - I do not have any details about their reasons.

And it seems that many of the people who have left the school seem to have left under a cloud. This isn’t publicly available information as the figures above are, but you might have read a previous post in which one of those teaching staff who left the school detailed the awful experiences with the head that made her decide to quit teaching altogether.

I’m incredulous that the council and board of governors continue to accept this situation as normal. 

I am still saddened and shocked that people still can’t seem to address the issue:  the one person who is behind all this mess and pain. 

What will it take to break this pattern of institutionalised bullying and mismanagement?


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