Fighting the annual winter teacher shortage

Well it's that time of year again - the annual winter teacher shortage is upon us. It might seem like only a short time ago that there appeared to be a job shortage for teachers (especially those teachers at the Secondary level) but January is upon us and as always happens there has been a major shift - with school's once again in desperate need and demand is exceeding supply.

Whilst it's great news for teachers wanting regular work, it's a more bleak outlook for schools who sometimes find that with the increase in demand, the quality of supply teachers can suffer. Here at Classroom we fight very hard to ensure that this does not happen. As well as continuing to welcome teachers from our overseas offices in Canada and the antipodes, Classroom have stepped up their recruitment advertising in the UK and have relaunched their Introduce a Friend scheme which will run until the end of this current term initially. For those of you who do not know what the Introduce a Friend scheme is, see below:

Introduce a Friend

We want more teachers like you! Classroom would like to reward those teachers who promote Classroom on a regular basis to other teachers. All you have to do is introduce your teacher friend to Classroom and once they have taught just 20 days with us, we will reward you with a £100 bonus. The teacher you have introduced will also benefit and they will receive £50 once their 20 days of teaching has been completed. This scheme is for all Primary, Secondary and Special Needs teachers but does not include Classroom assistants or support staff.

As ever in the world of supply teaching at this time of year it is the Primary schools in particular who are crying out for enthusiastic and flexible supply staff. Here at Classroom we often talk to Secondary trained teachers about trying something different and using their very transferrable skills in a Primary school environment. Some of you feel confident to try this and others, whilst keen, do not feel so comfortable without the necessary training. Classroom is always keen to help and is currently considering offering Secondary to Primary Cross training sessions. If you are a qualified teacher but not Primary trained and would be keen to sign up for such training please email us directly at:

matthew@classroomteachers.co.uk

The winter months are a challenging time for schools and agencies alike but teachers should rest safe in the knowledge that for them it's a busy and lucrative time for those of you who are teaching in London! It is also worth noting that although we haven't really focussed on the demand for Classroom Assistants - here at Classroom we are as ever always keen to hear from individuals who have experience of working with children. Please contact:

classroomassistant@classroomteachers.co.uk