DfE, get down from your ivory tower and go into staffrooms

The Department for Education doesn’t grasp the severity of low morale – it’s time to go into schools and talk to teachers
17th October 2018, 3:25pm

Share

DfE, get down from your ivory tower and go into staffrooms

https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/dfe-get-down-your-ivory-tower-and-go-staffrooms
Thumbnail

Visiting schools at the beginning of the school year should be such a pleasure. You’d hope to see children brimming with excitement at the prospect of learning something new and being in a brand-new class with a brand-new teacher. You’d hope to see the teachers themselves relaxed, rested from the holidays and looking forward to starting another year of adventure.

Sadly the reality is so different.

On a recent visit, I sat in the staffroom talking to a colleague during the morning break. Of course, being the nosy bugger that I am, I was listening in on the staff banter and was prepared for the inevitable moan or despair about a certain class or child. What I wasn’t prepared for, however, was the corporate admission from the majority - and I genuinely mean the majority - of the staff that they were looking for a way out.

It would appear this “prison” mentality pervades many of our schools. More than ever before, teachers are openly admitting they have fallen out of love with the profession and, if an opportunity arose, they’d have no doubt about leaving in an instant.

When earwigging that day, I noticed that it didn’t take long for the conversation to turn heated and, for many, the rationale behind their feelings rolled off their tongues as though it had been said many, many times. Workload, of course, dominated: the endless planning, marking and continual filling in of forms that had no relevance to the children. A complete lack of respect was also cited - from the DfE, the wider public and sometimes, regrettably, the parents. Support was another reason: without sufficient support in place from leadership higher up the school, a lot of teachers are left feeling like they’re swimming against the tide, completely alone.

‘What’s happened to creativity?’

The conversation moved on to high-risk exams, the pressure for 100 per cent attendance of your class, and other government-inspired, but mindless and detached issues. One teacher asked: “What’s happened to creativity, excitement and taking risks?”

The continual monitoring teachers endure, both internally and externally, was also a huge issue. When pondering if any other profession had to endure such impositions, they struggled to name any. The holidays were, of course, cited as an upside. But with not enough pay, and little life outside of school during the rest of the year, the scales don’t quite balance.

Of course, these concerns are nothing new. We’ve heard them many, many times before. And actually, it has to be said that not every member of staff in every school will feel the same. But what really struck me was the anger, despair and exasperation of the teachers - people who I’ve always viewed as positive by nature.

Add all this to an increasing (and frankly terrifying) mentality from senior leaders to push good teachers out the door because they’re struggling to cope. It would appear that nowadays, you’re not a good leader unless you can use the “capability whip”. Whatever happened to working with and alongside staff?

Yes, we have issues at the moment, but what truly saddens me is that I don’t think our government leaders actually get it. They seem content to harp on about data and how well teachers are doing from the comfort of their ivory towers. It’s about time they came to the chalkface. They need to take the time to go into schools and staffrooms and listen to teachers. Perhaps if they bothered to do so, we might get some much-needed support and recognition.

Colin Harris led a school in a deprived area of Portsmouth for more than two decades. His last two Ofsted reports were ‘outstanding’ across all categories

To read more of Colin’s articles, visit his back catalogue

Want to keep reading for free?

Register with Tes and you can read two free articles every month plus you'll have access to our range of award-winning newsletters.

Keep reading for just £1 per month

You've reached your limit of free articles this month. Subscribe for £1 per month for three months and get:

  • Unlimited access to all Tes magazine content
  • Exclusive subscriber-only stories
  • Award-winning email newsletters
Recent
Most read
Most shared