In our community webinar we explored the latest research and practical approaches to supporting the needs of school workforce, with a focus on flexible working. Our speakers included:

• Professor John Jerrim, presenting his newest research based on TEP data.
• Maxine Low, Executive Head at Brooklands Farm Primary School, sharing her innovative approach to cultivating a flexible working environment for her staff.
• Sarah Bainbridge, Partnerships Director at Reach Schools and DfE Flexible Working Ambassador, detailing approaches to flexible working its implications for school workforce support.

We explored three overarching questions:

1. What insights can we glean about the needs of our school workforce?
2. How can we effectively introduce and measure initiatives to support the complex needs of our workforce?
3. What strategies should we adopt to incorporate flexible working into our people strategies and better support our workforce?

We invite you to join us in future discussions where we continue to share our findings and support data-driven decision-making in education. Stay tuned for updates on upcoming events and opportunities to engage further - subscribe here.

Professor John Jerrim: Insights into School Work Environment Dynamics - Perspectives from Leaders and Teachers

John discussed recent research findings from two small studies using TEP data, shedding light on the perceptions of the work environment within schools across different staff roles and the differences in the views of leaders and teachers.

Firstly, John highlighted the significant gap in research focusing solely on teachers, despite other staff members comprising half of the school workforce. He emphasised the importance of including diverse perspectives to gain a comprehensive understanding of the school environment - read more in John's latest article for Schools Week here.

“Would we try to measure the workplace environment in hospitals by just surveying doctors? Of course we wouldn’t.”

Key findings from John’s research include:

• Teaching Assistants identified pay as their primary concern, contrasting with class teachers and middle leaders who expressed the highest concerns about workload.
• Across most schools in the sample, teachers consistently reported lower satisfaction with workload compared to other staff members, indicating the need for tailored solutions.
• Comprehensive surveys that encompass all staff roles (such as TEP) are crucial for understanding the diverse needs within schools.
• John concluded by advocating for tailored solutions and inclusivity to support the entire school workforce effectively.

Secondly, John explored the perceptions of teachers and leaders regarding behaviour policies, communication effectiveness, and equality of opportunity within schools. What emerged was a notable difference in the perceptions of leaders and teachers.

"Do teachers and leaders within schools hold similar views about behaviour policies and how it’s working? When it’s not working do leaders tend to recognise this?"

John found that leaders consistently rated behaviour policies, communication effectiveness, and equality of opportunity more positively compared to teachers. Headteachers particularly tended to express greater confidence in the effectiveness of behaviour management systems than their staff. This trend was observed not only in the local context but also extended to other countries, with the divide between leaders and teachers more pronounced in England (2018 TALIS data).

Despite these findings, John cautioned that it remains unclear which perspective accurately reflects the reality of the school environment. The discrepancy between leaders and teachers raises questions about the underlying dynamics and their implications, such as retention and satisfaction, which we hope to be able to explore with future TEP data.

Maxine Low: Advocating for Staff Well-being and Data-Driven Strategies

Maxine emphasised the pivotal role of listening, and innovation, in shaping a positive workplace environment. Maxine, , shared her journey advocating for part-time work and harnessing data-driven strategies at Brooklands Farm Primary School.

Maxine highlighted the transformative power of data, affirming, "Because data creates dialogue." Through insights gained from TEP, the school identified a strong staff preference for flexibility, leading to initiatives like online CPD and no staff meetings.

She underscored the significance of small gestures, expressing,

“Teachers do not get to see the sunshine. Just make them happy, let them go at 2:30, they think that you’ve given them the world and all they’ve done is got a bit of sunshine”.

This sentiment characterizes Maxine's commitment to fostering staff well-being and morale through thoughtful actions.

Maxine's approach exemplifies how effective listening and data-informed decision-making can cultivate a supportive and flourishing work culture, where every staff member feels valued and empowered.

You can read more about Maxine’s approach in our case study.

Sarah Bainbridge: Understanding the Imperative of Flexible Working in Education

Sarah began by explaining the significance of flexible working, emphasising its varying definitions and crucial elements like listening in schools to identify pinch points to develop flex policies.

She highlighted its importance in disadvantaged communities, particularly as a DfE Flexible Working Ambassador for schools with a high level of pupil premium.

Sarah detailed the Flexible Working MAT and Schools programme, funded by the DfE, showcasing Reach Schools' impressive statistics: 34% of teachers and 28% of non-teaching staff work part-time, with 100% having flexible options in their contracts.

"We know that flex looks different to different contexts and different schools, but we also know categorically that it’s increasing, and it has to increase."

Flexible working not only aids in staff retention and recruitment but also promotes wellbeing, reduces absences, and boosts productivity, as Sarah noted, stating, "We need to care about our staff as much as our pupils in order for our pupils to get the best outcomes."

Despite its benefits, the education sector lags behind others in flexible working adoption, with statistics showing a higher proportion of female teachers working part-time compared to other industries. This trend contributes to teacher attrition rates.

With the emergence of a post-COVID younger workforce, offering flexibility is imperative, with Sarah quoting,

"98% of 18–34-year-olds see flexibility as absolutely critical to their day-to-day working life."

In conclusion, Sarah emphasized how flexible working re-energizes teachers, enabling them to meet the increasing demands of the classroom effectively, stating, "The pressures on schools have increased ten-fold and we are still expecting our teachers to do whatever it takes in the classroom and flexible working absolutely helps to re-energise and ensures that those teachers can do whatever it takes in the classroom."

Key resources:

• Flexible Working in education
• DfE Guidance and resources
• Flexible working toolkit

Thank you!

A big thank you to our speakers, John, Maxine, and Sarah, for sharing their invaluable insights on this pressing topic in education. Their contributions enriched the discussion and provided valuable perspectives.

We're excited to continue these conversations in future events and hope to see you there. Stay updated on our upcoming sessions by following us on social media or subscribing to our newsletter.

If you missed the live event or wish to revisit any part of it, you can access the full recording above. For any questions or inquiries, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at hello@tep.uk.

We are continuing to welcome partners to join us for the TEP Summer Census (17th-28th June) and encourage you to get in touch before May 15th to get involved. Taking part will provide you with live national and contextual benchmarks, instant reporting for your school and trust and support from the TEP team.

Looking ahead to next academic year, we will also be opening up Pupil, Family and wider stakeholder engagement up to partners. For more information on any of our services, contact hello@tep.uk