The Committee decided to undertake this inquiry amidst concerns over teacher shortages including: classroom teachers in numerous disciplines in certain areas; specific subjects such as STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics); headteachers; and supply teachers.

The Committee's previous inquiries provide useful context for the elements of the report that looks at where schools face challenges as a result of vacancies. For example see the Committee's findings in relation to additional support for learning in mainstream schools, and on the interaction between the SQA, Education Scotland and teachers.

Further context from outwith the Committee has included: the results of the content analysis produced by the Scottish Government on the content of initial teacher education (ITE); and, the multiple workstreams underway, generated by the Government and others, seeking to address teacher shortages.

The Government's proposals for education reform were announced on 15th June 2017, two weeks after the Committee completed evidence taking on the inquiry. The report recommendations therefore do not analyse in detail specific reform proposals or set out the Committee's perspective on them.

The proposed changes set out in the document Education Governance: Next Steps include a number of changes that directly relate to the subject matter considered in this report, including:

"Teachers will help develop new career pathways allowing greater opportunities for career development and progression into leadership [...]"

"We will develop leadership pathways...We will introduce a fast-track leadership route..."

"Decisions about improving learning and teaching and the funding to support these new statutory duties will rest at school level"

"We will work closely with the profession and professional associations to establish a Headteachers' Charter, which sets out the new powers for headteachers."

"Headteachers will select and manage the teachers and staff in their school;"

"Headteachers will decide on school management and staffing structure [...];"

"Headteachers will monitor school progress and reporting;"

"Regional improvement collaboratives will provide excellent educational improvement support for headteachers ...[and] facilitate collaborative working across the region..."

"There will be a new duty on local authorities to collaborate to support improvement on a regional basis. They will also be responsible for improvement through their provision of education support services, their regional collaboration, and in securing leadership in their schools."

"Education Scotland will have a strengthened inspection and improvement function...[and] a renewed focus on professional learning and leadership. Delivery via the new regional improvement collaboratives will mean that hands on advice, support and guidance can flow directly to schools to support improvement."

"Registration of the workforce will be enhanced by a new body, the Education Workforce Council for Scotland..."

"The Government will establish a Scottish Education Council...to ensure a system-wide focus on improvement is delivered."

Scottish Government. (15, June 2017). Education Governance: Next Steps - Empowering Our Teachers, Parents and Communities to Deliver Excellence and Equity for Our Children. Retrieved from http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/06/2941

The Committee intends to undertake a separate piece of work to scrutinise the proposed reforms, including undertaking pre-legislative scrutiny of the bill required to implement the statutory duties detailed above. However, the recommendations in this report do take the reforms into account, for example where a recommendation is made to the GTCS the recommendation also applies to the body that it is proposed will replace it, the Education Workforce Council for Scotland.

The report also assumes, in the absence of specific reference to certain responsibilities in the Next Steps document, that these responsibilities remain with education authorities. For example it is reasonable to assume that education authorities retain their role, in conjunction with teacher training institutions and the GTCS, allocating student teachers to schools as part of the Student Placement System (SPS). It is also assumed that all functions currently undertaken by the GTCS, including in relation to the SPS, will be transferred to the Education Workforce Council for Scotland. Finally on the reforms, recommendations also seek to ensure that any transition to new processes are made as easy as possible, in particular for headteachers, including seeking to ensure workload does not increase during the period of transition.

The Committee issued a call for written views for this inquiry and received submissions from a wide range of organisations and individuals. The Committee thanks all those that contributed including those that took the time to consider and set out the complexities of the workforce planning process and make constructive recommendations. The Committee also issued questionnaires to teachers, including senior management, other school staff and student teachers. The Committee received a significant response of nearly 700 questionnaires. The insight provided from a number of consistent themes from these questionnaires has provided a very valuable snapshot of how some of Scotland's schools are operating in practice and also the direct experiences of those training to work in these schools. Indeed the Committee considers the snapshot provided by the questionnaires to be so valuable in its detail on a multitude of issues that it will also be used to inform its future scrutiny of the Government's education reforms.

The Committee's evidence taking commenced with a panel of student teachers immediately followed by evidence from a panel of teachers. The Committee then took evidence from Moray Council, Moray House (the University of Edinburgh's School of Education), NASUWT and the Learned Societies Group on Scottish STEM Education of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (LSG). The third evidence session involved representatives of the Teacher Workforce Planning Advisory Group (TWPAG) which is responsible for assessing the need for additional teachers before recommending the intake for initial teacher education each year. This involved a panel with Scottish Funding Council (SFC), Consortium of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES), Association of Headteachers and Deputes in Scotland (AHDS), School Leaders Scotland (SLS), Scottish Council of Deans of Education (SCDE) and Education Scotland. This was followed by a panel from the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS). The final evidence session was with the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills from the Scottish Government. The Committee also held a focus group of teachers and student teachers to inform its formal evidence sessions. The Committee wants to thank all those who gave evidence to the inquiry.ⁱFollowing evidence taking, and in advance of report consideration, Ross Thomson MSP was elected to the UK Parliament and so resigned as a member of the Scottish Parliament Education and Skills Committee

The Committee's approach to its scrutiny ensures inclusivity, meaning a key component of the evidence taking process involves hearing from those with direct experiences of the element of education being considered. The Committee appreciates it is a big step to share personal experiences in such a public forum and so thanks the student teachers and teachers for taking on that challenge.

The coverage and impact of the session with student teachers in particular was notable due to concerns raised over literacy and numeracy being linked in the media with SSLN results. The Committee approached their evidence as it would any evidence, namely it tested the comments made in evidence against other perspectives through the course of the inquiry, offering a right of reply wherever appropriate and weighing up personal opinion against evidence from larger organisations. For example following the session with student teachers the Committee sought clarification from teacher training institutions on the content of their courses including in relation to numeracy and literacy. The Committee appreciates that the timescale for response to this request was very short and thanks all of the teacher training institutions for providing such thorough responses to this timescale.

The Committee also wants to highlight, from the outset, that in scrutinising issues related to workforce planning, it is performing its core function of scrutinising the Government and making constructive recommendations for improvements. On that basis the recommendations are in their very nature focussed on what could be done better, and it has heard some concerning evidence at points in the inquiry highlighting matters that require to be addressed.

A view expressed by some teachers giving evidence to the inquiry was that they did not feel sufficiently valued or respected. It should also be noted that the hundreds of responses to the Committee from teachers, taken together, was testament to the motivation of the profession. Teachers told the Committee of their passionate belief in teaching as a vocation that can have so many tangible positive impacts on children's lives.

The Committee notes the approach taken by the Government to elements of the evidence, specifically in relation to ITE. In addition, the Committee notes the comments of the Cabinet Secretary on the esteem that the teacher training institutions are held in and the satisfaction levels of student teachers:

...let me put on record some of the strengths of our initial teacher education system, because it is important that the Parliament hears all the data. The recently published Complete University Guide rated four Scottish universities in the top seven in the United Kingdom for teacher education. In 2016, we published “Evaluation of the Impact of the Implementation of Teaching Scotland’s Future”, which found that 64 per cent of survey respondents felt that their initial teacher education was “effective” or “very effective” and that 83 per cent felt that the support that they were given on their placement was “effective” or “very effective"

Meeting of the Parliament, Teacher training programme debate, 17th May 2017, John Swinney col 67

In the last major review the Donaldson Report (2011) acknowledged the difficulties in achieving efficient workforce planning:

The foundations of a successful education system lie in ensuring an appropriate supply of high-quality teachers covering geographical areas, education sectors and curriculum specialisms. Achieving that goal with any consistency has proved difficult for countries across the globe, including in Scotland. It needs teaching to be seen as an attractive option for well-qualified individuals who have a commitment to young people and their learning. It also requires good, flexible workforce planning and careful selection of students into initial teacher education courses.

Graham Donaldson. (2011, January 11). Teaching Scotland's Future - Report of a review of teacher education in Scotland. Retrieved from http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2011/01/13092132/0

The Donaldson Report set out two key challenges of setting teacher training numbers:

An effective policy for workforce planning must contain mechanisms to deal with periods of both high and low demand for teaching posts. The process needs to be looked at in two ways: first, what can be done to predict the required numbers earlier and with greater certainty; and second, what can be done to mitigate the impact of mismatches between supply and demand?

Graham Donaldson. (2011, January 11). Teaching Scotland's Future - Report of a review of teacher education in Scotland. Retrieved from http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2011/01/13092132/0

Each year the Scottish Funding Council advises Ministers on the number of places to be provided in teacher training institutions for initial teacher education. This advice is based on a teacher workforce planning exercise involving COSLA, ADES, GTCS, teacher unions and representatives of teacher training institutions as part of the TWPAG. Full membership of TWPAG is listed in Parliamentary Question S5W-07146 (answered 24th February 2017). The Group is chaired by a Scottish Government official.

Following increases to recruitment target numbers in the early 2000’s, numbers dropped back to 2,307 by 2010, but have since risen steadily and at, 4,058 in 2017/18, are approaching the earlier high point seen in 2004 (4,437). The following table reflects numbers by subject including the level of uptake of places to PGDE secondary subjects in 2016/17.

Table 1: Targets and recruitment for secondary PGDE in Scotland, 2016/17

³TES. (2017, April 7). p.11.

In Secondary PGDE in Scotland the subjects with the largest absolute shortfalls are maths, technological education and english. However, maths and english are also those with the highest targets. Technological education has one of the largest shortfalls both in absolute numbers and in proportion of the target. Not all subjects have shortfalls. There was over-recruitment in history, geography, chemistry, PE, modern studies and physics. Primary school courses also over-recruited slightly (758 students for 710 places on BEd and 1,247 students on 1,235 places on PGDE).

The Scottish Government and COSLA submitted a joint submission to the UK Migration Advisory Committee’s review in October 2016. This provides details of the challenges faced in certain areas of Scotland and goes on to sum up the situation in Scotland generally as “extremely challenging”:

Rurality

Although shortages are acknowledged as a national issue, many local authorities highlighted clear challenges in particular areas. Rurality and perceived geographical isolation cause significant challenges for some local authorities. Out of our 22 local authority case studies, Aberdeenshire, Argyll & Bute, Eilean Siar, Dumfries & Galloway, Highland, Perth & Kinross, Stirling, South Lanarkshire (which is central belt but has rural areas) all identified rural locations as a major challenge to teacher recruitment."

“We are in a situation in which local authorities are finding teacher recruitment extremely challenging in terms of both permanent contracts and supply (covering absences etc.) - more so in some parts of the country than others and more so in some secondary subjects than in others.

Local authorities are adopting a range of approaches to address shortages including golden hellos, enhanced relocation packages, permanent contracts, and subsidised accommodation. In addition, a number of authorities are actively trying to recruit from overseas.”

Scottish Government and COSLA. (1). Joint response to the MAC Call for Evidence on the Partial review of the Shortage Occupation List: Teachers. Retrieved from http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0051/00516454.pdf [accessed 7 October 2016]

In addition to this work, in November 2016, the Scottish Government announced new routes into teaching, funded with £1m from the Attainment Scotland Fund. The proposals are detailed on the GTCS website.

For particular subject specialisms

combining PGDE and probationary year, focusing on STEM graduates at Dundee and Strathclyde

support for ‘non-traditional entrants’ to Home Economics at UHI

joint degrees with a secondary specialism at Stirling and West of Scotland

train more primary teachers with additional subject specialisms at Stirling (including literacy, numeracy, ASN and STEM subjects).

at Glasgow University qualify teachers to work between P6 and S3 in mathematics

For returners or those qualified outwith Scotland

at Edinburgh Universities expand a course for those returning to teaching or qualified outwith Scotland

at Glasgow University, recognising high levels of teacher unemployment in Ireland, recruit recently qualified teachers to undertake further study while they work in a partner local authority

For current local authority employees

at Aberdeen University expand their distance learning programme to all local authorities for local authority staff to become primary teachersⁱThe Aberdeen University scheme described on the GTCS website has been expanded further so that local residents who are not local authority staff can also apply.

at University of Dundee, expand their ‘Learn to Teach’ programme to all local authorities and to secondary school teaching

GTCS. (n.d.) No title Retrieved from http://www.gtcs.org.uk/

At a national level, a recruitment campaign, “Teaching Makes People” launched in February 2017, focused on science, technology, engineering and maths. Finally, in June 2017, the Scottish Government announced it would tender for a new route into teachingⁱⁱThe announcement to tender was made after the Committee had completed evidence taking and so is not analysed in this report..

Accurate workforce planning requires projections over a number of years, informed by data such as likely future vacancies and pupil levels. The Scottish Funding Council supplementary submission sets out the various factors that the Teacher Workforce Planning Advisory Group needs to take into account when considering what number of new teachers are required:

In summary, the projections use information on:

• Population and pupil number projections

• Pupil census

• Age and stage data for all publicly funded school pupils (and estimates of independent school pupils)

• Teacher census

• Age profile of current teaching workforce

• Teachers leaving/returning to the profession

• Pupil teacher ratios at school level

• A need for some flexibility in the size of the workforce to meet the need for short term cover staff

• Student retention rates e.g. not completing degree course/completing degree course and choosing alternative career path

And, as described to the Committee, the TWPAG also takes into account further local information, including in-year shortfalls.

Scottish Funding Council. (2017, May). Supplementary written submission. Retrieved from http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx

The TWPAG set out this cycle in evidence and the complexities of estimating figures. A supplementary submission sets out more detail on the calculation it undertakes and the other less quantifiable, but valuable, inputs it also takes into account:

The process begins with the projection of pupil numbers, based on information from the School Censuses, and National Records of Scotland’s (NRS) population projections. Projections of the overall demand for teachers are then produced, based on the pupil projections, the relationship between teacher/pupil ratio and school size, and also taking account of any relevant policy initiatives such as class size reduction or an assumed level of teacher numbers.

This projected demand for teachers is compared with the demand for the previous year. This allows any year-on-year changes in demand that would result in a surplus or deficit of teachers to be noted. The projected number of leavers from the teaching profession is then added to produce projected vacancies arising. Sources of filling these vacancies, such as teachers returning to the profession and teachers coming from outwith Scotland, are then also projected and taken into account. These projections are calculated using data from the most recent years, and take into account the changing age and gender profile of the workforce. However, they do not differentiate between different reasons for leaving or joining the workforce. This leaves the projected deficit of teacher vacancies at the start of the school session which would be required to be filled by first appointment teachers. Additional numbers are added for university drop-out and to allow for supply teachers. [...]

The Workforce Advisory Group takes account of not only the statistical modelling exercise but also other intelligence relating to teacher supply and demand before agreeing on intake figures for the coming year. This year, for the first time, we took into account a vacancy survey carried out by COSLA.

Teacher Workforce Planning Advisory Group. (2017, May). Supplementary submission. Retrieved from http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx

The evidence above from SFC and TWPAG demonstrates the complexity of assessing the correct number of student teachers required. This makes it all the more important that the process is based on as much up to date and relevant data as possible. The Committee considers that TWPAG’s workforce planning process has an over emphasis on vacancies. The TWPAG should be seeking to establish the level of need for teachers to inform its work. As detailed later in the report the number of posts has reduced in recent years as a result of changes to management structures, budgetary considerations and a lack of applicants for posts.

The COSLA submission to the Committee details the survey it undertook in 2016 with the Government on teacher vacancies and also ongoing improvements to monitoring of the age profile of teachers:

COSLA undertook a survey of councils in partnership with Scottish Government in 2016, to determine the extent of vacancies at a given point in September that year. This coincided with the completion of the teachers’ census in September 2016. This is the first time such a survey has been carried out for several years.

In the last ten years or so, workforce planning for teachers has become more rigorous in monitoring the age profile across promoted and unpromoted staff, early years, primary and secondary and across subjects [...]

COSLA. (2017, May). Written submission. Retrieved from http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx

A number of other submissions commented on the amount and standard of information considered by the Group. The Learned Societies Group commented:

While the Scottish Government publishes annually the Teacher Census, this does not provide a clear picture of teacher need either in subjects or in different localities. In 2010 the Scottish Government discontinued the annual report on vacancy statistics for teachers. The UK Government Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has recently reported on teacher shortages across the UK. It states that ‘there is very limited data to draw on to assess the shortage of teachers by subject in Scotland’. The LSG firmly believes that there is a need for improved data on teacher shortages and vacancies in Scotland in order to support accurate teacher workforce planning. Data should be collected on a regular basis and made publicly available.

Learned Societies Group on STEM subjects, Royal Society of Edinburgh. (2017, May). Written submission. Retrieved from http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx

The Committee also received proposals for improvements to the Group's processes from the GTCS:

At present we have a workforce planning group which works hard to determine the number of teachers required. The nature of this group requires to be reviewed in order to work more closely with local authorities who have a greater insight into local trends such as the number of retirements, the age profile of staff both in the short term and the long term, patterns of maternity leave etc.

The present workforce planning group looks at teacher numbers nationally however this offers a broad picture and is based on the census data which is a snapshot at one point in the year. This snapshot is taken in September while school staffing is being undertaken in February/March. It may also prove useful to consider the various staffing formulae which exist across the country and to develop a consensus re what this should be at a national level. In addition, consideration should be given to the ways in which universities/initial teacher education institutions could contribute to this situation by sharing data more effectively. For example, university places could be allocated taking into account local excess and shortage of teachers – often student teachers are more likely to seek a job in the area in which they studied.

The supply and demand of teachers can vary depending on geographical area. For example, there is a considerable surplus of PE teachers around the central belt who cannot secure a permanent post and who have family commitments which prevent them from moving further afield. Improved research, which could be led by GTCS, to provide more regular information and reports regarding individuals seeking registration etc. in order to provide a more comprehensive picture of teacher workforce availability might be useful in supporting improved data gathering and decision-making.

GTCS. (2017, May). Written submission. Retrieved from http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx

In sum, suggestions for improvements include: the ability of the Group to reflect local challenges in its planning processes; the scope for more detailed and consistent information from education authorities; and the need for information to be as up to date as possible. The Group does not publish minutes so it is not possible for the Committee to follow any discussions on potential improvements. All of the relevant parties required to bring about change are on the Group.

The TWPAG has an important role, and there is clearly scope for improvements including as highlighted by the GTCS and by the Learned Societies Group. The Committee is particularly concerned that:

• the Group does not undertake workforce planning at a particularly localised level despite the very distinct challenges being faced in different areas of Scotland;

• there is a lack of consistent and detailed information including from education authorities and this, combined with the removal of the annual report on vacancy statistics for teachers, impacts on the accuracy of the Group's calculations; and

• certain pieces of information that workforce planning calculations are based upon are out of date.

One issue that an independent evaluation could look at is the transparency of the Group, as there is clear scope to improve in this area. The TWPAG meets twice a year, its deliberations are in private, and its minutes are not published. Other comparable Government chaired bodies such as the Curriculum for Excellence Management Board provides advice to Government and also publishes minutes that reflect its deliberations. This practice of publishing minutes is reflective of the public service it performs and the right of those with an interest to be able to analyse its processes and comment upon them, thereby improving the performance of the board and ensuring it is sufficiently held to account. The Committee can see no reason why the TWPAG should not also publish minutes including details of the information it is basing its work upon.

Members of the TWPAG suggested that, to a degree, factors influencing workforce planning follow a recognisable cycle. In relation to factors such as staffing structures, pay, and conditions, ADES suggested that:

I have been in education for 40 years, and such things come in cycles. I was looking at the issue yesterday, and found that we have had 20-year cycles in which there have been attempts to address dissatisfaction structurally, after which the satisfaction level goes back up to “good”. Over a period, as pay, conditions and the economy decline, we see more dissatisfaction.

Education and Skills Committee 24 May 2017, John Stodter, contrib. 143, http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10968&c=2002918

It is useful to have context on workforce planning cycles. Insight into and experience of previous challenges and how to address them is of course valuable. However this depth of experience should not detract from seeing in sharp focus the notable challenges faced at present, the risks that not responding sufficiently proactively represents, and also that there are influencing factors now that are distinct in nature or scale to those influencing the workforce planning cycle in the past.

For example, this is the first period of teacher shortages to take place following the broadening of the definition of what constitutes an additional support need and the presumption of mainstreaming. The Committee highlighted in its recent report How is Additional Support for Learning working in practice? the need for sufficient resources to provide adequate support for children with an ASN. The Children in Scotland submission highlights findings from Enable's report Included in the Main stating:

...66% [of teaching staff] feel they don’t get enough support to meet the needs of pupils with learning disabilities. The Included in the Main?! report highlights that for 62% of teachers this lack of support is causing increased stress.

Children in Scotland. (2017, May). Written submission. Retrieved from http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx

The Committee considers that new pressures on the teaching profession should be factored into the workforce planning assessments of likely retention rates. The influence of workload on retention levels was detailed in evidence by the Cabinet Secretary:

With the benefit of hindsight, there was probably an overcorrection following the intake numbers in 2011, but judgments were made at that time based on the level of teacher unemployment. If I were to hazard a guess as to the relevant factor since that period, I would suspect that a greater number of teachers were leaving the profession because of issues around workload, which I have now acted to address. I would imagine that that factor has exceeded what was expected in the statistical model that we used.

Education and Skills Committee 31 May 2017, John Swinney, contrib. 25, http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10989&c=2006231

The Scottish Council of Deans of Education sets out the difficulty for teacher training institutions of planning on an annual cycle of ITE intake numbers:

The timeline used by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and the Scottish Government to confirm the controlled numbers of places on ITE programmes, this year published in March 2017 for entry in August 2018, does not align with the university recruitment/selection cycle which is normally almost concluded by that point in the academic year. Thus for 2017-18 entry, university prospectuses, advertising, and marketing will have been in place prior to the summer of 2016, with selection and interviews normally running from November/December 2016 until March 2017. With numbers only being confirmed on March 24, 2017, this was far too late for universities to accommodate.

In addition, the varying of numbers from year to year, sometimes significantly, makes it difficult for universities to plan, particularly around staffing costs, although also in relation to accommodation, timetabling, and resources. For entry to programmes in August 2017 there has been a substantial rise in secondary postgraduate places and the SFC forecast suggests a 55% drop in PGDE Primary numbers for the year 2018-19. This will have radical implications for the budgets of Schools of Education, taking nearly £3.5m out of the sector. To address this, the Council would prefer the setting of numbers on a three or five-year cycle. This would enable a phasing of increases and reductions in places and enable universities to plan their provision. This would help budgeting and stability for the sector and would also remove the earlier issue of late confirmation of numbers.

SCDE. (2017, May). Written submission. Retrieved from http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx

The Learned Societies Group supported proposals for planning in the longer term, with one possibility being projections for multiple years being produced alongside annual place numbers. It also detailed the importance of accurate data feeding into this process:

We would push for a strong and comprehensive evidence base for the targets. When the workforce plan is being put together, there needs to be a complete, reliable and accurate evidence base to draw on. We need the figures on vacancies and shortages in subjects across the board, not just in STEM subjects, so that the target figures mean something. The figures should be projected forward to show shortfalls, as per the Donaldson review.

Education and Skills Committee 17 May 2017, Dr Liz Lakin (Learned Societies Group on Scottish STEM Education), contrib. 8, http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10953&c=2000544

The Cabinet Secretary described changes being made to the workforce planning model:

We have made a number of improvements to the workforce planning model, which include taking into account local authority vacancies, starting the process earlier in the year and asking universities to work together to allocate places.

Education and Skills Committee 31 May 2017, The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (John Swinney), contrib. 2, http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10989&c=2006208

The Committee notes the limitations of the current process for teacher training institutions and the challenges that this presents for their financial and staffing planning, and the knock on effects on the application process and the courses themselves. The Committee also notes the push for the process to commence earlier in the year which, short of changing the cycle to a multiple year approach, is a means to help minimise the issues raised by the teacher training institutions.

The annual cycle, and the fluctuation in ITE places the process has produced, has undoubtedly contributed to: the 'saw tooth' effect of fluctuating intake numbers; the associated impacts on university planning and funding; and fluctuations in overall teacher numbers. There are ways of minimising this effect, one is to set teacher places over a longer period, another is to improve the process of estimating ITE placement numbers by ensuring:

• the methodology for assessing the numbers required is as sophisticated and tailored to the task as possible; and

• the information feeding into the calculations is as up to date, detailed and relevant as possible.

This section works through the different cohorts of individuals who could potentially teach in Scotland and the potential to remove barriers or improve incentives for these individuals. It looks in some detail at initial teacher education, which became a central theme of the inquiry.

Workforce planning processes detailed above seek to generate the necessary number of teacher education places to satisfy future need for teachers (taken alongside other means of recruitment). There also needs to be a sufficient number of applicants seeking to train as teachers. As can be seen in table 1 above, a number of courses are currently undersubscribed.

The submission from Teach First quotes the ‘HighFliers UK’ survey of graduate career aspirations, noting a decline in the proportion of graduates intending to become teachers:

“Fewer than one in ten finalists were applying to the teaching profession - the 2017 survey shows that a total of 9.9 per cent of final year students from the ‘Class of 2017’ had applied or intended to apply for teaching positions. This continues a steep downward trend that started in 2012, when just over 15 per cent of those interviewed had the intention of becoming a teacher.”

Teach First. (2017, May). Written submission. Retrieved from http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx

The evidence suggested that a response to this issue at a national level was to increase teacher education place numbers but that this fails to address underlying issues, namely the reasons for a lack of interest from graduates to move into teaching ²SCDE. (2017, May). Written submission. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx</a>.

Teach First set out some of the current challenges in attracting graduates into teaching:

• Competitive graduate recruitment market - there is increasing competition to recruit talented graduates, many of which have sharp progression opportunities both in terms of level and salary.

• Perceptions of the profession - according to the UK Graduate Recruitment Survey 2017, teaching was ranked 15th out of 22 in terms of perception scoring, losing out to professions such as a Doctor, Investment Banker, Army Officer, Research Assistant etc

Teach First. (2017, May). Written submission. Retrieved from http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx

Research into the graduate market in 2017 by HighFliers UK looked at pay levels and found that the median graduate starting salary at the UK’s leading graduate employers is expected to be £30,000 (range £13,500 to £55,000). For the public sector, the median graduate starting salary is expected to be £23,000 (range £16,800 to £42,000). The payscale for classroom teachers starts at £22,416 for probationers, rising to £26,895 on full registration [...]. The top of the scale is £35,763. The scale for Depute and Head Teachers ranges from £44,223 to £86,319.⁴SPICe. (2017, May). Teacher workforce planning questionnaires. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170505ES.workforce_planning_SPICe_paper.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170505ES.workforce_planning_SPICe_paper.pdf</a>

The perception of the teaching profession in society is undoubtedly having a negative impact on the number of people prepared to consider a career as a teacher. Another deterrent is the extent to which existing teachers' experiences are serving to ward off potential candidates. One head teacher said:

I love my job but feel that my profession was taken from me.[…] Many of us go out of our way to make sure that our children, our nieces and nephews do not enter the teaching profession.

Headteacher, Anonymous 37. (2017, May). Questionnaire response. Retrieved from http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170505HeadteachersandDeputy.pdf

Each of the factors above, except competition from other roles, relate to current teacher experiences and perceptions of them. There is therefore a clear and strong link between the challenges facing retention and the challenge of recruiting graduates. Improvements to experiences of existing teachers, will lead to improvements in the number of people seeking to become teachers.

The GTCS sets the minimum course entry requirements for teacher education and can supplement these. Some teacher training institutions, due to the popularity of certain courses, set considerably higher and relatively rigid requirements, to moderate the number of candidates applying for a limited number of places. The Committee appreciates the need to set standards to regulate numbers on a course to prevent oversubscription. When considered in the broader context of teacher shortages, examples of potential student teachers being refused such places can appear counterintuitive. One such example was Mark Melrose:

I was turned down for teaching physics by the University of Edinburgh purely because I did not have any units on optics within my degree, although I had worked for seven years in the laser centre of excellence. That involved purely working with optics, but I was turned down because it was not part of my degree.

Education and Skills Committee 10 May 2017, Mark Melrose, contrib. 170, http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10939&c=1998747

The Committee heard examples where teacher training institutions requested the GTCS be more flexible in the application of its requirements, to ensure able candidates were not overlooked. Moray House noted its progress in relation to one of its courses with the GTCS in this regard and made recommendations for further flexibilities the GTCS could explore. Moray House does not believe this would impact on the ability of candidates selected:

One area that could be looked at is the GTCS requirements for English. For our MSc in Transformative Learning and Teaching commencing in September 2017, we successfully argued for teacher graduates to have Higher English by the time they exit rather than to have Higher English at the point of entry. The exception to this is for those entering the MSc to become teachers of English. With such rigid requirements at the point of entry, we are turning away non-UK students who hold a UK masters degree but whose High School diploma is not deemed equivalent to Higher English. To assist a greater diversity in the workforce, it would be helpful for university providers to apply individual assessment of English competency for the postgraduate stages of teacher education, particularly in relation to entry into the STEM subjects. It would also be helpful to have a nationally agreed entry equivalence across the institutions so that there is greater consistency between different admission bodies. This would reduce frustration for applicants.²University of Edinburgh, Moray House. (2017, May). Written submission. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx</a>

As context for this section, the Committee notes that the amount of time available on a course for teaching students is limited and there are a multitude of topics that merit attention. The Committee also does not expect a teacher to be 'fully formed' when they complete ITE. What the Committee was assessing was the extent to which courses provide students with the skillset required, including a sufficient amount of practical classroom based experience. This includes the ability to:

• where required teach the core skills of literacy and numeracy;

• use behaviour management techniques and generally feel ready to acclimatise to the classroom; and

• understand the needs of children such as being able to discuss online safety considerations with them and know how to approach providing additional support for learning.

In relation to literacy and numeracy there are two key requirements: for an individual to be sufficiently literate and numerate (with ITE helping to develop these skills); and also, where required, the ability to teach these core skills in a way that chimes with the developmental stage of the children they are teaching.

The Committee heard evidence on the extent to which student teachers lacked the required literacy and numeracy skills, and that assessment and aiding the development of these skills was not sufficiently provided on some courses ¹Education and Skills Committee. (2017, May 10). William MacLeod, col 6. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10939&amp;mode=pdf" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10939&amp;mode=pdf</a>. In relation to numeracy, Halla Price, a student teacher, stated:

On numeracy, we spent a lot of time going over ideas about activities that we could do. However, there was not enough focus on the teachers having the skills to teach numeracy, other than a maths audit that we completed in second year. That did very little, in all honesty, to improve our own mathematical knowledge and understanding. I do not believe that everyone who graduated from Moray House this year has sufficient skills in numeracy to be able to teach it to 11-year-olds at a reasonable standard.

Education and Skills Committee 10 May 2017, Halla Price, contrib. 37, http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10939&c=1998614

The Committee heard evidence from qualified teachers on the ability of some newly qualified teachers in schools. At the focus group of teachers a primary school teacher who regularly mentored student teachers commented on this and her comments were substantiated by a student teacher. The note of the focus group states:

She suggested a number of trainee teachers had a limited understanding of how to teach literacy and numeracy on their arrival on placement. The headteacher of two schools suggested some ‘common thinking’ from universities on the minimum standards we are looking for trainees to achieve on placement would be helpful. A woman in her third year of teacher training suggested that some people on her course did not have the standard needed to teach numeracy and literacy at primary school but acknowledged that higher English was a minimum requirement for her course.

Another teacher suggested that during his training the theory did not make any sense until you experienced the practical.

Scottish Parliament. (2017, May 17). Focus group note. Retrieved from http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx

The Committee was concerned at the evidence on literacy and numeracy from the student teachers panel and so wrote to all teacher training institutions seeking, amongst other things, detail of the extent of the focus on literacy and numeracy on ITE courses.

A number of counter considerations carry weight when looking at the extent of this problem, including that a number of student teachers on the panel did not raise issues in relation to course content on numeracy and literacy. Another is that assessing a course purely on allocation of time entirely for literacy or numeracy is a simplistic approach, as suggested by the Scottish Council of Deans of Education. The Scottish Council of Deans of Education also suggested that the proposal by the GTCS to increase entry requirement levels in relation to mathematics was unnecessary:

[...] the GTCS sets entry standards in relation to literacy and numeracy for all ITE students – a minimum pass in Higher English and in National 5 Mathematics, or their equivalent. These are high tariffs and there is nothing in the primary curriculum, for example, that represents anything of a challenge to these levels of attainment. There is no research evidence to support the view that increasing the entry tariff to Higher Mathematics would make any difference to improving teaching and learning in the classroom. Work by Day & McKechan (2010), for example, found that student teachers’ subject knowledge showed no significant difference between those with a Higher Mathematics and those with Standard Grade Credit.⁴SCDE. (2017, May). Written submission. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx</a>

A submission received from a primary school teacher, Gillian McInnes, who had heard the Committee's evidence sessions, reflected her personal perspective on qualification requirements. She suggested that there was an argument for increasing entry requirements for primary school teachers ⁵McInnes, G. (2017, May). Written submission. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx</a>. Increasing requirements also chimes with the recommendation in the STEMEC report to in the future increase requirements to SCQF level 6 in mathematics (and a science).⁶STEMEC. (2016, September 15). Final report to the Scottish Government. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Education/Schools/curriculum/STEM/STEMEC/Report/FinalSTEMECReport" target="_blank">http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Education/Schools/curriculum/STEM/STEMEC/Report/FinalSTEMECReport</a>

During the course of the inquiry the Scottish Government published a content analysis of ITE courses across Scotland, which was a commitment from the Scottish Government education delivery plan published in June 2016⁷Scottish Government. (2017, May 17). Correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170517ESINcorrespondencefromDFM.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170517ESINcorrespondencefromDFM.pdf</a>. The analysis found a wide variation in the amount of time specifically dedicated to literacy across the education colleges. There was a debate of the whole Parliament on teacher training on 17 May 2017. An extract of the resolution of Parliament is below:

“…some perceived gaps in the programme regarding supporting trainees in learning key skills for the classroom; believes that these problems are, in some key areas, having a detrimental impact on the preparedness of trainees to meet the challenges of the curriculum for excellence and their ability to deliver better teaching in literacy and numeracy”

“…[the Parliament] calls on the Scottish Government to work with the teacher training institutions and the General Teaching Council for Scotland to take urgent action to implement the necessary improvements to the teacher training programme in Scotland, and, in acknowledging and valuing the vital role and contribution that new and existing teachers make to children’s education, agrees to engage with local authorities, as teachers’ employers, to ensure that all teachers are confident in teaching literacy and numeracy.”

Scottish Parliament. (2017, May 17). Minutes of Proceedings. Retrieved from http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Chamber_Minutes_20170517.pdf

In evidence to the Committee following this debate Ken Muir, Chief Executive (GTCS) told the Committee that the GTCS had increased the emphasis on literacy and numeracy in their more recent accreditation activity.⁹Education and Skills Committee. (2017, May 24). Ken Muir, col. 39. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10968&amp;mode=pdf" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10968&amp;mode=pdf</a>

The GTCS is responsible for accreditation of courses and Education Scotland is responsible for assessing the standard of delivery of these courses. The Committee explored in evidence whether it would be beneficial to move to a system where the same organisation awards accreditation to courses and also assesses the standard of delivery of courses. The purpose of this would be to ensure there is no disconnect between the standards expected at the point of accreditation and what is delivered in practice. The GTCS Chief Executive, Ken Muir stated:

There is undoubtedly a disjoint between our having an accreditation role but not necessarily a quality assurance role in relation to implementation.

Education and Skills Committee 24 May 2017, Ken Muir, contrib. 184, http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10968&c=2002959

It should be noted that the Government is proposing to transfer the functions of the GTCS to the new Education Workforce Council for Scotland. In addition, it is proposed that Education Scotland have a "strengthened inspectorate and improvement function"²Scottish Government. (15, June 2017). Education Governance: Next Steps - Empowering Our Teachers, Parents and Communities to Deliver Excellence and Equity for Our Children. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/06/2941" target="_blank">http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/06/2941</a> in relation to school education.

The Committee highlighted areas to the Cabinet Secretary that it did not consider were currently sufficiently focused on in ITE. For example, in relation to online safety for children. The Government has acknowledged that there are courses that have no time dedicated to this important issue and supports change in this areaⁱThe resolution of a debate of the Parliament on 11 May 2017 included that: “[…] The Parliament is concerned that teacher training does not adequately cover online safety for children and young people, and calls on the Scottish Government to work with education institutions to rectify this emerging requirement in training classroom teachers.” Retrieved from http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Chamber_Minutes_20170511.pdf. Another element of course content raised in evidence taking was additional support for learning. The Cabinet Secretary responded to this stating:

There are two important elements with regard to that question. One is that all teachers going through initial teacher education need to be properly equipped with the necessary skills to support young people with additional support needs. However, we also have to recognise that there is a limit to just how broadly we can ensure, through initial teacher education, that the teaching profession has the capacity to do that. [...]

A teacher’s ability to support a young person to fulfil their potential in the classroom would therefore be a blend of the core skills that they have as a teacher to address the needs of young people with additional support needs, and the capacity that would be present within the classroom to ensure that they are able to do exactly that. That judgment would be arrived at by the process of assessing what the needs of the young person are and whether they can be met in a mainstream school environment.

Education and Skills Committee 31 May 2017, John Swinney, contrib. 45, http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10989&c=2006251

The Committee considers that the accreditation process must not allow courses to become out of date. Central to ensuring course content is responsive to today's priorities for teaching children is ensuring content is regularly assessed through the accreditation process and through assessment of course delivery. A GTCS supplementary submission stated that:

The issues being considered currently in relation to literacy and numeracy stem largely from a lack of specific focus on these areas five to six years ago when current programmes were first accredited.

GTCS. (2017, May). Supplementary submission. Retrieved from http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx

Requiring accreditation to be renewed for all courses to a shorter cycle would ensure that updates to course content, such as the inclusion of online safety, would happen earlier. The same principle applies to a reassessment of course content on literacy, numeracy and a practical approach to support for ASN.

As part of their initial teacher education, students complete school based placements. The GTCS sets the minimum number of days and the current requirements are:

• 30 weeks on placement for those on the traditional undergraduate teaching degree (including combined degrees)

• 18 weeks on placements for those on PGDE or concurrent degrees.

The GTCS has had responsibility for the system of placing students undertaking Initial Teacher Education courses into schools since 2012. This is done through the Student Placement System which the GTCS hosts. However, the placements themselves are arranged between teacher training institutions and local authorities.

As the Donaldson Report noted:

there is no single model across Scotland and the universities have developed different patterns and concepts of placement to complement their campus-based provision. ¹Graham Donaldson. (2011, January 11). Teaching Scotland's Future - Report of a review of teacher education in Scotland. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2011/01/13092132/0" target="_blank">http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2011/01/13092132/0</a>

The value of the practical experience provided by placements is also reflected in the Donaldson Report:

The balance between time spent on placement and time spent in university remains contentious. Many respondents, particularly students and newly-qualified teachers strongly indicated that they perceived that the most valuable part of initial teacher education programmes was the placement experience. Despite 50% of the postgraduate degree programme being given over to placement and a minimum of 30 weeks over four years on the undergraduate route, 60% of graduates from the one-year programme and 51% of graduates from the undergraduate routes said that this was insufficient and argued that more time should be given to placement.

Graham Donaldson. (2011, January 11). Teaching Scotland's Future - Report of a review of teacher education in Scotland. Retrieved from http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2011/01/13092132/0

A clear theme from the student teacher questionnaires related to their experiences on work placements, this split broadly into two issues:

• the planning of placements, including which placement is allocated to which student and how far in advance; and

• the quality of the experience and support received on these placements.

Ken Muir explained the GTCS' perspective on its responsibilities for the system:

The student placement system is operated by the GTCS on behalf of a partnership between the schools, local authorities and universities. We operate the machinery, but it is for those partners to ensure that the information about the students—where they stay, where they are travelling from, whether they have private or public transport, whether they are looking for a denominational school and so on—goes into the system. It is a requirement on those partnerships to ensure that there are sufficient placements and that all that data is accurate before it comes to the General Teaching Council of Scotland. We simply crank the handle when those ingredients are put into the machine and what come out are the placements.

Education and Skills Committee 24 May 2017, Ken Muir, contrib. 188, http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10968&c=2002963

In September 2014 200 students did not have placements at the required start date and 128 students had the same experience in September 2016. The Government intervened in 2016 to encourage increased collaboration. The Committee comes to this issue at a stage where a number of improvements are being implemented. For example an opt-out system is being introduced aimed at increasing the number of schools providing placements. This is intended to have the effect of increasing the number of potential placements for students and also should reduce pressure on the schools currently opting in.

In relation to allocating a student to a particular school, there does not appear to be an element of the process that involves the GTCS, education authority or teacher training institution staff sufficiently assessing the impact of individual decisions on particular students' circumstances. The Scottish Council of Deans of Education stated in evidence that students are consulted on a proposed placement¹Education and Skills Committee. (2017, May 24). Morag Redford, col 20. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10968&amp;mode=pdf" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10968&amp;mode=pdf</a>. To refuse a placement offered to them is perhaps a challenging prospect for a student. The onus should be on the allocation system to factor in individual circumstances at the start of the allocation process. The current approach appears to be, in some instances, that if the student is placed somewhere within the maximum travel time of 90 minutes each way then that is a legitimate placement.

The Committee received a number of submissions detailing the impact of a placement that involves such travel times on a student including: the financial impact; and the impact on their ability to give maximum time to the placement. One questionnaire highlighted the impact on childcare:

I think they need to take into account how close the school is to your home. I have children and my first placement was 60 miles away. I would not be able to do this if it were for a whole year. The cost would be too high as well as the time taken to travel.

Student teacher, Anonymous 3. (2017, May). Questionnaire response. Retrieved from http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170505TraineeTeachersSubs.pdf

An example from the focus group note is highlighted below, which details travel times amongst other issues with a student teacher's placement:

A trainee teacher due to qualify next week suggested 5 week work placements were too short as just as you establish rapport / trust with one group of teenagers in a class you have to leave to go on another placement. He spoke very positively of all of his placement experiences, but said there was limited opportunity for feedback or meeting time with his mentor set aside. He also said the travel times expected of him impacted on his stress levels as it is 1 hr 45 minutes each way in the car. It is also financially demanding as he pays £100 a week travel expenses, rent at his university accommodation and has previously paid rent at a flat close to where he had one placement. Travel is reimbursed by the university.

The lack of assessment of whether individual students are best suited to particular locations results in confusion over the logic of the process for allocation. This is set out in a number of questionnaire responses, including some describing it as a ‘lottery’ as to whether an individual receives a placement close to the university. Responses also suggest that allocations can be made irrespective of whether the people placed further away can easily drive to the location.

The GTCS provided details of maximum and average travel times in supplementary evidence to the Committee:

Currently, 222 students travel 90 minutes to their placement. The average travel time for the 6,290 students currently using SPS is 28 minutes. The SPS system has matched over 19,000 this year and the local authorities and universities agree these matches with students. They are also responsible for ensuring the student has plenty of advance notice of the placement, and has arrangements in place in order to get there safely.³GTCS. (2017, May). Supplementary submission. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx</a>

The Committee also received a number of questionnaire responses highlighting this issue of lead-in times:

Finding out at 10.30pm on the Friday night where you were supposed to be on Monday morning was not professional. The school knew weeks or in some cases months in advance I was coming but the information was not passed to students. ⁴Student teacher, anonymous 9. (2017, May). Questionnaire response. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170509TraineeTeacherslateSubs.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170509TraineeTeacherslateSubs.pdf</a>

In relation to placement allocations, this theme was also raised with the GTCS in oral evidence. Ken Muir responded:

There are a number of students who find out relatively late that they are being placed in a particular school—I recognise that that is an issue.

Four-year students coming into their first year and one-year postgraduate students coming into teacher education may not find out that they are eligible for their course until they have received their SQA results. The SQA results come out at the end of the first week in August. The first placements that some teaching college programmes have in place are at the end of August. That gives us a two or three-week window for the universities to feed the information into the system, for the placements to be identified, for the schools to confirm that those placements are still valid, for the local authorities to confirm that they are content with them and for that information to be sent out to the students concerned.

Education and Skills Committee 24 May 2017, Ken Muir, contrib. 188, http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10968&c=2002963

Numerous questionnaires from student teachers highlighted very positive placement experiences:

I have been fortunate enough to work in four excellent schools over the course of my degree, all within Glasgow: St Marnock's Primary School, St Paul's Primary School (Shettleston), Spittal Primary School (nursery placement) and St Conval's Primary School. My experiences have been both rewarding and challenging, assuring me that I made the correct decision to enter the profession. ¹Moore, S. (2017, May). Questionnaire response. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170509TraineeTeacherslateSubs.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170509TraineeTeacherslateSubs.pdf</a>

However, some student teachers highlighted experiences of being used to provide cover for lessons as opposed to focusing on development, and a lack of opportunity to provide feedback. A further issue with work placements was the lack of support and time for development some students received during the placement. This was often due to pressures on the time of teachers appointed as mentors. One student teacher said: "I was a spare set of hands rather than a student and was often ignored"²Secondary school teacher, Anonymous 51. (2017, May). Questionnaire response. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170509Secondary_school_teacher_questionnaires.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170509Secondary_school_teacher_questionnaires.pdf</a>.

A number of teachers provided their perspective, including highlighting a willingness to mentor but also noting the other pressures on their time. An extract of the focus group note states:

A primary school teacher suggested supporting trainees was enjoyable but also felt like a burden given her existing workload and there was no additional time allowed for this (it is not in the working time agreement). ³Scottish Parliament. (2017, May 17). Focus group note. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx</a>

The need to allow time for mentoring features in some working time agreements. These agreements are negotiated at a local level by each Local Negotiating Committee for Teachers. Where time for mentoring features in a local agreement, a period of non-contact time for mentoring is not necessarily set aside. A specific period of time can be allocated at school level.

The Committee explored the potential to provide incentives for mentors. The impact of the introduction of the opt-out system will doubtless increase the number of placements available for students. This will hopefully ease the pressure on schools that currently accept numerous students each year. It will also hopefully limit the number of students that have to travel long distances to placements. The Committee notes the assurances received from education authority evidence and the GTCS that schools will only be able to opt-out in exceptional circumstances.

The Committee notes that the reason some schools do not currently opt-in is because of a limited ability to support students due to teacher workload and other pressures. Moving to an opt-out system, while beneficial, will place pressure on these schools. The Committee also notes the evidence from teachers who suggested that there is no time allocated for them to mentor student teachers, or that student teachers are often used as cover for gaps in the timetable. Taken together, evidence from teachers and student teachers suggests that pressures on a school, and individual teachers, is impacting negatively on the training experience of some student teachers.

Moray House suggested that the best means of addressing issues of co-ordination between education authorities and institutions was to have a service level agreement for the provision of all work placements⁴Education and Skills Committee. (2017, May 17). Dr Rowena Arshad, Moray House School of Education, University of Edinburgh, col 30. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10953&amp;mode=pdf" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10953&amp;mode=pdf</a>. The Cabinet Secretary stated that:

Whether we call it a service level agreement or a bit of joint working, it is in everybody’s interests that student teachers are able to fulfil their placements in the education system, that they do so timeously and effectively and that, as a consequence, they make their contribution to the system. The onus is on everybody to make sure that the system works [...]

Education and Skills Committee 31 May 2017, John Swinney, contrib. 76, http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10989&c=2006282

ITE should be provided in such a way that enables those with dependants or other personal and financial responsibilities to study in a flexible format. As mentioned above, the Scottish Government is encouraging new routes into teaching. The Scottish Council of Deans of Education detailed some of the courses that are currently available and others that are in the process of becoming established¹SCDE. (2017, May). Written submission. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx</a>. This is important for equity of access and also in recognition of the potential numbers of eligible mature students who have such commitments and would perform a valuable role in addressing teacher shortages. The Committee heard evidence of a number of people considering teaching as a second career who did not consider it as a first career.

Table 2: PGDE students by age (2013-14 – 2015-16)

source: SFC personal communication to SPICe

Increasing the number of routes into teaching for mature teachers reflects a change in the traditional profile of the ‘new teacher’. As shown above the majority of student teachers are now over 25. The table also reflects that young graduates represent a decreasing component of the workforce.

A number of witnesses and submissions highlighted that the most effective way to recruit more teachers in areas with widespread shortages is to target those living locally who would consider a career in teaching¹Education and Skills Committee,. (2017, May 17). Laurence Findlay, col 2. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10953&amp;mode=pdf" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10953&amp;mode=pdf</a>. There is a greater time delay awaiting a student teacher's qualification compared to attracting qualified teachers. However, it was suggested in evidence that this approach may result in more new teachers remaining in areas to address shortages than when seeking to relocate qualified teachers. As noted in the background section above, there are schemes run in Glasgow, Aberdeen, the Western Isles and Dundee which enable local authority employees, amongst others, to train as teachers.

The likelihood of mature students having families and other commitments in a particular area, compared to graduates, makes them more likely to be restricted to applying locally. However, graduate preference of location is a clear factor in the mobility of graduate students teachers, as is cost of living in certain areas.

The Scottish Government and COSLA submission to the UK Migration Advisory Committee includes examples of approaches which particular local authorities are taking to attract teachers. This includes the use of financial incentives:

The SNCT Handbook on teachers’ pay enables local authorities to increase the salary of a particular post where they are finding it hard to fill as well as offering relocation and other financial incentives. Local authorities report that they have had some success with offering this flexibility. Many rural local authorities are offering the Probationer Waiver Payments, £8k is offered to secondary teachers (£5K on appointment and £3K after 3 years satisfactory service) and £6k offered to primary teachers (£4k on appointment and £2k after 3 years satisfactory service). This can be applied to posts which have been identified as hard to fill following 2 unsuccessful recruitment exercises. However, this has had limited success, as Highland and Eilean Siar have stated. ²Scottish Government and COSLA. (1). Joint response to the MAC Call for Evidence on the Partial review of the Shortage Occupation List: Teachers. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0051/00516454.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0051/00516454.pdf</a> [accessed 7 October 2016]

The Committee questioned witnesses on the pros and cons of offering financial incentives to qualified teachers to move to areas where there are particular shortages, for example areas such as the North East. Laurence Findlay from Moray Council highlighted the concern that education authorities in the same area could become embroiled in bidding wars seeking to pay the maximum incentive to attract candidates. He suggested that the Government could intervene to set national maximums for financial incentives. The Cabinet Secretary suggested that Laurence Findlay's evidence was a little contradictory, seeking local flexibility in some regards whilst also seeking a national approach³Education and Skills Committee. (2017, May 31). John Swinney, col 25. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10989&amp;mode=pdf" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10989&amp;mode=pdf</a>. The Committee notes that, on the balance between local and national, the submission from Aberdeenshire Council states that: “The current system does not provide sufficient flexibility to develop local solutions.”⁴Aberdeenshire Council. (2017, May). Written submission. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx</a>

Teachers seeking to relocate to Scotland can require provisional registration on application to the GTCS and can be required to complete a probation year in Scottish education. Requirements imposed by the GTCS vary based on the experience of each teacher. To give a sense of the numbers of people seeking to relocate and teach in Scotland, the GTCS provided application figures for January to May 2017. Over this period there were 552 applications for provisional registration of which 320 were applying from outside Scotland.191 of the 320 were seeking to move from elsewhere in the UK¹GTCS. (2017, May). Supplementary submission. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx</a>. Questionnaire responses suggested that some teachers seeking to relocate are unable or unwilling to do so because of the requirement for them to complete a probation year. Eve Stockley stated:

[...] myself and a number of other teachers I know have moved from England to Scotland as fully qualified teachers to have to start again from scratch due to the GTCS wanting completion of a probation period.

I have been teaching for over 12 years, was at the top of the pay scale in England with teaching and learning responsibilities and then have gone back to being a probationary teacher for the past two years, I have been told this was because most of my teaching experience was in a special school (even though we work to same standards as other schools).

Other teachers I know have been teaching mainstream and still have to do this probationary period. Some of my teaching friends have given up completely trying to get full registration and found other work. I think this could be one factor that is not helping the recruitment of teachers in Scotland as some teachers have said to me they feel insulted to have to go back to being a probationer after being fully qualified for so long.

Stockley, E. (2017, May). Questionnaire response. Retrieved from http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170505TraineeTeachersSubs.pdf

Another submission suggested offering bursaries would be a motivating move ³Docherty, R. (2017, May). Questionnaire response. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170509TraineeTeacherslateSubs.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170509TraineeTeacherslateSubs.pdf</a>. The GTCS highlighted in evidence that education authorities are able to pay higher salaries should they choose to do so, including to incentivise relocating teachers¹GTCS. (2017, May). Supplementary submission. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx</a>.

The UK Migration Advisory Committee advises the UK government of occupations which are considered to have shortages. The Scottish Government feeds into these deliberations highlighting specific challenges in Scotland. The 2016 joint submission from COSLA and the Scottish Government requested that the UK Government maintain:

...maths, physics and chemistry teachers and including computer science, and design technology teachers on the Shortage Occupation List.” It also highlights "growing challenges in Business Education, English, and Home Economics. ¹Scottish Government and COSLA. (1). Joint response to the MAC Call for Evidence on the Partial review of the Shortage Occupation List: Teachers. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0051/00516454.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0051/00516454.pdf</a> [accessed 7 October 2016]

A number of questionnaire submissions detailed restrictions that prevented people being able to teach in Scotland:

As a Canadian, I was not entitled to a probation year, which was very discouraging. I would have been willing to "tick the box" and go anywhere, had I been entitled to a probation year. In fact, I was very excited at the prospect of working in a small community in the Highlands and Islands, or Aberdeenshire. I was encouraged, however, to learn that Scotland was introducing a new 1 + 2 approach to language learning, as I am trilingual (German, French, English).

My program came to an end, and I realized that it would be impossible to stay and teach in Scotland for the following reasons:

1) I was not eligible for a Tier 5 Youth Mobility Visa, as I am over 31 years old.

2) Primary teachers are not considered a "national shortage occupation", and school councils don't sponsor visas, and therefore, I was not eligible to apply for a Tier 2 working visa.

Student teacher, Anonymous 12. (2017, May). Questionnaire response. Retrieved from http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170505TraineeTeachersSubs.pdf

The SPICe analysis of around half of the questionnaires from classroom teachers provides some information on the various pressures that can contribute to teachers considering when to leave the profession:

Of the 86 primary school responses 40 said they would stay until retirement be it full time or part time, although 6 said this was workload levels dependant and 4 said they wished to move to other areas of education such as further education. 34 said they were currently looking at other careers or would leave early due to the demands of the role. 6 suggested they would leave were it not for financial or other personal circumstances. 4 were unsure at present.

Of the 138 secondary school responses 81 said they would stay until retirement be it full time or part time, although 23 said this was workload levels dependant and 8 said they wished to move to other areas of education such as further education. 44 said they were currently looking at other careers or would leave early due to the demands of the role. 5 suggested they would leave were it not for financial or other personal circumstances.

SPICe. (2017, May). Teacher workforce planning questionnaires. Retrieved from http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170505ES.workforce_planning_SPICe_paper.pdf

A number of teachers suggested retention should be the top priority to address workforce planning issues. The issues that impact on retention were relatively consistent, with pay and workload/bureaucracy mentioned in almost all of the responses. A selection of quotes from responses on each theme were detailed in the SPICe analysis:

• pay, conditions and pension

“not actually had an increase – in my hand salary in the last 5 years has gone down by £20 a month.”

• workload

Combined with pay, a common comment was that pay is reducing in real terms at a time when the hours and demands of the role are increasing.

“People feel that they have to work 60 hour weeks trying to do it all or they’re not a good teacher.”

The range of the role was also commented on:

“duties have been extended in many cases. Often now they are required to monitor the insulin levels of diabetic children, as well as supervise playgrounds, help with wall displays and help gather resources.”

• changes to the curriculum / increased bureaucracy

“To make it a more attractive career path there needs to be some stability. The rate of change has been exhausting.”

“A curriculum that is so full that we struggle to fit in everything that we are expected to teach.”

“Teaching requires many things including vast quantities of energy. That energy is sapped not by teaching the pupils and the extra curricular and the supported study but by the paperwork. GIRFEC has added more layers to this”

• pupil behaviour

A number of responses criticised what they perceived to be a lack of impact of ‘restorative justice’. Others suggested, in the more extreme cases where pupils were violent, that there should be a zero tolerance approach as in other professions:

“Violence is not tolerated by any other public or private service…I know of several teachers including myself who have been bitten, kicked, verbally abused, physically threatened and abused and nothing is done in 90% of the cases.”

• accountability and responsibility

“One major thing that staff complain about is the GTC professional development portal. We have to spend hours proving that we are doing our hours of professional learning, which is extra hours of workload that does not benefit the children in any way”

“All of this number crunching and box ticking leaves teachers feeling exhausted, demoralised and as if their professional judgement counts for nothing. It is little wonder that recruitment and retention of teachers is a big problem”.

¹SPICe. (2017, May). Teacher workforce planning questionnaires. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170505ES.workforce_planning_SPICe_paper.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170505ES.workforce_planning_SPICe_paper.pdf</a>

It should be highlighted at this stage that ADES has suggested that it does not have evidence of a problem with teacher retention (see paragraph 166). In addition, of the 252 classroom teacher questionnaire responses analysed, the vast majority detailed the satisfaction helping children and young people gave them. This must be a motivating factor to remain in the profession. Other themes were colleagues and the variety of the work. Anyone reading this report considering becoming a teacher should read these answers for a clear sense of the job satisfaction that being a teacher can generate. Examples include:

I cannot imagine ever wanting to leave the profession. I am proud to be part of the teaching profession.”

Headteacher, Anonymous 15. (2017, May). Questionnaire response. Retrieved from http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170505HeadteachersandDeputy.pdf

I work with some amazing people. This includes support staff, management and colleagues. I really care about the impact teachers can have on children and want to help shape the future of our country.

Primary school teacher, Anonymous 14. (n.d.) Questionnaire response. Retrieved from http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170424TeacherWorkForcePrimarySchoolTeachers.pdf

The comments above on workload and bureaucracy reflect other evidence the Committee has heard in this and previous inquiries. The esteem that teachers are held in by different people in society and organisations was also raised by a large number of teachers and student teachers in their questionnaires. In no particular order, the groups referred to include: parents; pupils; the media; the public; education authorities; the GTCS; the SQA; and Education Scotland¹SPICe. (2017, May). Teacher workforce planning questionnaires. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170505ES.workforce_planning_SPICe_paper.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170505ES.workforce_planning_SPICe_paper.pdf</a>.

The Committee is not going to seek to cover here what may be deep-seated societal issues informing the esteem that teachers are held in by the public. This is not to understate the extent of the issues or the need for them to be addressed, including in relation to the impact on the graduate labour market detailed above. The Committee notes the work underway by the Government including: 'Teaching Makes People'; and steps such as the SFC document issued to teacher training institutions on the importance of promoting teaching. As Dr Rowena Arshad (Moray House) put it, there is a need to "talk up" the profession ²Education and Skills Committee. (2017, May 17). Dr Rowena Arshad, col 38..

In relation to the SQA and Education Scotland, the Committee notes that work has been undertaken, at the behest of the Cabinet Secretary, to seek to reduce teacher workload. This includes the simplification and streamlining exercise to reduce the amount of guidance on the Education Scotland website. However, the evidence to this inquiry also reflects the issues raised by teachers during the Committee's inquiry on the performance and role of Education Scotland and the SQAⁱSecondary school teacher questionnaires (examples include comments from Andy Cruikshank, Graeme Campbell, Paul Cochrane, Amanda Elvines and Dr Shaun Harley on the SQA. Neilan Maclachlan, Claire Paterson, Chris Rossi, Kirsty Scott and Anonymous 44 on Education Scotland)³Scottish Parliament. (2017, May 17). Focus group note. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx</a>.

The SQA and Education Scotland provided full responses to the Committee's Report on the Performance and Role of Key Education and Skills Public Bodies. These responses detailed work underway in response to certain recommendations. The Committee took further evidence from Education Scotland on the substance of its response. The Committee was told that feedback raised by teachers on the performance of Education Scotland did not feature in Education Scotland’s report Quality and Improvement in Scottish Education 2012-2016 that summarised themes from its inspections⁴Education and Skills Committee. (2017, April 26). Dr Bill Maxwell, col 21 and 22. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10915&amp;mode=pdf" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10915&amp;mode=pdf</a>. The Committee considers that this is indicative of the extent to which Education Scotland will prioritise, and engage with, concerns from teachers.

Reducing paperwork and enabling teachers to spend more time in the classroom is of course of benefit, including in retaining classroom teachers. In addition, teachers understandably want to be treated as professionals and the communications from Education Scotland and the SQA need to reflect this status. William Macleod, a student teacher, stated in evidence:

I know that there are issues with the SQA and Education Scotland, which may not treat them like professionals [...]

The documents that are produced are not ones that you would send to fellow professionals. That is quite a common theme. In the placement schools that I have been in, the documents that I have seen from those organisations do not reflect professional communications between equal partners.

Education and Skills Committee 10 May 2017, Willie MacLeod, contrib. 18, http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10939&c=1998595

Through sustained scrutiny of Education Scotland and the SQA, the Committee is determined that progress will be made in these areas.

There are two key elements to job satisfaction, the first is having a fulfilling role and the second is receiving sufficient pay. NASUWT’s submission states:

Teachers’ pay in Scotland is not commensurate to those of other graduate professions and this has been exacerbated by average pay increases, such as in 2014, where the average increase for graduates in other professions was 3.3% whilst in teaching it was 1%. There has been a 15.1% real terms drop in salary for teachers in Scotland since 2010.

NASUWT. (2017, May). Written submission. Retrieved from http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx

A number of teacher questionnaires mentioned that take home pay has reduced over the last 5 years and that this is combined with an increase in living costs. In other questionnaires, the level of pay was set alongside a perception that job satisfaction is deteriorating due to a number of issues. The combined impact of this was clearly impacting on motivation to remain in the profession for someⁱFor examples see references to pay in the second tranche of teacher questonnaire responses .

A frequent theme raised in questionnaire responses, and also raised in evidence in person, was the removal of the Chartered Teacher SchemeⁱⁱFor example Amy Ralston and Anonymous 7, 14, 32, 34, 73, 75, 81 from the primary school teacher questionnaire responses. The Scheme, which provided additional payment to classroom teachers, was abolished in 2012. This has removed the ability of schools to give financial rewards to, and therefore increase the chances of retaining, staff who are valued classroom teachers of considerable experience. When asked about the basis for its removal Jim Thewliss (SLS) stated that:

It fell by the wayside because ultimately it did not fulfil the function that it was intended to fulfil in the first place, which was to recognise, reward and promote the use of good practice in the school. It eventually became an exercise that teachers went through to get themselves more pay.

Education and Skills Committee 24 May 2017, Jim Thewliss, contrib. 156, http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10968&c=2002931

The Committee notes there were underlying concerns with how the Scheme functioned. However the number of teachers citing the value of the chartered teacher scheme suggests the introduction of some means of financially rewarding experienced teachers in the classroom could improve retention.

The Cabinet Secretary stated, in relation to pay:

Salaries are decided using the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers, in which the Government is one of the three participants. Pay rates and pay scales are designed to make the profession attractive and to provide the necessary incentives to encourage individuals into and through the profession. We have to be ever mindful to ensure that the profession remains attractive to people. I am conscious that over the past nine years significant pay constraint has been applied to public sector workers, including teachers. We must be mindful of that in taking forward our discussions in the SNCT.

Fundamentally, we have to provide a sufficiently attractive set of pay scales. We must also address some of the issues that Gillian Martin raised with me about the powerful message that is needed to attract individuals into the profession, given the opportunities that it offers.

Education and Skills Committee 31 May 2017, John Swinney, contrib. 41, http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10989&c=2006247

13 of 74 headteacher and senior management questionnaire responses analysed by SPICe suggested that changes to career structures would improve recruitment and retention. Around half of these were comments that better career progression was needed including reference, for example, to the removal of promoted posts. ¹SPICe. (2017, May). Teacher workforce planning questionnaires. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170505ES.workforce_planning_SPICe_paper.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170505ES.workforce_planning_SPICe_paper.pdf</a>

During the focus group of teachers the main retention issue was the lack of opportunity for progression, linked to the relatively flat career structure introduced following the McCrone report. Some teachers stated that they wanted to remain as classroom teachers but that that limited their career progression.²Scottish Parliament. (2017, May 17). Focus group note. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx</a>

The impact of the removal of roles between classroom teacher and current senior management was also mentioned in classroom teacher questionnaire responses. One teacher stated:

I think the removal of Subject Specialist Principal Teachers as well as Assistant Principal Teacher has greatly reduced the opportunities for young staff to move up the promotional ladder. It is not a ladder now rather a huge leap to Faculty Head or Depute with little preparation of opportunity to gain experience.

Clowes, A. (2017, May). Questionnaire response. Retrieved from http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170509Secondary_school_teacher_questionnaires.pdf

In addition numerous teachers suggested the experiences of senior management, including the impact of their job on their work life balance, deterred teachers from applying for promotion: “I am discouraged by the incredible workload and stress I have seen from many head teachers.”⁴Cassidy, R. (2017, May). Questionnaire response. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170509Secondary_school_teacher_questionnaires.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170509Secondary_school_teacher_questionnaires.pdf</a>

One suggestion for improvement was to place:

Less demands on head teachers and give them more autonomy to run their schools – they should know what is best if you have the right person in the job.

Wardrope, L. (2017, May). Questionnaire response. Retrieved from http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170424TeacherWorkForcePrimarySchoolTeachers.pdf

The STEMEC report states:

The OECD review of Scottish Education is positive about Curriculum for Excellence but recommends the development of a “coherent strategy for building teacher and leadership social capital.

STEMEC. (2016, September). STEMEC report. Retrieved from http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Education/Schools/curriculum/STEM/STEMEC/Report/FinalSTEMECReport

On leadership, the Cabinet Secretary stated:

I am concerned about that. I think that we have lost an element of leadership of learning. Not in every circumstance but generally, schools have moved towards broader faculty structures. In a subject such as history, for example, leadership of learning would previously have been undertaken by a principal teacher of history, but that is now likely to be undertaken by a principal teacher of a much broader set of disciplines. The fact that there is not that immediate leadership makes the ability to enhance the quality and depth of learning and teaching in schools more remote. That plays into the type of scenario that Mr Beattie has put to me about the opportunities for individuals to progress. There are significant issues about professional development in the governance review, which will address the points that Mr Beattie has raised with me.

Education and Skills Committee 31 May 2017, John Swinney, contrib. 43, http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10989&c=2006249

Supply teachers play a valuable role in schools, not only covering for teachers who are unwell or absent for other reasons, but also to ensure that teachers can free up time for continuous professional development. A survey by the Scottish Negotiating Council for Teachers in November 2015 found that:

the majority of Scottish Councils are reporting a declining situation in providing sufficient supply cover.

SNCT. (2016, January). Supply Teachers Review Group - progress on recommendations. Retrieved from http://www.snct.org.uk/library/2162/Supply%20Teachers%20Review%20Group%20Recommendations.pdf

John Stodter, ADES, stated:

The ADES view has always been that we need at least 10 per cent more than the planned workforce in order to have enough teachers to cover the day in February when everybody gets flu. Of course, that is a tricky act to pull off, because we then have teachers on the supply list who would much rather be doing more work—more regular or guaranteed work, or full-time work. Hence, a number of authorities have permanent supply pools that they refresh every two years.

I think that the lack of supply teachers is a symptom of the fact that there are fewer people available for work as teachers.

Education and Skills Committee 24 May 2017, John Stodter, contrib. 116, http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10968&c=2002891

The pay deal in 2011 was cited in questionnaire responses as one reason for the shortage of supply teachers. Under the terms of this deal supply teachers were paid on the bottom of the pay scale for the first five days (later reduced to two). One deputy head in a primary school reflected that:

Changing the rate of pay for supply teachers and devaluing the contribution that they make to education caused many people to seek alternative employment.

Depute head teacher, Anonymous 9. (2017, May). Questionnaire response. Retrieved from http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170505HeadteachersandDeputy.pdf

In relation to the timing of providing cover for absent teachers, Karen Vaughan, a supply teacher, stated that:

... people use the grapevine—somebody says, “Right, Karen is sitting at home doing nothing, so I texted her last night and she can come in and cover a double period of higher computing, so the kids will not miss out.” The general response is, “We’ve got to wait until somebody is off for three weeks before we can buy in cover.”

Education and Skills Committee 10 May 2017, Karen Vaughan, contrib. 325, http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10939&c=1998902

The Cabinet Secretary commented on both of the issues outlined above:

There are two issues, one of which is the availability of supply cover. If we have a general shortage of members of the teaching profession, there may well be challenges regarding the availability of supply cover in parts of the country. That is another factor that goes into the workforce planning model, to ensure that we have adequate levels of supply cover in the system, with flexibility in the size of the workforce to meet the need for short-term cover for staff. Genuine issues will have to be confronted on that.

The second issue is the choices that local authorities make about how quickly they put in place supply cover. I encourage local authorities to be supportive of schools by delivering that cover as quickly and promptly as they can, in order to ensure that young people can be supported in their education.

Education and Skills Committee 31 May 2017, John Swinney, contrib. 39, http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10989&c=2006245

Around a third of classroom teachers submitting questionnaire responses said they were currently looking at other careers or plan to leave teaching early due to the demands of the role. For example a secondary school deputy head teacher said:

“Last year alone I witnessed the resignation of three promoted colleagues, all extremely respected and experienced,[…] all were so completely sickened by the local authority cuts and management restructuring programme that they decided they had had enough and left the profession, giving up rather than wait a few years for their retirement. At present many of my colleagues are looking into lucrative teaching opportunities in the Middle East […] Many staff with financially secure partners are leaving and I know of a few who have opted to work in supermarkets instead.” (sub 44, secondary school Deputy Headteacher)

Secondary school headteacher, Anonymous 44. (2017, May). Questionnaire response. Retrieved from http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170505HeadteachersandDeputy.pdf

There is cause for concern where teachers leave the profession early due to pressures of the role, not only on the continuity of teaching in schools and depth of experience, but also on the potential for this to increase teacher shortages if there are insufficient numbers of other teacher to fill vacancies. As detailed earlier in the report, the factors influencing retention need to be taken into account in assessing, for workforce planning purposes, the level of withdrawal from the sector by current teachers and therefore the number of new teachers required.

The evidence from Jane Peckham from the NASUWT suggested that 62% of teachers in their membership survey (membership is about 15% of the profession) were “considering leaving the profession altogether”²Education and Skills Committee,. (2017, May 17). Jane Peckham, col.. Whilst the Committee does not doubt the strength of feeling behind these comments, for workforce planning purposes, it can reasonably be assumed that the number of people planning to leave will not all actually leave for various reasons.

Statistics from the SFC show high retention rates for a cohort of students monitored up to 3 1/2 years after graduation³Scottish Funding Council. (2017, May). Supplementary written submission. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx</a>, and ADES stated:

ADES does not have such evidence. I looked at a couple of authorities in preparation for this meeting and there does not appear to be a problem with retention rates.

If you look at authorities that have a lower retention rate and at the reasons why people leave, you can see that they often leave to get a job nearer where they live. The main reasons for people leaving are retiral or to get a job elsewhere. All authorities have a system for exit interviews and so on.[...]

ADES does not have evidence that there is a problem.

Education and Skills Committee 24 May 2017, John Stodter, contrib. 136, http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10968&c=2002911

The Committee considers it is important to undertake further work to get a sense of likely retention levels for the coming years. The Committee is concerned that, when asked for specific information on existing and anticipated retention levels, COSLA was not in a position to provide any collective information from education authorities. If education authorities are undertaking effective succession planning, and exit interviews to determine the reasons why the teachers who leave are departing, then the anticipated retention levels will be more accurate. The Committee notes that teachers need only offer notice two months in advance of leaving but, with effective lines of communication, education authorities can get a sense of individuals' longer term intentions.

A SPICe paper to inform the inquiry states that: "There is a long running and well known issue with recruiting head teachers." The paper also details the themes of issues from the headteacher questionnaire responses. These themes were relatively consistent:

• pay, conditions and pension

• workload and bureaucracy

• promotional prospects

• health and wellbeing

• accountability and responsibility

• pupil behaviour

• support from others

• morale¹SPICe. (2017, May). Teacher workforce planning questionnaires. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170505ES.workforce_planning_SPICe_paper.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170505ES.workforce_planning_SPICe_paper.pdf</a>

Isabel Marshall, a primary school headteacher from Midlothian, stated in evidence:

I have tendered my resignation after 33 years in teaching and 12 as HT as I feel emotionally and physically exhausted. I will leave school in June 2017. I regret having to make this decision however I no longer feel I have the resources to do the job to the level I feel it requires. [...] I love my job and will miss it terribly but I need to take a break!

Marshall, I. (2017, May). Questionnaire response. Retrieved from http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20170505HeadteachersandDeputy.pdf

From 2019, newly appointed headteachers will be required to hold the Standard for Headship. It has been noted that this may act as a further disincentive to new applicants. For example, the report on the consultation on the draft regulations (April 2017) found that:

Overall the draft regulations were welcomed but a note of caution was urged that we guard against introducing an extra barrier that will result in the unintended consequence of decreasing applicants for head teacher posts

Scottish Government. (2017, May). Consultation on Draft Head Teacher Education and Training Standards (Scotland) Regulations: Summary report. Retrieved from http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/04/8549/1

The Committee sought to explore with headteachers what would make their role more enjoyable and less pressured, thereby reducing the numbers considering leaving the profession. A headteacher at the focus group asked a question intended for education authorities and agencies:

When headteachers are given more requirements on their time, can you make clear what you want them to prioritise and what work can fall by the wayside to make way for new requirements?⁴Scottish Parliament. (2017, May 17). Focus group note. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx</a>

This and similar views expressed in questionnaire responses points to a need for headteachers to have the confidence to prioritise certain tasks over others without fear of criticism from their seniors. Indeed the headteacher from the focus group suggested further autonomy would be welcome, questioning why schools were still the responsibility of education authorities. The education reforms proposed by the Government include, as a central premise, the transferral of certain responsibilities from education authorities to headteachers. The Committee intends to scrutinise these proposals in a separate piece of work.

The Committee has not explored in any detail in this inquiry the extent to which further autonomy for headteachers would change some current experiences. The Committee considers that the introduction of the Government's education reforms can only be eased by ensuring the workload of headteachers is as manageable as possible. The Committee is not suggesting reforms will ultimately have the effect of increasing overall workload for headteachers, indeed some evidence suggested allowing headteachers to take charge of staffing and recruitment may reduce workload. However it is undoubted that there will be a period of transition, which comes at the end of a period of change, including to the curriculum. The Committee welcomes the principle set out in the Next Steps document that:

Where devolution of responsibility would not improve learning and teaching, then it will not happen. We will not turn headteachers into chief-administrators of their schools;⁵Scottish Government. (15, June 2017). Education Governance: Next Steps - Empowering Our Teachers, Parents and Communities to Deliver Excellence and Equity for Our Children. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/06/2941" target="_blank">http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/06/2941</a>

The COSLA submission reflected work undertaken at local and national government level in relation to this issue stating:

The committee may also be aware that ADES undertook a survey of schools and Headteachers and reported in early 2017 on the problems associated with the recruitment of headteachers. A working group to examine the report and agree a plan of action for Scottish Ministers has been underway since the report was published. The group, chaired jointly by Scottish Government and COSLA, is looking at the matters raised in the report, including career pathways and preparation for headship, support for headteachers, terms, conditions and incentives and promotion of the role of headteachers. SPDS has also offered further help to support headteacher recruitment.⁶COSLA. (2017, May). Written submission. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx</a>

The Committee sought to establish the extent to which limits in staffing in some schools were impacting in terms of the workload of remaining staff and the experiences of pupils. A variety of measures in place to manage classes in light of staffing pressures were set out in questionnaire responses including:

• composite classes

• shared headships

• head teacher and deputy heads covering for staff absences rather than supply teachers

• pressure on support for pupils with additional support needs

• teachers being required to undertake more administrative tasks or standing in for senior management

• senior pupils being set work and left unattended in lessons

• multiple classes being held in assembly or sports halls and set work

• reduction in subject choice

• pupils being taught by non-specialist teachers

• removal of opportunities for outdoor learning or visits

• use of student teachers to cover additional classes

The Committee's questionnaires were qualitative and the responses received do not represent a random sample of the teaching population. This list demonstrates the variation of measures being adopted in schools, however, the extent to which these measures are being used across Scotland is unclear.

The Committee also has results of its earlier survey of secondary schools to refer to where 87 of 367 headteachers responded. 72% suggested difficulty in recruiting teachers impacted on subject choices offered at S4. In addition a survey by the SSTA, which received responses from 166 secondary schools, found around a third of classes were "often" or "occasionally" gathering classes together in a hall or sports hall due to a lack of teachers. It also found over a quarter of schools regularly required subject teachers to teach their class at the same time as setting work for another class and more than one in ten often left senior classes unsupervised¹TES. (2017, June 2). Issue 2524, p.14 and 15..

It is unclear as to the extent that the measures detailed above are as a result of vacancies of existing roles in schools or whether schools have permanently reduced the number of teachers employed by the school as a result of re-organisation or budget pressures. A further complicating factor is the extent to which roles have been permanently removed as a result of an inability to fill a particular post.

The Government's proposed education reforms would remove some responsibilities from education authorities, but wide responsibilities would remain:

"Local authorities' role and importance is crucial and they will be democratically accountable for the services they provide to schools and centres...There will be a new duty on local authorities to collaborate more to support improvement on a regional basis. They will also be responsible for improvement through their provision of education support services, their regional collaboration, and in securing leadership in their schools."²Scottish Government. (15, June 2017). Education Governance: Next Steps - Empowering Our Teachers, Parents and Communities to Deliver Excellence and Equity for Our Children. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/06/2941" target="_blank">http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/06/2941</a>

Given the level of responsibility that remains with education authorities, the Committee fully expects education authorities to continue to perform what the Committee would term a 'duty of care' role. The Committee explored the extent to which education authorities have oversight of the pressures in schools. The Committee appreciates that the main line of communication between education authorities and schools should be through the headteacher. Education authorities should also have lines of communication direct to classroom teachers.

Any information collated by education authorities can be used locally to inform the authority in a 'duty of care' role and potentially to inform the work of the proposed collaboratives. In addition some of it can be used to contribute to data for the workforce planning process. Information that should give education authorities this oversight falls into the following categories:

a) existing vacancies in all schools and the likelihood they will be filled in the short, medium or longer term;

b) the reduction in teaching posts and other support staff in schools and the reasons for these reductions;

c) the extent that subjects or services that were previously offered are not being offered as a direct result of teacher shortages (including an inability to find supply teachers);

d) the use of planned new measures such as joint headships and composite classes; and

e) the incidence of ad-hoc cover including the number of lessons that are either cancelled or provided by another member of staff from senior management or a teacher where the subject is not their specialism.

The classroom teachers giving evidence were asked who they contacted to raise any concerns. Their union was the most common answer along with senior management. When asked about education authorities and their duty of care to those it employs none of the teachers said anything that suggested education authorities were an obvious option. A supplementary submission from Emma Newton was received stating that:

...we, as teachers, are aware of this, [the ability to raise concerns with education authorities] however the budgets, educational priorities and policies are all set by the Scottish Government, therefore, I feel, they also have a duty of care to us.

Newton, E. (n.d.) Supplementary submission. Retrieved from http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/2010515EmmaNewtonsub.pdf

COSLA's submission reflects the work ongoing by it and various individual education authorities to alleviate pressures in schools, it also reflects the financial pressures education authorities have faced:

Scotland has always valued its education system and councils have taken their responsibilities in this regard very seriously. The education workforce play a vital part in the preparation of the workforce of tomorrow and the continued viability of Scotland’s communities. However, pressure on this workforce, amplified by media and demands of the introduction of new systems and strategies on education attainment will not necessarily encourage new entrants to the profession, neither will the financial pressures being placed on local government that place a greater burden on the workforce locally.⁴COSLA. (2017, May). Written submission. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/104266.aspx</a>