Blog

On Thursday 18 July 2024, SSAT will be publishing the findings from a survey of 236 serving and former headteachers who, between them have almost 2,000 years of headship experience. The survey questions drew from 26 reports into headteacher retention published since 2017.

Sir Keir Starmer’s opening words when addressing his Labour team. The electorate voted out 12 cabinet ministers, including a former prime minister and the education secretary.

This blog explores research articles to identify the existing problems with recruitment and retention of teachers and support staff, and it suggests ways to recruit new teachers and slow down the high numbers of teachers leaving the profession.

My colleague Dan Belcher’s first blog on leadership development in the UK education system discusses the past history and present predicaments faced by our sector. In this post, I will outline, based upon our upcoming ‘Labouring to Love Headship’ report, what a better future might offer in this area.

As a senior education lead at SSAT, it continues to be a great privilege to work with inspiring, and aspiring, school leaders. They share a commitment to improving the life chances of our young people, often working in very challenging contexts.

My grandson Nehemiah turns two in August. He is a super cute, charming, smiley, funny, fearless, energetic toddler who is into everything. He already loves his music and books and he seems to be under the impression that he is a world class gymnast!

Thursday 4th July 2024 is General Election Day, and it is important that all people entitled to vote do so.

With now under a week to go until the General Election, I read with interest the outcome of the National Foundation for Educational Research’s recent Teacher Voice Omnibus Survey where they asked teachers and leaders which education issues were most important to them in the lead up to the election.

As we hit the home straight of this odd general election campaign, I wanted to outline one of the greatest fears I have for the education sector which no manifesto pledges seem to fully address.

Why is it that research carried out by SSAT reveals that only 1.6% of all schools and pre-16 educational provisions receive an inspection 5 Ofsted judgement comment that states “Pupil behaviour and conduct is problematic” when the DfE national behaviour survey stated that 73% teachers said “Pupil misbehaviour had had a negative impact on their health and wellbeing in the past week,” and “76% teachers and pupils reported that misbehaviour had interrupted their work in at least some lessons in the previous week.”