Case Study: Filton Avenue Junior School
Filton Avenue Junior School (FAJS) is an inner-city state funded community school in Horfield, Bristol dating back to the 1930s. It employs 14 teachers and 26 learning and support staff and has about 260 children, aged 7-11. Most of its pupils come from the surrounding area of Lockleaze, but many also come from further afield, and the school is proud of becoming more multicultural over the last decade or so, resulting in approximately 30% black and minority ethnic (BME) intake
Interview
The case study below is based on an interview with the Head teacher, Rachael Thomas. The views expressed are those of the interviewee, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department.
Socio-economic make-up of school
The school's most recent OFSTED Inspection (2006), and the school’s own data collection, highlight a number of socio-economic factors, such as 33% of children entitled to free school meals (an indicator used in determining parental wealth). Many of the new pupils are below national average entry standards. However, by the time they proceed to secondary school, they are by and large in line with the national average, representing excellent teaching and learning standards. The school also compares favourably with other state-run, inner-city schools in Bristol.
Routes into teaching
There are three main routes into teaching. A person can either qualify with a degree in education (BEd) or can transfer from another discipline and take a one-year postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE). This usually means specialising in either primary or secondary education.
It is also possible to 'earn and learn' where support staff can take teaching assistant qualifications and work at the same time before embarking on a 'Graduate Teacher Programme' (GTP) which leads to a vocational-based teacher status. In Rachel’s view, the main downside to the GTP is that although it produces teachers with classroom experience, it does not offer much grounding in education research, philosophy and policy. So, she generally advises those with non-related degrees to follow the PGCE route. But the real barrier to this route, she says, is the school having the capacity to offer the trainee the required support.
Once graduated, newly qualified teachers (NQTs) are required to undertake a supported induction year of teaching at school (not including schools deemed 'special measures' since they do not have the necessary capacity to give support).
Not all schools accept students and NQTs because of their lack of experience (especially in an environment where schools are under pressure to perform well) and this is a potential barrier to the number of graduates that can be accepted onto any training route. FAJS does accept students and graduates. Rachael says that schools should have a moral duty to help develop the future generation of teachers.
Other benefits from having students and NQTs are that the school gets an additional member of staff to support pupils, and this comes with some financial assistance (about £6 per day).
Recruitment process
The recruitment process for qualified teachers (QTs) begins with a vacancy. The person specification is developed from the original position being filled and the future development plans of the school. This could be, for example, to increase literacy attainment levels, which would necessarily require an experienced teacher who is able to produce a literacy strategy in line with targets.
Although all teachers are expected to teach to a high standard, less experienced teachers, such as NQTs, need more support. Therefore, more of a skills and knowledge or experience/inexperience balance is required. Rachael says if less experienced teachers are required (and this could be as much a financial issue as a specific skills issue) then the person specification generally asks for applications from those with specialisms (eg a language), so that the school becomes more diverse in what it is able to teach.
Rachael says most skilled QTs take up positions early in the academic year, whereas advertisements later in the year are likely to attract only NQTs. This may well be an indicator of the difficulty NQTs face in finding suitable employment.
According to the General Teaching Council of England, more teachers leave the profession during their first two years after graduation than at any other time, and that this is a result of school support.
Rachael, however, thinks that one of the reasons is that the salary level (pay scale M1 = approx £20,000 p.a.) is considerably less than more experienced teachers (pay level M6 = approx £30,000 p.a.) and is little more than a teaching or learning support assistant’s salary.
Once the person specification is defined (by a panel, consisting of, for example, Headteacher, Deputy Head, and Chair of Governors), the vacancy will be advertised on 'Eteach', the national school staff recruitment website. All prospective applications (and the whole application process) are sifted by the Head teacher, Deputy Head and the Chair of Governors. This tripartite mechanism minimizes personal biases and gives applicants a fairer chance.
Rachael says a shortlist of about six applicants is drawn up, at this stage based purely on competencies. The six applicants are then required to give a monitored micro teaching session to a class. Assessment of the candidates is not solely by the three assessors as Rachael says feedback from the pupils is just as important. Once all perspectives are considered, a candidate is selected.
Promoting diversity and inclusion
Rachael says that other implicit and explicit biases (for example, not enough multicultural images being used) within the school are being challenged in order to make the school a more diverse and inclusive place for pupils and staff. However, male, BME, and disabled teachers are underrepresented at FAJS.
Rachael says that this is a shame since pupils miss the diversity of role models and there is also potential for existing prejudices and stereotypes to be re-enforced. She says that public perceptions of the 'normal' junior school teacher need to change in order for that situation to be rectified. She was quick to point out, however, that external support was available for those from minority groups wanting to become teachers and teachers wanting to move to other schools (for example, financing for schools to adapt for disabilities).
Even though FAJS would prefer to have a greater diversity of both teaching and support staff, they are more multi-ethnic than many comparable schools' teachers. One reason is that FAJS attempts to recruit from the local community. This results, Rachael says, in staff having a greater interest in the school through their personal connections, therefore serving as significant role models for the pupils.
Conclusion
There are three main themes to emerge from the interview with FAJS. Firstly, the main barrier to NQTs seems to be the level of salary and support that some schools are able to provide, especially with tight budgets. This has the potential to affect interest from underrepresented groups going into teaching.
Secondly, to produce a more diverse and inclusive environment, all members of staff need to be more aware of their biases in order to reduce the potential to reinforce existing stereotypes.
Lastly, there is external support for those under represented groups and that support can be used by proactive schools like Filton Avenue Junior School to accommodate specific needs.
