As reported by BBC News. schools in the West face severe challenges, from funding cuts to a lack of teacher applicants, as they strive to support their students
These are just some of the stark realities facing leadership teams at state schools in the West who say they are “doing everything they can” to get by.
George Samios, head teacher at Twerton Infant School in Bath, told the BBC he fixes school furniture in his holidays and has had parents help construct classroom spaces.
Meanwhile Robert Pearsall, head teacher of Wellsway School in Keynsham said he has had just one person apply for a current teaching position.
Janet Moffet from Somerset was among the many people who got in touch with the BBC via Your Voice, Your Vote to tell us that education is the most important issue for them in this election.
She said she was “prioritising education” as a grandparent paying school fees.
“I’m furious as I’m a grandparent who pays for my grandchildren – I am not wealthy but want to give my grandchildren all I can,” she said.
Twerton Infant School is used to challenges.
At 59% – it has more than double the national average of children on free school meals.
It also has nearly double the average of children with specialist needs at 30%.
It was rated good by Ofsted in a 2023 inspection but head teacher Mr Samios said he has “many spinning plates”.
He said: “It is a constant struggle, we are always spinning plates, we have had to halve our school trips because we can’t afford the coach travel and fuel prices are high now so we have to make the most of our site – like with the forest school.”
Mr Samios said he sometimes has to “get creative” to solve problems.
“Ten years ago we would get £26,000 to improve our buildings, this year it’s £6,000 so we need to ask our parents if they can help – over a couple of weekends a dad and a grandparent built a new teaching space for us.
“When it comes to furniture, we can’t afford to replace it so I repair it in my holidays.
“We have also lost around a fifth of our TAs [teaching assistants], excellent TAs that have gone on to different things where they can earn more money.
“So we’re having to be creative and we have a partnership where we have some local sixth formers that come in each week and they listen to our children read,” he said.
Mr Pearsall from Wellsway said the biggest challenge facing his sixth form college is recruitment.
His school was also rated as Good by Ofsted in 2019.
“The biggest challenge is getting teachers to actually apply for jobs,” he said.
“Last week we interviewed for a physics teacher and we only had one applicant.
“Ten years ago you might have got ten maybe 15 teachers applying for that role but now it’s ones and twos, particularly around science and maths – those core subjects,” he said.
Unions say 30% of teachers are leaving the profession within the first five years.
“We are facing a crisis around recruitment and retention, we’re facing a crisis around rising costs, budgets not increasing to the same rates in line with inflationary pressures and we’re facing the challenge around supporting and helping children with SEND,” Mr Pearsall added.
“That is one of the biggest priorities schools need help with.”
Kevin Burnett, Bath and North East Somerset branch secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) said: “At this second in time, education is heart breaking.”
Mr Burnett who was previously a head teacher, said education, health and social care used to work well together but that it has been broken by “years of austerity”.
“We hear now school leaders giving their heart and soul to meet the needs of children in their care, with less to do it with.
“We see people on their knees and sadly the most experienced people are leaving and young people who come in, a third of them go within five years.”
“Education is in a dire state, we’re in a crisis,” he said.
Mr Burnett said any politician must focus on fixing the crisis with SEND education, the retention and recruitment of teachers and school estates not being fit for purpose.
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