​We are almost at the end of our first month of the academic year, so I thought I would take this opportunity to provide an update on what may have changed in schools. Here is a brief summary of some of the main changes we have seen or heard from schools for this year (following the pandemic!).

The need for more SEN TA’s

With so much learning missed, we have seen a big increase in the number of SEN Teaching Assistant roles we are getting. This may require supporting students on a 1:1 basis, or supporting groups of students who may be struggling.

Budget Cuts / Catch-up Funding

Unfortunately, budget cuts affect schools too! Although it was mentioned earlier in the year, schools are yet to receive or find out how much they may receive once the catch-up funding has been allocated. This means that staff, including Teachers and TA’s are being stretched more than ever with potentially less support being available for students struggling in class. However, all the amazing Teachers and Support Staff are making it work!

No longer NQT’S - Early Career Teachers (ECTs)

From now on, once you have completed your PGCE, you will be classed as an Early Career Teacher. This has been introduced to improve the training and development opportunities available to teachers as it now requires a statutory induction of 2 years of high-quality professional development support based on the Early Careers Framework. If you had already started on the NQT route, it is likely you will not need to complete the 2 year training.

Start and Finish Times / Bubbles

For some schools, a system introduced last year of staggering start and finish times and maintaining bubbles, is continuing into this year. This means your role may not have the same start and finish times on a daily basis, or if this is a new role for you, you will need to adhere to the support bubble put in place in the school.

Curriculum Changes

Following numerous visits with schools, we have seen a number of schools introducing or starting to roll out their new curriculums. These have been changed to adapt to the changing needs of students, and to help create a better-rounded curriculum with a clear structure in place.

Have you noticed any additional changes to the new academic year? Please reach out and let us know, we are always keen to keep up to date on all things Education!