Creating a culture that attracts and retains great teachers

Sometimes it doesn't even feel like work! However, spare a thought for colleagues who are not in this position. We all know that even at a low level if there are things in your workplace that affect you every single day, it's only natural that they will impact your outlook, motivation, performance and mental health.

Teaching is a profession that so many people experience a calling for and one that they greatly enjoy – the interaction with pupils, seeing them progress and grow, and helping them to understand how they fit into the world. It is often the peripheral parts of the role that cause the problems that can see good teachers leaving their jobs and schools struggling to replace them.

Culture is the heart of the school 

A school's culture can be transformational. Done right, it can propel educators and students to new levels of accomplishment and achievement; done wrong, it can be utterly destructive, affecting everything from well-being, attendance, staff turnover and student outcomes

A great school culture takes effort and simply cannot be left to chance. And without good staff, a school has little to offer its students or its wider community. Staff are the lifeblood of everything curriculum and pastoral-based in a school, so why would not looking after them properly even be a consideration? Time and money cannot be the only excuses. Some of the most effective tools to create a good school culture do not even have a monetary cost: being listened to, supported by managers, gaining recognition for good work, access to constructive help or feedback, practical assistance to alleviate workload issues, and kind words of encouragement are all free, but sadly, often omitted.

From my perspective, in the UK school trust of which I am Chair, we strive to make our school culture one that welcomes and nurtures staff and gives them a voice. We understand that teachers are learners too and try to support them with professional development, training and opportunities to gain additional mentoring or secondment experience in the other schools in our trust. We aim to listen and work together to improve where we can. Do we always get it right? Perhaps not, but by collaborating and being prepared to learn from each other, everyone feels they have agency and can make an active contribution.