Schools face staff crisis

Almost one in five teaching assistant (TA) posts are unfilled, according to new figures obtained by the GMB general union through Freedom of Information requests to local authorities with responsibility for education in England. The union says the figures show schools are facing a “staggering staff crisis”.

Derbyshire reported the highest vacancy rate with 27% of posts unfilled, although this figure may be artificially high as schools are not obliged to remove vacancies from its system. Luton reported a vacancy rate of 22% and East Riding of Yorkshire said its vacancy rate was 19%.

The union said the vast majority of local authorities said they did not monitor TA vacancy rates, even though the education department requires schools to report teacher vacancy rates each year. But it warns that recruitment challenges in schools have reached a critical point due to low pay.

Last year, for the first time, the Low Pay Commission reclassified TAs and other school support staff roles as “low-paying occupations”. TAs were paid just £15,476 on average last year, according to the Office for National Statistics.

And the National Foundation for Educational Research has warned that the overwhelming majority of schools are struggling to recruit these workers.

“Pupils are denied an inclusive education while ministers bury their heads in the sand,” said GMB national officer Stacey Booth. “Teacher shortages might get the headlines, but schools face serious recruitment challenges across the board.”