Refocusing

We intend to focus on providing the infrastructure that enables the development of an inspiring and emotionally fulfilling education. This would mean that the development of human character is seen as important as academic attainment.  We aim to provide the infrastructure that allows for a louder positive narrative about education and the virtues of being involved in its delivery and leadership.  In a survey of trainee and newly qualified teachers published in the Guardian, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) union found that the most popular reason for joining the teaching profession was a desire to make a difference – cited by 75% of over 850 people surveyed. The same survey also investigated the reasons why teachers leave the profession: negative stories about teaching in the press was cited as the second most popular reason after workload. This follows an OECD report which found that two-thirds of teachers felt undervalued.

We seek to change this narrative. We will raise recruitment levels by inspiring our future teachers into the classroom and produce a clear and constant message – that British society values great education.  Intrinsic to this is the development of a deeper sense of pride, ownership, and responsibility amongst communities for their schools. Above all forms of civic pride, it should be our educational institutions that inspire us the most and therefore the should become the biggest draw for our future teachers.