Recruiting staff for schools through Eteach

Hello, I’m David McGahey and I’m the Managing Director of Eteach.

I’m responsible for the future development of our company and its services, for relationships with our many friends and partners in the Education world, and for the bids we make from time to time for recruitment contracts with local and national government.

I have long believed that if only the process of recruiting staff to schools could be improved to secure the best possible match of candidates to vacancies, then that would have an enormously beneficial impact on the quality of teaching and learning.

I have come increasingly to the conclusion that recruiting online is the way to achieve this. Education is behind the curve in this regard – in other sectors, including within the public sector, recruitment takes place almost exclusively via the web. The facility and efficiency of so doing is obvious. Less so, but more powerful, is the ability of online recruitment to secure the best match of job seeker and job vacancy – through sophisticated techniques of profiling and screening, and through the interconnection of social and professional networks. All of this is very exciting and seems set to keep us at Eteach very busy now and into the future.

So, what am I looking to get out of this blog. I will from time to time post my views and thoughts about the latest developments in Education recruitment. Next week, for instance, I will write about the DCSF’s proposed national Shared Recruitment Service for Schools. Moreso, however, I look forward to reading your thoughts and suggestions about how together we might improve recruitment to schools and colleges for the ultimate benefit of learners.

NQT’s- looking for your first teaching post? Find your first job with Eteach.com

NQT’s- looking for your first teaching post? Find your first job with Eteach.com. It can be daunting as well as being an exciting time when searching for your first teaching post. When you become an NQT and you’ve completed your studies, the world is your oyster.... Many of you will go into teaching straightaway, some of you may further your experience by travelling overseas. At some stage you’ll be job hunting. Here is some advice from a fellow teacher job hunter. If you have any more tips you’d like to share with your fellow colleagues let us know! The research....

• Do your homework! Explore teaching opportunities online. Register online with eteach and use our education job search tool to find your ideal job and location and to find out more about the prospective employer online e.g. about the school, inspection report, area information and location

• You’ve worked this hard to become a teacher however it's a competitive market out there... Be flexible when job hunting- don’t narrow your options by sticking to a specific geographical location.... be prepared to commute and potentially move house, choosing the right job could benefit your career in the long term. Be realistic and don’t put all your eggs in one basket- apply for several roles and widen your options.

• Your CV - Your Brand – what are your unique selling points? Your education, experience, skills and any relevant extracurricular activities which will contribute to the school community... ability to play a musical instrument, swimming coaching certificate, foreign language skills etc . Your NQT application...

• Select suitable referees e.g. your college tutor and your head teacher from one of your school placements

• Relate your supporting statement directly to person specification for each individual job, don't send generic supporting statements. Highlight your skills, experience and abilities...but most important sell yourself!

• Check if the school or Local Authority you plan to work with operates an NQT primary/secondary pool application system. Did you know Eteach manages a number of NQT application pools... using online systems, Eteach streamlines the application process for recruiters and candidates. Preparing for your Interview

• Planning and preparation is the key to being offered the teaching job of your dreams. Prepare model answers to likely questions connected to planning and assessment, target setting and communicating with parents. Prepare a few questions of your own to ask at the end of the interview. For example, find out more about school policies including equal opportunities, behaviour policies, gifted and talented, inclusive education and find out how the school delivers the Every Child Matters agenda..

• Find out what continual professional development is on offer... as an NQT you will be entitled to full induction support to enable you to gain QTS. Find out how a prospective school or Local Authority will deliver an NQT Induction programme. Achieving your teaching qualification is just the beginning of your professional development. Like any member of the school workforce, it's important to keep learning to develop your career.....

Most importantly, sign up to http://www.eteach.com/ job alerts. Let the jobs come and find you. You can manage the number your recieve. Simply register with eteach and let eteach job alerts do the work for you. It will save you time, increase your efficency in your search and target your search more specifically.

Good luck

Collin

Teaching at home: “Enjoying days at home” in response to The Times

Teaching at home: “Enjoying days at home” in response to The Times

Teaching children at home? Is it right or wrong...or does it matter?

Education is something I am so passionate and proud to be involved in. It is important that children, young adults and grownups are educated and given the opportunities to continue to develop and learn throughout their life both academically and socially.

I was reading in The Times online today about a teacher who opted for her children to learn at home after they had been unhappy at school (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/education/article5548877.ece).

My instant thoughts were “is teaching at home the answer?”

For some it is the only alternative though I would have missed the friends I made at school who have been with me all my life. It isn’t just about the academic element, passing the exams and getting the qualifications. Schools are a place for children to learn to become themselves. Social interaction is key in child development, working in a team and competing against each other is healthy way of growing up. There will be times when children will be faced with conflict in thoughts and opinions, but this again is a life experience we all face. Schools provide a platform for character building, where they can develop on their strengths as well as areas for improvement. I’d be interested to hear what your views are on children being taught at home and school?

Eteach go to the Catholics Independent Schools Conference

Last week I attended the Catholic Independent Schools Conference in Thame, Oxfordshire, and had the opportunity to meet many of their Heads and listen to some of the presentations. Fr. Michael Holman SJ posed the question, ‘What are we educating our children for?’ It would seem in the current economic climate it’s all about getting an education so the government can create a large work force that earns lots of money, which in turn it is encouraged to spend, thereby boosting the economy. In addition they then pay taxes to improve the country and the national services they use within it. Not much joy for children in that? Where are the needs and desires of the individual in all of this? What about their spirituality and creative sides? Where are the opportunities to challenge what they take for granted and develop their own beliefs and perceptions? How can they grow in self confidence and compassion for others? All those soft skills that are just as vital in the world as subject knowledge?

In an environment of never ending accountability, how do you even measure these soft skills? It’s a challenge, but I have seen and felt the result of such a vision at a recent visit to Salesian School in Farnborough. When you enter this school there is ‘something in the air’ which pervades throughout. Walking around you see the mutual respect students have for the staff, but also each other. The commitments and principals that school is founded on are clear to everyone and makes this school stand out. Was it because it is Roman Catholic? Or was it because of its wonderful Head teacher and staff? I wondered whether all ‘faith schools’ create this atmosphere or whether it can it be ‘manufactured’ by having an agreed ethos that is implemented rigorously across a whole school, regardless of religion? Or is it just Catholic Schools are doing it better than any other type of school?

Tell me your thoughts or experiences. Are you a Roman Catholic Teacher? Or maybe a non Roman Catholic teaching in a Catholic School? Did you know http://www.eteach.com/ provides a weekly job bulletin specifically for Catholic teachers (or those who will sympathetic to the Catholic ideals) who are looking to work in CES schools? Email us at support@eteach.com if you'd like to subscribe.

Finally, whilst at the CISC Conference I had the opportunity to catch up with Mr Wilson, Head of Salesian College and ask him how his recent inspection went. He was thrilled with outcome as the inspectors had identified the same ‘X factor’ as I had when I visited, and commended the whole school on its achievement. I have been promised my own copy of the report and look forward to reading how ‘soft skills’ can be measured and how they can shape the children of today, and in turn, the world of tomorrow.

Secondary School League Tables...do we understand them?

I wonder how many of you last week studied the new Secondary School League Tables to find out where your school was in relation to those in your locality? I was pleased to see that alongside the % of A-C grades were the value added figures, which for any teacher gives a better reflection of what is happening to pupils learning within a school.

However, I still wonder every year how many parents really understand these figures and do they influence them when it comes to choosing a school for their children? I even found myself checking out our local secondary for my own son. He’s 5 years old and started Reception in September! How many teachers use them when it comes to applying for a new post?

Gerry

BBC ‘Home Educators are angry at review’

Hi, I am Mel Crabb, I work for Eteach but I am also a mum of four teenagers / twenty-somethings. Having been through the school system as a parent and as a Governor I found the story reported by the BBC ‘Home Educators are angry at review’ (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7838783.stm) somewhat frustrating. The story is in regard to the proposed review by the Government of how local authorities can make sure all children educated outside school receive the education they need and are secure and healthy.

Whilst I can understand the implied terms of this statement, i.e. they are not being educated and are not being well looked after, I find the anger expressed by Education Otherwise, the charity representing home educators as somewhat small-minded. The charity’s own website (http://www.education-otherwise.org.uk/ ) states two of their aims as:

• ‘reaffirm that parents have primary responsibility for their children's education and that they have the right to exercise this responsibility by educating them out of school;

• establish the primary right of children to have full consideration given to their wishes and feelings about their education’

Perhaps it’s me but these indicate that the charity also want the same things the Government and indeed, society does – well-educated, happy and nurtured children. Whether they obtain this through schools or home education is irrelevant, the needs and future prospects of the child should come first. Future prospects include health and well-being but are, in no small part, related to the career which stretches ahead of them in whatever they choose to do. It therefore puzzles me when their ‘About HE’ page states ‘it is possible for exams to be taken if you wish’!

Whilst all the targeting and Ofsted focus on GCSE results and the pressures it puts on fully qualified teachers who are trained to educate others is cumbersome and sometimes over the top, what other measure is there to determine the success of the Home Education system compared to that of mainstream schooling. Happiness, parental responsibility and feelings all have a very big place in life but so does providing for yourself and any future family. How else do prospective employers ascertain the suitability of a candidate? Exams and qualifications should not be the be all and end all but they certainly give an indication not only of ability but also of effort and reliability. Many children struggle with exams but those who attend school regularly and try their very best tend to attain some qualifications – or am I being a dinosaur, let me know if you think I am!

New Year, new job? Getting a teaching job online the “social networking way”

Hi, I’m Peter and I’m the Commercial Director for Eteach. I’ll introduce myself at a later stage. I know this is a popular time when a number of us are looking for a new job. There are a number of ways how we find that perfect role. Have you ever thought using social networks online when looking for a job in education?

Here are my tip top tips on job hunting from Eteach through the “social network way.”

- Social networking continues to increasingly becoming the preferred tool for recruitment. If you’re on a social network platform like Facebook, market yourself online, promote your profile and make your career history visible for everyone to see. Why not join our Eteach Facebook Group? Alternatively, Eteach have a Facebook Application to find jobs, so you’ll never need to leave the site!

-You can never have too many friends…LinkedIn is probably one of the most popular social networks for recruiters. Get your profile online and let recruiters come to you. Or why not get in contact with them directly. Any forward thinking educational recruitment agency is bound to have an online social media platform where they can be found easily

- Get involved in the debate- there are a number of well-known blogs, forums and news opinions in the world of education. Your opinion is a pro-active way of demonstrating your views in the education sector. It may also become part of the interview process. Why not start debating on our Eteach blog. Or why not provide advice to your fellow teachers online

- Socialise online and build relationships with people who have similar interests- these are not always necessarily people who work in education. Again, social networks are a great way of networking with fellow peers. You immediately become part of a passive pool of candidates. You could be closer to finding your perfect role in teaching than you thought

-Think outside the box. Don’t be scared to try new ways of finding a job online. Social Networks have been around forever. They are simple tools for anyone and everyone to use... so go on and take advantage of them. Take a look at how fellow educational gurus promote themselves online…it’s now becoming the norm

-Social media platforms allow you to promote yourself on a global and local level. If you didn’t know, Eteach have job vacancies in the UK and Internationally

-Most importantly be honest when self-promoting yourself. Increasing your prospects is key in the world of teaching but most importantly being a trustworthy candidate with integrity increases your chances, through the grape vine online.

Most importantly register with http://www.eteach.com/ and apply for perfect job. Good Luck!

Newsnight “School Swap-” Did it reflect education in good light?

Like Colin, I also watched the “School Swap” project on Newsnight, Tuesday evening. It was an interesting social experiment, and I’m sure those who saw the programme had an opinion by the end of it. Three under-privileged teenagers from Burnley swapping places with pupils from one of the country's top public schools, Wellington College. It was intended as a way of raising the expectations of the three kids from Burnley.

I’m not sure that happened, the pupils come from opposite ends of our education sector, neither being truly representative of the schools and colleges in the UK that most children go to. To me it simply distinguished the difference between the “rich” and “poor” the have’s and the have nots and was unrelated to real Education. Approximately 93% of children go to a state maintained schools so only a tiny percentage actually go to elite independent schools anyway. In this instance the Wellington pupils will have a problem with the exchange as the Burnley Kids don’t even go to school.

I would have liked to see a school swap in a more realistic light, how would average scholars from Wellington fare at a “Bog Standard” Comprehensive School and visa versa.

Though it did stir up a lot of emotive thoughts and somehow reminded me of the “Two Ronnies” sketch “he looks down at me yet I look down at him whilst he looks up to me” etc…..
On Wednesday morning, it was a hot topic of conversation at home and at work.

If you’ve not seen it, you can view the video online.

View School Swap. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/7828237.stm

We’d like to know what your thoughts were on the programme?

Did it raise the expectations of the Burnley pupils?

More later, Paul

Losing the privileges of the boardroom for the stability of the staffroom

Following from Gerry’s blog post on the recession (see http://eteach-blog.blogspot.com/2009/01/recession-proof-as-teaching-is-its-not.html), Sky News reported that during this tough period, there has been a massive surge in people opting for a career in teaching. Sky News revealed yesterday morning that enquiries for teaching were up by 40%, and there has been a 5% increase on the number of over 25s on teacher training courses. Additionally maths teachers numbers are up by 25%, which historically as we know has been in high demand.

What are views on the stats revealed in the Sky News yesterday. Is teaching the solution to survive the recession period? Should we challenge, the ethics and reasoning's, behind why people make that choice of becoming a teacher. What are your views on experienced workers outside the world of education sector integrating in the education sector? How many of these will run back to the boardroom when the market gets better? does that matter? Are they really committed to the job ?

We thought these findings were very interesting. As rewarding as teaching is, we’d love to hear your views and thoughts on what was announced today.

Raising pupil achievement in challenging schools…

Safeguarding pupil welfare, raising pupil achievement and promoting positive activities are all key drivers of teaching professionals in the UK and across the world…

Commitment to these key drivers is practiced by all sectors of the school workforce ranging from teaching assistants, teachers, senior leaders and site managers – you will all see this amongst your colleagues at your school. This week the UK Government has announced plans to incentivise teachers in challenging schools with recruitment packages of up to £10,000. Also, last night I watched a BBC Newsnight feature highlighting a ‘ raising aspiration’ project engaging excluded pupils from Burnley with Wellington College, Buckinghamshire, which is one of the UKs most exclusive Independent schools…

At Eteach we continue to work with schools and teachers representing a range of social demographics areas, we’d love to hear your views about these two strategies and more…

Teaching during the recession- what are your views?

Teaching seems it may only be ‘recession proof’ in the State sector. How many Independent school teachers are sure their school will still be open at the end of this year? The telegraph and Independent have reported on this in late 2008

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/credit-crisis-hits-private-schools-883243.htm

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/3508764/Recession-forces-many-to-give-up-private-schools.html

Are you an Independent teacher who has been made redundant recently because schools can no longer afford to keep you on? Are you a state teacher who has had the same thing happen because the school didn’t budget for you? Are schools going to target younger cheaper teachers in this recession to make their money go further?

http://www.mikebakereducation.co.uk/?articles=view&id=41

How many of you have decided to stay where you are this year because you’ve been made to feel you’re lucky to have a job, and to try and move might rock the boat at your current school? How many of you see this current climate as a real opportunity to hunt down your ideal job? Tell me what makes the perfect teaching post? What offers and features in an online advert make you go from a passive browser to an active applicant? Is it better wages in the Independent sector? Accommodation? Free gym membership? The chance to work with a really inspiring Head Teacher? Let me know.

Recession proof as teaching is it’s NOT the easy option

Happy New Year to you!

I wonder how many of you started 2009 knowing that in the current economic climate, you are regarded with envy as having one of the few ‘recession proof’ jobs ?

It seems that professionals in many areas of the job market are now considering teaching as a possible career option, especially those in finance, banking and economics. The TDA are visiting Canary Wharf and targeting these professionals to lure them into teaching.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7624953.stm

The public are lead to believe these are the people who will save the day and fill those hard to fill vacancies, in typically difficult subject areas such as Mathematics and Economics. As marvellous as it sounds, I was wondering how these people would fair in the world of education after years in banking. Why is it assumed that just because you have a degree and a professional career it automatically makes you the right person to be a teacher?

I believe a good teacher has a sense of vocation as well as the right skills, and knowledge. Teaching is not just a job it should be in your blood. It’s a career that your eat, sleep and breathe! It’s about children and their individual needs. People argue about short days and long holidays but those of us who have been there know that most teachers work long days and use holidays to catch up on the never ending paperwork. They run after school clubs, go to governors meetings until 10pm, give weekends up for fund raising events and take groups of students away for weeks at a time on residential trips. And that’s on top of the never ending planning preparation, marking, assessment, curriculum area co-ordination and classroom/wallboard displays of children’s work. Are they told about this? Recession proof as teaching is it’s NOT the easy option.

What are your thoughts and views on the matter?

Thinking about teaching abroad?

Teaching abroad has been one of the best experiences of my life... It gave me the opportunity to explore a variety of cultures, meet new people, learn new skills and languages, try new foods and of course develop as an educational professional. I engaged first hand with pupils, teachers and wider school communities in environments which culturally and physically which were very different to that found in the UK. It also informed my cultural understanding and it has allowed me to gain a global perspective on life… Before you enteer into the wonderful world of teaching overseas here are my top ten tips to this truly fantastic experience.

1. Do your homework! Before you decide to teach abroad, research the country’s customs, culture, religion, languages and laws. Being prepared and able to embrace cross cultural diversity will make your integration to your new life easier and it will help you to become a better teacher abroad.

2. Before you apply check you have the right qualifications and skills. You may also be considered based on the level of experience you have in the teaching profession.

3. At the interview stage always prepare!! Be clear why you have applied for the post, why you were attracted to the school and how your experience and attitude will contribute to school improvement. Prepare any questions you might have in relation to professional development, the curriculum taught at the school and any extra curricular activities that you could get involved with…

4. Surviving on your salary… will you have enough money? It’s important that your salary covers the necessary essentials and costs relating to having a life away from work. It’s important that you understand your conditions of service eg) Does the school cover the cost of your flights? Do they provide accommodation and medical insurance?

5. Protect yourself. Check if you need travel insurance and whether your membership of a professional union will cover you whilst teaching in an International school. Do you need to join another professional union. Every country operates differently. Again, always ask these questions at the interview and when researching destinations.

6. Talk to fellow teachers who have taught abroad. They will give you firsthand knowledge. There are number of social networks online for those in a similar boat. I’m happy to answer any questions about teaching abroad.

7. Prepare to become independent. Don’t expect your employer to settle you in entirely. Plan how you will meet locals and fellow teachers. You may wish to meet more locals to improve your foreign language skills…

8. Do you have the right teaching resources? Before you head off, it’s always best to prepare a basic resource bank of teaching activities. In addition to online teaching materials and lesson plans, your USB memory sticks and laptops can carry a whole host of information.

9. During your research check you have the appropriate legal status to work in your chosen destinations. For example you will need documents such as your passport, birth certificate and reputable schools will always support you with visa and work permit applications where necessary..

10. And last but not least.... relax and enjoy your teaching experience abroad. Once you’ve found your new job teaching in an International School let us know how you’re getting on. We’d love to hear from you! Best of luck!

If you have any more tips, please share them with our fellow readers. Also, if you’re thinking of teaching abroad, take a look at our international teaching vacancies, register to receive regular updates and apply today!