Help your local school
The pressure on headteachers seems to be constantly growing. The conventional emphasis on teaching and coaching skills now being replaced by the need to manage a complex business with a significant budget. The financial management, human relations and the constant flow of adjustments to curriculum and teaching practices take their toll.
Currently there are shortage of around 2400 headteachers with some vacancies being open for over 18 months. With a potential renumeration package in six figures it can’t be the salary. Listening to teachers the stress level of leading a large school is disproportionately high requiring new skills to manage, and possibly accounting for the reluctance of deputy heads wishing to take promotion.
With schools running without a “Managing Director” the leadership strategy, operating policy and the myriad of other duties are being offloaded to deputies, detracting from their primary duties. Of greater concern perhaps are the number of Head Teachers that are due to retire in the next five years that will put a further burden on the system.
With teachers acting under the pressure to achieve assessment standards, adopt changes in the curriculum and SAT’s you would wonder how the system copes. Perhaps those watching on the touchline need to lend a hand.
Parents have the very real ability to make a difference. Most parents want the best for their child and would move mountains to try and gain an advantage. Moving house to an ideal school catchment areas, hiring tutors if they can be found – and then zealously guarded demonstrates the financial commitment made by some parents, but there is another option open to all parents that hold significant benefits. Compelling evidence proves reinforcing classroom lessons at home using the modern teaching resources available has a substantial benefit to a child in building confidence, and developing ability and enthusiasm back at school.
Studies show that 75% of learning is retained through practise doing, compared to just 5% with listening to a classroom lesson only.This huge opportunity to boost a child’s understanding and performance is best achieved at home where the relaxed environment and time to go over a lesson at the ideal pace can be supported by a parent, grandparent, uncle and aunts.
A recent survey of teachers revealed overwhelming support to mobilise parents in this way. Back at school the opportunity to reinforce the lesson through practice is surprisingly limited, involving 30 pupils all requiring access to the resource and the teacher in lesson time.
The proactive relationship you can build with the teacher will give you a greater understanding of the curriculum, boost your child’s confidence and ability and relieve some of the pressure on the school. The benefits you can achieve are substantial, and we have to recognise that it is doubtful the general situation in schools will change dramatically during your child’s tenure, and we may have run out of headteachers.
