Calling line managers! How to successfully implement the School Teachers’ Review Report on flexible working

This summer has been an exciting and nervous one for me. 

In September I am taking a step up in my career into the role of Associate Vice Principal at Winton Community Academy. 

It is a move that would not have been possible if my new Principal had not been open to flexible working. 

My new school was happy for me to do this role on a 0.8 contract, and my new principal showed she understood the demands on me as a working mother of two young children and worked my days of work around my current childcare arrangements. However, I know this would not be the same in many schools, as when I enquired to several adverts this year, the majority of schools replied confirming that unfortunately part-time would not be considered. This is something that needs to change given the law in England now states that anyone can request flexible working.

The School Teachers' Review highlighted the issue with recruitment and retention. Underneath the headline recommendation of the 5.5% pay rise there were recommendations for both flexible working and working from home. 

There is a huge culture shift needed in education around the idea of flexible working. Even in schools where they say they are open to flexible working they often ring fence certain roles, such as pastoral and SLT, stating these can't be done part-time. This predominantly affects women, as we generally are the ones who make the decision to work part-time after having children. It means many teachers who hold pastoral or SLT roles must choose to step down and ultimately limits future career progression for women.

This culture and view needs to be challenged regularly and consistently by us all. We need school leaders to understand the real statistics that show that there is a need for shifting views on part-time and flexible working.

However, we cannot leave it to the Senior Leadership and must ensure that all line managers and middle leaders are effectively trained to support working parents. 

Line Managers are key to flexible working being implemented in schools. 

This is because they can pair their knowledge of the needs of their staff with their informed understanding of the flexible solutions out there to support working parents to meet the demands of their roles and families. Line managers are crucial in supporting the culture shift from the current often negative view of flexible and part-time working. Part-time working is often still viewed as a nuisance with comments on how it creates split classes or increases workload for others, rather than recognising that flexible and part-time working can keep highly experienced staff in school. Having Line Managers who have a strong understanding of flexible working, benefits everyone, not just working parents.

There is now a well-resourced and robust program for Early Career Teachers (ECT) in England. We need to ensure that line managers are given equal training to support staff through other transitional moments in their careers. Having Line Managers who understand the issues that arise with flexible and part-time working means they can pre-empt and give solutions. For example, someone who is a middle leader, if an INSET day occurred on a non-working day, could be offered pay for the day if they wanted to attend. If they struggle with nursery drop off and traffic to then get into school, could they be made a co-tutor so there is less pressure for them to make morning tutor time? 

It can be small things that build up and make teachers choose to leave the profession. 

The importance of line managers who have the knowledge to support working parents means they can advocate for their part-time workers. Lots of the testimony teacher leavers gave in a survey the MTPT project conducted showed that often, part-time teachers stay quiet about the pressure they feel. Many want to prove they can do it the same as full-time staff and put additional pressure on themselves. 

We need our line managers to look out for our part-time staff, just like we look out for the working patterns of our ECT's.

I have worked part-time for four years now, and even I had my eyes opened by the MTPT Creating Cultures course that I completed this year. There were solutions discussed that I had simply not thought of that are such simple ways to alleviate potential challenges for working parents. However, the biggest benefit to line managers receiving proper training on flexible working would be that flexible working requests would become a conversation.

Currently too many working parents are simply met with 'no' when they make a request and often, they feel unheard. Many of these teachers will not make the request again. They will leave the school or the profession. 

We need to make sure that the new legislation enables flexible working to be a conversation in schools where line managers are knowledgeable. 

And if the initial request is a 'no', is there another solution to the situation that can work for all? 

Line managers being skilled and knowledgeable is so vital to these conversations developing so flexible working means teaching really can become a family friendly career for all.

School Teachers' Review Body 34th Report: 2024 (accessed 8.9.24)