September Newsletter | Quick CV Drop-Off, flexible working in schools, plus a great job!

Dear Subscribers

Greetings from ESP Recruitment! I hope you are all enjoying the start of the Autumn term, despite the recent heavy rainfall.

In this newsletter, I encourage any of you looking for interim positions to please pop your details onto our CV Drop-Off link (below) as we are always in need of more quality IT professionals who can step into short or longer-term roles.

I also look at some of the views around flexible working within schools and how this may become more common in helping to retain the best teaching and support staff.

Happy reading!

Warm regards

William Townsend

Managing Director

ESP Recruitment

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Upload Your Details for Top Interim Positions

We regularly handle interim positions for IT specialists to place within schools, both within the maintained and independent school sectors. There are often multiple roles coming in with short-term needs.

If you are looking for opportunities to boost your career experience, work on interesting short-term assignments or you need to fill a short-term gap, we are always in need of talented IT professionals.

To be in with a chance of being at the front of the queue, please enter a couple of details on our CV Drop Off link, uploading a full CV is optional, you can just add your name and an email address if you prefer.

I will then let you know of any interim roles that come our way!

CV Drop-Off Link

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Is Flexible Working in Schools Realistic?

Since the pandemic in 2020 it has become commonplace for employers to offer more flexible working arrangements and many employees are opting for hybrid or fully remote roles.

Can this new way of working translate to schools?

There are many proven benefits of flexible working including improved mental and physical health and a potential reduction in sick days for employers.

Being able to offer flexible working arrangements can also help to attract teaching and support staff from a wider pool of applicants as the improved work-life balance is very attractive for employees, especially those with additional responsibilities, such as parents, carers and individuals studying outside of work, plus other situations.

“Schools and multi-academy trusts are encouraged to adopt a flexible working policy which responds to the needs of the staff, and the employer, to address the challenges to flexible working in their school. Employers could consider embedding strategic, whole-school approaches to flexible working, with contribution from all parties”. Source: www.gov.co.uk

Flexible working can include part-time work, job shares, phased retirement or staggered or compressed hours. Many employers also now offer home or remote working.

According to a report by Education Support, “74% of senior leaders felt flexible working helped staff to manage their work-life balance.” (link below)

The concept of introducing a 4-day working week to schools has been suggested for reasons including operational cost reduction, higher teacher retention rates, and better school/home balance for students. It could be possible to manage this through slightly longer days on the remaining 4 days.

A petition to change the school week to four days a week garnered 42,137 signatures on the petition Parliament website in 2023. The response was that there are no plans to reduce the school week and that focus was instead on addressing teacher workloads.

In the US, 900 school districts already offer a four-day school week. Whilst this is a small percentage of the total number of school districts, it is a growing trend.

There are also many schools across Europe offering a 4-day week.

Whether this becomes commonplace in the UK remains to be seen but certainly, offering employees as much flexibility as is reasonably achievable could help your school to retain the best talent.

For more information, please visit:

Gov.co.uk | April 2024 | Flexible Working in Schools

Education Support | Flexible Working in Schools – Why We Need it and How To Do It

Education Week | Jan 2024 | Teachers React to 4-Day School Weeks

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Latest Jobs

IT Support Manager, Prestigious College

Have you spent time in the IT departments of large schools where the noise and demands are overwhelming?

My client, a bespoke university renowned as one of the most prestigious specialist colleges in the world, is looking for a Senior/Lead Technician who has ideally worked on a busy Service Desk.

Join the team and make a significant impact on the organisation’s IT landscape and service delivery.

This is a great position that includes leading and inspiring a talented team of IT professionals, driving efficiency, problem-solving, developing and growing team members and collaborating with stakeholders across the organisation to understand their needs and deliver tailored IT solutions.

If this sounds like your kind of role, please be in touch!

Full Job Information

Get in touch if you are interested in this excellent role.

+44 (0)20 8559 2077

info@esp-recruit.co.uk