Recruitment and Retention Audit Tool

Use this tool to unpick your school’s readiness for effective recruitment and determine your next steps to recruit and retain high-quality teachers. The audit should take around 5 minutes to complete. All your results will be emailed to you, and links will appear to your suggested actions. You can click these links while completing the audit to open them in a new tab.

Recruitment and Retention Audit Tool

Please ensure that you complete all sections of the audit and click ‘submit’ to access our support.

Step 1 of 11

Name(Required)

First Last

Email(Required)

School Name(Required)

Your school's URN(Required)

Please include your school’s URN to enable us to support you in the future.

What is your role within school?(Required)

This won’t affect the audit but it’s useful for us to know what your job role is for follow up and context. We won’t share this information with anyone.

Consent(Required)

We will only use the information shared in this audit tool for the following purposes:
1. Directing users to support, resources and services based on their needs arising from the audit.
2. Analysis of the market for initial teacher training, teacher recruitment and retention. We analyse data patterns, no individual school details will be identified.
3. Reporting information about school involvement and current practices to DFE.
By consenting to the terms of this audit tool, you are agreeing to be contacted by Arthur Terry Teaching School for further support and discussion around your school’s needs.

I agree to the privacy terms of this audit and for the Arthur Terry TSH North Birmingham to contact me about my response

Part One – Audit Your Current Offer

The suggestions for each section will change depending on your answers. don’t worry about remembering your choices, we’ll send your responses over at the end.

What does your school currently do to promote teaching and teacher training?(Required)

Select all that apply

Share ‘good news’ stories about teaching that counters myths and misconceptions

Promote teaching and teacher training on your website

Promote teaching in your community through newsletters and other communications

Promote teaching on your noticeboards and around school

Promote DFE or local routes into teaching through email signatures

Promote teacher training by having a banner at the entrance to your school

It looks like your school is doing a lot to promote teaching!

There might be other focus areas that are a higher priority. You can still use our resources and content to keep up your positive messaging about teaching.

It looks like your school could do more to promote teaching and teacher training.

It seems like this is an area your school could move forward rapidly. Use our Recruitment Content and consider sharing Good News Stories.

You could consider sharing positive messaging about teaching.

Use our Good News Stories!

What opportunities does your school offer for people who want to teach but aren't qualified yet?(Required)

We offer School Experience taster days

We are registered as a location on ‘DFE Apply’ for potential applicants

We support alumni to access routes into teaching

We work with agencies (e.g. Step into Teaching) to recruit graduate TAs

We identify talent from existing staff (TAs, technicians, librarians, non-teaching pastoral staff) and support them to find the appropriate route into teaching

We have careers lessons, events and articles that promote and educate students about careers in teaching

Select all that apply

You offer a wealth of opportunities!

Looks good!

There are a few ways potential colleagues can access your school.

It seems like your school could create more opportunities for future colleagues.

You can find ways to do this on our Partnerships Portal.

You could consider hosting school experience taster days.

You can register to offer school experience with the DFE. Use the Supporting School Experience section of the Partnerships Portal.

What does your school currently do to support and engage with teacher training?(Required)

Select all that apply

We have an established partnership with an initial teacher training provider.

We offer shorter placements (8-12 weeks)

We offer longer placements (12-20 weeks)

We offer full placements (duration of school year, often with more than one trainee)

We offer enhanced placements in a specific phase or specialism

We offer Intensive Training and Practice (ITAP) placements., typically 1-3 days focused on a specific area of teaching practice

Staff from our school deliver and facilitate sessions for local ITE providers

Consider offering longer placements to recruit high quality teachers

Use ITT Partnerships | Get Involved to offer more placement capacity.

You're really maximising that relationship!

It seems like your school could do more to get the most out of your ITE provider

Partnership, including offering unconventional placements or collaborating to deliver training is a great way to attract high-quality candidates. Explore options in our Partnerships Portal.

It looks like your school needs to develop a strong relationship with an ITE provider

Your first step is to establish an ITT provider as a partner. Use ITT Partnerships | Get Involved to register your interest and access additional support from 19 ITT providers across the West Midlands.

Which of the following does your school do to retain staff after initial teacher training?(Required)

Select all that apply

We recruit early career teachers and offer the early career framework (ECF)

We support main scale staff (M3-M6) to access relevant CPD

We support staff to complete NPQs

We engage with local curriculum hubs and support staff to access their training and services

We foster a positive, supportive culture for all our staff and teachers

You're supporting the start of the career

Consider what you can do after that to keep your talent. Explore accessing NPQs and using innovative approaches to recruitment and retention. Read our Recruitment and Retention Case Studies or Innovative Approaches Summaries.

You're doing a lot for leaders and specialists

What about the core workforce? Consider how you can foster positivity by sharing Use our Good News Stories or learn what schools are doing differently to retain their staff.

You seem to have a generally positive culture of ongoing development

It might be worth considering other focus areas as a higher priority

Part Two – Determine Focus areas

In this section, we will ask you to think about the gaps in your current offer based on your responses to part one. The audit tool will start to suggest resources and services that will support your recruitment and retention journey.

Promoting teaching(Required)

Based on your answers and the suggestions from part one, select the option which best fits with your priorities.

Consult our 'Good News Stories' content section

Good News Stories

Use our newsletter and website resources content to support you

Newsletter Recruitment Content

You should focus on other areas

In the next section, we will steer you to more appropriate actions.

Offer opportunities for potential teachers(Required)

Based on your answers to part one, select the option which best fits with your priorities.

DFE Get into Teaching services and resources are powerful

DFE Web Resources

Mobilise your communications and your local community

Share Good News Stories and actively talent spot from your school and network. Use Letter Writing Support to support your communications.

Build partnerships

Step Into Teaching and other agencies are a great way to capture talented graduates. We’ll share some ways you could use this to your advantage.

You should focus on other areas

We’ll signpost other actions later in the process.

Teacher Training Involvement(Required)

Based on your answers to part one, select the option which best fits with your priorities.

Partner with an ITT provider

Consult our guidance pages on ITT providers available locally. Arthur Terry TSH can support and broker these partnerships.

Offer a range of placements

We can support you with this. Opt in to offer more placements in part 3, and use our Partnerships Portal.

Get involved in ITT provision

If your school has a specialism, facilities, expertise that could be shared, we can help deepen your involvement. You can clarify your options later or register interest to get involved.

Focus on your commuinication and retention strategy

It seems like you are doing a great job with this. Consider what other actions might have more impact in part 3, and use our Good News Stories or Recruitment Content.

Retention and ongoing development(Required)

Based on your answers to part one, select the option which best fits with your priorities.

Recruit and train ECTS!

Offering the ECF and mentoring is a great way to attract talent, and keep them for the long run. You can find detailed guidance about this on our ECF pages.

You can access NPQs through local TSHs and other providers

Consult our NPQ pages for guidance.

Accessing NPQs alone is not enough

NPQs are a commitment for schools and teachers, they take time and effort. Encourage your staff to do them, and support them throughout the process.

We signpost CPD regularly

You can find links to local providers on our CPLD page, and through our termly bulletin.

Consider your in-house CPD

Having positive, consistent, evidence-informed experiences of CPD can improve retention and wellbeing for your teachers.

Part Three – Actions and Follow-up

In this final section, you can determine your next steps, what resources you want to access and how much support you want from us. At the end of this section, when you click ‘Submit’, you will receive an email with all your responses from the audit, and the suggestions you’ve seen along the way. You’ll also see a final page with links to areas of the toolkit that are relevant to you, based on your responses.

What do you want to do next?

I want some 'quick wins' to boost recruitment(Required)

Yes

Your best bet is to use and adapt our content

By using our pre-populated content and ideas, you can easily boost your school’s profile and reach a wider audience. Good News Stories or Recruitment Content

Your should consider some more substantial actions

Partnering with ITT, carefully considering your culture and post-ITT offer could be of real benefit. Partnerships Portal

I need to make some deep changes to recruit and retain quality teachers(Required)

Yes

It can be a long road but starting the journey now is what matters.

Positive communications will be a starting point. Look at our case studies and resources for more detail on approaches that can affect lasting change. Good News Stories and Innovative Approaches

Make sure you are doing what you can!

Get the messaging right on your website and in newlstters. Keep reviewing your capacity – what is taking priority ahead of recruiting the best teachers possible? Recruitment Content

I want support to share positive messaging about teaching and teacher training(Required)

Yes

Tell good news stories!

Our collection of good news stories, testimonials and case studies are free to use for all schools. Good News Stories

Consider what you can do internally to ensure you are attracting the right applicants.

Making sure your website is attractive, and that you are engaged with ITT and other training provision is essential. Recruitment Content – Website and Social Media

I want to get more involved in ITT and offering placements(Required)

Yes

Partnership with an ITT provider can be transformative.

Consider what placements you can offer, and the full range of placements. You can use our guide to local ITT providers, or get in use us to broker your partnership: Partnerships Portal

Keep reviewing your capacity.

It might not be right for your school at the moment but there is no substitute for the pipeline of candidates that comes from supporting ITT. Be inspired by our detailed Good News Stories from a range of ex-trainee teachers.

What follow up do you and your school want?

We will use these responses to determine the level of support you receive moving forward.

We just want to use the resources from the toolkit and don't want any further follow up(Required)

Yes

We want to use the resources and would appreciate a teams call to discuss our strategy(Required)

Yes

We want to get involved in ITT and other training opportunities(Required)

By choosing ‘yes’ here, you are agreeing to be contacted by us about opportunities for further partnership.

Yes

We would be interested in providing feedback and contributions to the development of this toolkit(Required)

This might mean we send you a survey, or invite you to have a conversation with us about the resources and services in the toolkit.

Yes

Quick links to section homepages:

Resources for Leaders

Recruitment Content

Good News Stories

Our Toolkit for Schools

This toolkit is designed to support schools with recruitment within their local communities, alumni, and from the wider market.

These resources are free to all schools and can be adapted to suit your context and needs.

Toolkit Home

The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership, a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales.

Registered Office: The Arthur Terry School, Kittoe Road, Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B74 4RZ

Tel: 0121 323 1134

CEO Richard Gill CBE NPQH, NLE, FRSA

Company Number 07730920.

The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership is committed to keeping our students safe, both in school and the wider community. As part of our safeguarding arrangements, we have a two-way information sharing agreement in place with the local police authority. The agreement is compliant with Crime & Disorder Act 1998 (s.115) and Data Protection Act 1998(s.29.3; s.35.2.), and focuses on preventing young people from becoming involved or further involved in crime and anti-social behaviour as a victim or offender.

If you have any queries about the partnership policy, please contact Mrs S Bailey, ATLP Safeguarding Lead.

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