The value of relationships: Tackling early career teacher retention

The value of relationships: Tackling early career teacher retention

Exploring the impact of social and professional capital on early career teachers’ resilience and success against a backdrop of a national challenge in teacher retention

Please register by Friday 1 March 12.00

Arrival and refreshments from 13:30
Start of meeting 14:00
Finish 16:00
Exhibition til 17.00

The value of relationships: Tackling early career teacher retention

Project and research

Suffolk & Norfolk SCITT, one of the country’s largest school-centred initial teacher training programmes, commissioned Relational Schools, in partnership with Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing and the Open University, to carry out a five year longitudinal research programme, exploring the impact of a trainee teacher’s social and professional relationships on their success as a trainee and thereafter as a teacher. The research is set against the backdrop of a national crisis in teacher retention, which is particularly acute for early career teachers.

Relationships influence the ways in which people cope with stress, access support and advice, learn, collaborate, and find fulfilment in their work. Understanding the relational factors that make it more likely that some people will leave a course or the profession enables earlier intervention in providing the right support and empowers trainees.

Relational Schools, a charity focused on improving the quality of relationships in schools, is working with the SCITT’s trainees to identify each individual’s most important and influential relationships. The partnership has also identified and trialled new relational management and training practices, using Cambridge Assessment’s Cambridge Personal Styles Questionnaire (CPSQ).

Learning points

• Become aware of the scope and initial findings from the project.

• Understand how teachers’ relationships can support their retention.

• Appreciate the potential of assessment tools and management practices to increase support for entrants.

Who should attend?

Teaching school leads, research school leads, teacher education providers, academics, independent consultants and policy makers. All those working with schools, colleges and teachers who are interested in understanding issues affecting the profession.