Schools have become the “fourth emergency service”, with London teachers spending increasing amounts of time helping pupils with mental health and social care issues, new research suggests.
More than 80 per cent of the capital’s teachers have spent more time supporting pupils with mental health problems over the past academic year than they did previously, according to a poll by Teach First.
Meanwhile, more than 60 per cent of London teachers have increased the amount of time spent on helping with social care issues – which exceeds the 58 per cent increase seen in the rest of the country. And more than half of London teachers say the time spent helping pupils with financial hardship has also increased.
Teach First, an education charity that trains top graduates and parachutes them into some of the poorest schools in the country, said this is making it harder to recruit and retain teachers.
Simon Hart, Principal of Teach First partner school Springwest Academy in Feltham, Hounslow, said: “With schools now acting as the fourth emergency service, our teachers often take on extra responsibilities, working with our pastoral team to support their pupils with initial mental health concerns.”
The poll was carried out by Teacher Tapp, which regularly surveys thousands of teachers about different subjects, and released in a Teach First report published on Tuesday. The report called on the government to significantly increase spending in the poorest schools, from 4.5 per cent to 6.5 per cent of total government spend by 2030. This translates into a 44 per cent increase in spending on schools which would mean an additional £22billion a year, targeted at schools with the highest need.
Russell Hobby, CEO of Teach First, said: “Our polling clearly shows that issues around pupils’ mental health, social care and their family or financial situation are taking up an increasing amount of teachers’ time. This is contributing to an already-heavy workload and, therefore we believe, the recruitment and retention challenges impacting for schools.
“By relieving the wider pressures on schools with additional support on non-educational issues, particularly those serving the most deprived communities, teachers won’t need to pick up so much work outside the classroom.”
Tuesday’s report also highlights a lack of flexible working is a major concern for younger teachers. In the poll, half of teachers in their twenties identified it as a factor contributing to the recruitment and retention crisis, compared to around a third of teachers aged over 50.
Mr Hart said: “We work incredibly hard to attract and retain our brilliant teachers, ensuring they feel valued, rewarded and regularly refreshed with a competitive salary and flexible working hours including finishing early on Fridays and exploring a nine-day fortnight for staff.”
It comes as new analysis suggests teacher recruitment and retention in England remains in a “critical position” despite a pay rise to school staff in the autumn.
The Government should adopt a long-term strategy towards pay to address the teacher supply crisis, according to a report by the National Foundation for Educational Research.
