Guidance

School Direct: recruitment guide

Published 30 September 2014

This guidance was withdrawn on 9 March 2015

This page has been archived as it has been replaced by the School Direct: recruitment and marketing guide.

1. Autumn to Christmas

1.1 Allocations announcements

You will need to:

• define exactly what your offer is to applicants – career packages, financial incentives, range of experience, qualifications, etc
• make sure you and everyone at your school know why an applicant would choose to train with you
• ensure your school website and UCAS profile promote your offer to applicants using the advice in the UCAS guide

Your marketing strategy may already be in place, aimed at attracting candidates and securing them as School Direct trainees. Here are some further suggestions:

• plan how you will manage recruitment throughout the year to attract the applicants you want and turn them into your future trainees:
  • put contingency plans in place, for example in case of changes to staffing
  • know how your partner initial teacher training (ITT) provider will contribute
  • decide on your success measures and review your progress
• consider what local public relations opportunities you are using and what else you can do to appeal to your local applicants
• review your digital presence – how will these channels attract applicants to your school?
• ask others to check your school website to see if:
  • they can easily find your School Direct information
  • if your unique offer is clear
  • if your offer is appealing to them
• check your UCAS teacher training programme details and entry profile
• use our schools marketing themselves information for help with your campaign and more ideas to attract the most suitable candidates
• plan how to use the school experience programme to identify and develop future trainees – for more information call the school experience team on 0800 085 0962

1.2 UCAS teacher training launch

The time from the UCAS teacher training system opening until the end of the autumn term is crucial to schools recruitment.

• Get in touch with potential applicants who have completed school experience with you or previously expressed an interest in teaching. Remind them that UCAS teacher training has opened and encourage them to visit and apply to you.
• Plan how you will make offers early to secure your first-choice applicants, eg a planned induction, a tailored career package, experience in partner school.
• Start recruiting as early as possible by attending events and holding open days. Sign up for our Train to Teach events from October to meet with interested candidates.
• Register with the School Direct online group to stay up-to-date and share good practice. Sign up for our School Direct online seminars.
• Ensure your school has offered places in a variety of subjects on the school experience programme portal. Potential trainees may apply to your school if they can take a placement with you first.

1.3 Interviews start

• Schedule your recruitment year before you start interviews. To keep successful candidates committed to you give them the dates of catch-ups or inductions in advance.
• Agree in advance exactly what you are looking for and the levels you expect from the applicant, such as commitment, communication, subject knowledge and experience. Plan to discuss subject knowledge and professional skills tests at interview. Subject knowledge isn’t necessarily a barrier to starting ITT, however failing the skills tests will be. Encourage applicants to take these early and consider if you can support them.
• Consider where and when you’ll hold interviews with your partner provider. For example, could you vary the school location to cover any rural schools in your partnership?
• Decide where you are willing to add value to applicants who show the most promise and potential so that you don’t lose them. Can you offer subject knowledge enhancement, or suggest further experience?

2. January to Easter

Some candidates start to think more seriously about their futures (final year students, career changers) and enter the system for the first time. Throughout this time application numbers increase steadily but can be affected later on by university dissertations and exams, so distribute your activities evenly.

• Carry on holding interviews, but be aware of applicants’ availability, especially with career changers.
• Make offers as soon as you can. Final year students will appreciate having a confirmed placement as the end of their course approaches.
• Attend regional and national recruitment events to attract applicants who are likely to apply later in the cycle – physics, maths and chemistry applicants or career changers for example. Our Train to Teach events continue throughout this time.
• Consider how to attract more applicants. Work with your ITT provider to give presentations in universities, and reach good quality career changers by speaking to local careers advisers and jobcentres. Could you run or support a regional event?
• Move quality applicants across other school partnerships/partner providers, if you recognise their talent and potential through a joint selection process.
• Make sure your website and social media presence is up-to-date as you fill courses. Keep promoting your available courses and check if the schools marketing themselves products could generate more activity.
• Keep up-to-date with what other schools are doing through our monthly School Direct bulletin and read our case studies for inspiration.
• Offer placement dates on the school experience programme portal. Potential trainees attending Train to Teach events will be prompted to gain school experience and could be looking for your school. Keep in touch with your most interested candidates and inform them of your available courses, or your recruitment plans for the following year.

3. Easter to the summer break

During this time recruitment slows down or stops, but for some candidates and subjects it’s just getting started.

• Applicants for science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) enter the system later in the cycle compared to other subjects:
  • tailor your marketing activity and offer to candidates to appeal to STEM graduates in particular, such as attending graduate recruitment fairs
  • return any non-STEM places you’re confident you won’t fill
• Decide how to work effectively with your ITT provider to share the marketing and recruitment activity.
• Most schools and providers are submitting their requests for funded subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) courses. SKE has been used to support over 30% of accepted ITT places in priority subjects for 2014 to 2015 recruitment. More than 300 SKE trainees went on to School Direct training.
• Be aware that many applicants are still entering the system for the first time and may be selecting your school as their first choice.
• Continue to offer placement dates on the school experience programme portal. It’s not too late for trainees to gain the experience they require to complete a successful application to ITT.
• Review your performance in line with the measures of success you set yourself at the start of the year. How will you share your successful activities?
• Plan to stay open and active over the summer and consider how you will do this. Your recruitment performance will influence your allocations in 2016 to 2017

4. During the summer break

A final push on recruitment through the summer could help you fill your places and secure your trainees for September.

• Work out, within your partnership and with your provider, the resources you need to stay active in recruiting and interviewing over the summer.
• Host inductions with your partner ITT provider to keep your interested candidates and accepted trainees involved with your schools.
• Confirm your prospective trainees have passed their skills tests. This is the last chance you have to make sure they are ready to start their training with you.
• Stay in contact with applicants undertaking SKE courses and check it meets their needs. If you’re new to using SKE, get feedback and decide how you can use this next year.
• Consider offering placement dates to the school experience programme portal for the next academic year. Potential trainees may start using this from early September.

For regular information and updates, read our School Direct bulletin each month. Talk to other schools using the School Direct Hub to share best practice.