The teacher shortage crisis has been an ongoing challenge for schools across Australia, and projections suggest it will continue to intensify in the years to come. School leaders are feeling the pressure as more educators retire or leave the profession, while fewer are entering the field. In this climate, it is essential for school leaders to take proactive steps in preparing for 2025, ensuring that they can maintain high standards of teaching and learning despite staffing challenges. In this blog, we’ve put together some practical steps to help you prepare for staff shortages and minimise disruptions to education.

1. Audit current staffing levels and anticipate gaps

The first step in preparing for future staff shortages is to conduct a thorough audit of current staffing levels. Leaders should review their current teaching workforce, including the ages and career stages of staff members, to anticipate potential retirements or departures. This can give a clear picture of where gaps might emerge in the near future, particularly in core subjects like mathematics and science, where shortages are often most acute.

It’s also crucial to evaluate the subject specialisations of current staff to identify areas where the school may be particularly vulnerable. If, for example, a significant proportion of senior maths teachers are approaching retirement age, it’s vital to plan for how these roles will be filled in advance. Forecasting staffing needs allows schools to prepare early and avoid last-minute recruitment scrambles that could compromise the quality of teaching.

2. Develop a flexible staffing strategy

Given the unpredictability of staff shortages, flexibility is key. Schools need to have a plan that allows them to adapt quickly to changes in staffing levels. One way to build flexibility is by fostering a culture of cross-training and team teaching, where staff members can cover multiple subjects or year levels when needed.

Providing professional development opportunities that broaden teachers’ skill sets can be particularly beneficial. For instance, offering training for a maths teacher to gain experience in science, or vice versa, can create a more resilient workforce. This approach not only helps to fill short-term gaps but also provides teachers with new career development opportunities, making the profession more attractive and promoting staff retention.

Additionally, schools should consider implementing more permanent part-time roles, flexible working arrangements, and job-sharing options to attract teachers who may otherwise leave the profession due to personal or family commitments.

3. Focus on teacher retention

While recruitment is an essential part of solving the teacher shortage, retaining experienced staff is equally critical. Many teachers are leaving the profession due to burnout, high workloads, and insufficient support. School leaders can take several steps to reduce staff turnover and retain their most valuable educators.

One strategy is to prioritise teacher wellbeing by addressing workload management. School leaders can conduct regular reviews of teacher workloads to ensure they are manageable and to eliminate unnecessary administrative tasks. Offering additional support staff, such as teaching assistants or administrative support, can also help reduce pressure on teachers, allowing them to focus more on teaching and less on paperwork.

Another important consideration is creating a supportive school culture where teachers feel valued and heard. Regularly seeking feedback from staff about their concerns and challenges, and acting on that feedback, can improve morale and engagement. Providing mentorship programmes for early-career teachers is another effective way to boost retention, offering them guidance and support as they navigate the demands of the job.

4. Strengthen partnerships with universities and training providers

Strengthening relationships with teacher training institutions is a key strategy in addressing future staffing shortages. School leaders should establish partnerships with local universities and training providers to create pipelines of new talent into their schools. Offering student teaching placements and internships can help aspiring teachers gain real-world experience, while also giving schools the opportunity to identify potential future employees.

5. Leverage technology 

Providing a consistent learning experience for students can be particularly difficult during staff shortages, but some tools are allowing schools to reduce disruptions. Schools are leveraging tools like Maths Pathway to help keep learning consistent and allow non-specialist staff to step into specialist subjects when needed. Like Head of Maths, Rebecca:

“The biggest challenge I have faced in my role as a school leader is managing a faculty with many staff that are not trained Maths specialists. I made the decision to harness the benefits of Maths Pathway to the fullest and developed a 2hr workshop which involved using existing faculty staff that were “experts” in particular concepts in Maths Pathway to deliver the workshop during Student Free Days.

This supported building capacity in the team by upskilling new teachers to not only the faculty but also teaching Maths. I also developed a detailed “How To” with screen shots for getting started in Maths Pathway and more specific “How To’s” for running mini-lessons etc. New teachers found these invaluable to refer to as they developed their skills and became familiar with the program terminology and interface.

What I have learnt from this experience is that investing my time to set up the teaching tools early has saved me a lot of time by reducing the face-to-face professional development for each new teacher to the faculty.”

6. Enhance recruitment efforts

While retention is crucial, recruitment strategies must also be adapted to meet the challenges of the future. Schools should be proactive in marketing themselves as attractive places to work. This includes promoting the school’s culture, values, and any professional development opportunities that may appeal to prospective teachers. Highlighting work-life balance initiatives, career advancement pathways, and other benefits can help schools stand out in a competitive recruitment market.

Additionally, school leaders should think creatively about recruitment strategies. Engaging with diverse communities and reaching out to career changers or mature-age graduates can open up new pools of potential teachers. Offering scholarships or bursaries for teacher training, particularly in high-demand subject areas like mathematics, can also encourage more people to enter the profession.

Staying on top of staffing

Staff shortages are expected to remain a significant issue for schools in the coming years, and the pressure on school leaders to manage these shortages will continue to grow. With thoughtful planning and strategic action, schools can continue to deliver high-quality education despite the obstacles posed by the ongoing teacher shortage crisis. If you’d like to learn more about how Maths Pathway can help you with staff shortages, book in a time to chat with us.