Appointing a less than satisfactory subject specialist teacher

What was the issue addressed?

We needed to recruit a subject teacher and had advertised three times. We had one applicant who following the interview we felt was not quite up to the standard we expected. The question we had to wrestle with was whether to appoint the teacher and place a not quite good enough teacher in front of classes OR not appoint them and end up placing a non-subject specialist teacher in front of classes.

What happened?

We appointed the teacher and placed them under strict supervision by the subject head. This was not ideal because it placed even more strain on the subject head.

What lessons were learnt?

So far things are working out OK. Recruiting teachers is never easy!

Reflections…

Has your school had to make any less than satisfactory appointments of teachers? If so, what did you do to ensure pupils received good teaching?

What challenges has your school faced in seeking to recruit new teachers?

Have your say…

Have you had experiences similar to these? What do you think about the situation described?