Hey Tappsters!
With half term over for nearly everyone (only 1% still on holiday!), Autumn term two has begun – time for Christmas concerts, nativity plays, and winter festival fun 🎄🎅.
We also have a winner for our umbrella prize draw ☔️🥳. Congratulations to Mrs G, a secondary teacher from the South of England, who is looking forward to a delivery of TEN Teacher Tapp umbrellas to keep herself and her colleagues dry on break duties and trips in the rain!
So, what have you been telling us this week? Let’s have a look at some data…
Half-term work/life balance
Most teachers get a week off for half term (just 16% enjoy a two-week break!), but what do you do with that time? 30% met with colleagues socially, 26% avoided work entirely, and 85% caught up on sleep. But do some teachers socialise, work, and snooze more than others? 🤔
📆 KS2 teachers are the most social, with 33% meeting colleagues over the break, while only 24% of PE teachers did the same.
🏅 Teachers in Ofsted Outstanding schools are more likely to socialise with colleagues (32% in Outstanding, 29% in Good and 27% in Inadequate/Requires Improvement).
📝 Secondary teachers were more likely than primary teachers to skip schoolwork for the whole week (32% vs 25%).
🇫🇷 MFL teachers are the MOST likely to have spent more than four days on school work – this is possibly because they were also on school trips!
💤 51% of teachers without children at home managed two or more extra hours of sleep each night, whereas only 36% of parents of young children could say the same. And parents of young children were more likely to say they had NO extra or even LESS sleep (18% vs 10%).
Looking forward to the new term
The Sunday night dreads can feel even worse at the end of a holiday. However, not all teachers feel worried about the new term.
There is a small difference in the levels of worry between teachers who have enjoyed a longer half-term break, and those with the standard one-week holiday. 26% of those with two weeks off report feeling worried or very worried about the next half-term, compared to 30% of teachers with a shorter break.
Back in September, we found that teachers who believed they were better teachers this year were more enthusiastic about returning to school – but has that effect lasted?
Apparently so! Teachers who believe they are better at teaching compared to last year are more likely to say they “are not worried at all” about returning to work after half-term compared to teachers who feel they have got worse (23% vs 13%).
What do classroom teachers want from leaders?
The dread about returning to work can be exacerbated by the worry of returning to an unsupportive team. The relationship between a classroom teacher and their line manager can be a fraught one: but if teachers could choose, what would they want their line managers to do more of?
- Rather than wanting praise in front of their peers, classroom teachers preferred private recognition (56% vs 29%).
- Time to read CPD books was the next most popular choice (32%) and 23% wished to be left alone.
- The least popular option was the unexpected drop in (17%) and just 13% wanted something else not listed above.
But this all changes when ‘years in the classroom’ is added into the mix.
Teachers with under 5 years of experience are much more likely to want private recognition compared to teachers with over 20 years (60% vs 46%).
The second most popular choice for teachers with over 20 years of experience is to be left alone (28%) 😬.
But still, no matter how long you’ve been in the classroom, the least popular option for everyone is the unexpected classroom observation with constructive feedback.
Allergies in school
Nut allergies are one of the most common and potentially serious food allergies. When someone has a nut allergy, their immune system mistakenly identifies proteins in nuts (like peanuts, almonds, walnuts, or cashews) as harmful. This overreaction triggers a range of symptoms, from mild rashes or itching to severe, life-threatening reactions like anaphylaxis.
A study from Imperial College London in 2021 reported that since 1992, sixty-six children have died from nut allergies. Nut allergies don’t just affect lunch choices — they can change everything from class snacks to science experiments.
Going nut-free is one approach, and is the choice made by 82% of primary schools. It’s less common in secondary with only 39% banning nuts altogether.
Primary teachers are also more likely to have been recently trained in what to do if a child has an allergic reaction (62% vs 46%).
However, not all teachers with students who have serious allergies are trained to respond. In fact, 13% have a flagged allergy student but have never had training in how to respond to an allergic reaction. Not only that, a further 24% had training more than two years ago.
Do you feel equipped to deal with allergic reactions in the classroom? Are you a teacher with serious allergies and worry if you had a reaction while teaching there wouldn’t be anyone to help you? Let us know what you think by getting in touch via the app or email england@teachertapp.co.uk.
🎩 Top events
A new event topped the chart this week! It’s an online event about smartphone policies in schools from the London School of Economics.
Don’t forget—plenty of in-person and online events are available in the app. Check out the Events page; there’s something for everyone!
Ups and Downs
On the rise 📈
Schools marking Black History Month – More schools are holding assemblies for Black History Month compared to 2018 (53% UP from 25%).
Heading down 📉
Teachers struggling to plan due to poor resources – Good news! Fewer primary teachers reported a lack of access to good existing lesson plans. Since February 2022, the number has dropped to 35% down from 46%.
Daily Reads
This week our most-read blog was a special read for headteachers about the new attendance codes.
Have you seen a great blog you think would make a great daily read? Let us know by emailing england@teachertapp.co.uk and we will check it out!
