OTSA Recruitment, Retention & Representation Conference 2024 – Online

Gain expert insights into the current teacher recruitment, retention and representation challenges in our schools

In response to requests from colleagues who are keen to participate, but unable to attend in person, we have taken the decision to move the event online. Book your place to attend live or receive access to a recording after the event.

Schools continue to face multiple challenges and the recruitment and retention of skilled teachers is perhaps one of the most complex. Schools are reliant on great teachers and yet locally, nationally and globally they are in short supply. Furthermore, we are making very little progress in creating a teaching workforce that fully represents the society in which we live.

In response to these challenges new ways of thinking and a greater sense of collaboration and collective responsibility are required.

Drawing on a wider range of research and case studies, this conference will explore different facets of the challenges of recruitment, retention and representation and examine some of the ‘best bets’ that schools and MATs should make in order to respond effectively.

We are inviting trust leaders, headteachers, leadership team members and governors to join our first recruitment, retention and representation conference to explore the possibilities.

The conference will include keynote presentations, ‘spotlight’ insights on key facets of the recruitment, retention and representation challenges as well as input on innovative projects which attendees will be invited to participate in and shape.

Funded for OTSA Partner Schools / Non Partner Schools £50 per person.

Full Programme

Keynote – International, national and local perspectives on teacher recruitment and retention

In England, government recruitment targets for new teachers have been missed in almost every year for the past fifteen years. This session will examine the most recent and relevant data and trends in teacher recruitment at local, national and international levels as well as outlining the ways in which schools and school leaders can play a pivotal role in addressing their own recruitment needs as well as working collaboratively and effectively across the region. The session will also offer a detailed exploration of the different factors involved in the retention of teachers at different stages of their career. It is sometimes suggested that the reasons why teachers leave teaching are outside of the control of individual schools, however there are many factors that have an impact of retention that are within the remit of school leaders to influence and this session will identify key areas for school leaders and governors to examine. Finally the session will consider the characteristics of different groups within the teaching workforce and consider how they can best be supported in order to remain within the profession.

Speaker

Patrick Garton is the founder and Director of Oxfordshire Wiltshire Berkshire Teacher Training, a leading provider of initial teacher training and professional development. With over 25 years of experience in education, Patrick has dedicated his career to improving the quality of teaching and learning. He has worked in various roles, including classroom teacher, mentor, and senior leader, and is known for his expertise in teacher recruitment, training, and retention. He is a trustee, trainer and writer for NASBTT (the National Association of School Based Teacher Trainers) and often contributes to national policy discussions. Under his leadership, the OTT SCITT has expanded its reach, offering innovative programmes that address the evolving needs of educators both locally and nationally. Passionate about supporting new and experienced teachers alike, Patrick is committed to fostering excellence in education through practical, research-based approaches.

Keynote – Missing Mothers: Are mother-teachers the solution to our recruitment and retention crisis?

Women aged 30-39 make up the largest group of teachers leaving the profession every year, and have done since 2017. In this session, we’ll share the full extent of this shocking attrition data, and explain the impact of the “motherhood penalty” on teacher supply. We’ll outline the findings of The Maternity Teacher Paternity Teacher (MTPT) Project and The New Britain Project’s “Missing Mothers” report, and offer concrete retention solutions that could transform the health of the teacher workforce in Oxfordshire.

Speaker

Emma Sheppard is the Founder of The MTPT Project, the UK’s charity for parent-teachers. A former English teacher and Lead Practitioner, she is now an ICF ACC qualified coach, and runs The MTPT Project full time. Emma is the UK’s expert on the motherhood penalty in education, and The MTPT Project’s research has been cited in numerous texts and reports on teacher retention (EEF, 2023), teacher wellbeing (Edurio, 2024) and diversity and gender equality in education (Jones, 2023; Patience and Rose, 2022; Kara and Wilson, 2022; Featherstone and Porritt, 2020).

Keynote – Representation Matters: Paving the way for inclusivity in education

This keynote will underscore the critical importance of increasing ethnic minority representation in the education workforce. Despite the multicultural makeup of the UK, a stark disparity remains between the diversity of the student body and the predominantly white teaching staff. Barriers to recruitment and retention which perpetuate this underrepresentation, will be explored in depth. School leaders and governors will be urged to take action to foster equitable, inclusive environments, emphasising that true progress requires moving beyond diversity to achieve genuine inclusion. The session will be interactive, identifying key actions for participants to consider, ensuring they leave with actionable strategies to implement in their institutions.

Speaker

Isabel Mupita is a dynamic educator, researcher, mentor, coach, and advocate for equality, diversity, and inclusion. As an ethnic minority in teaching, she has navigated systemic barriers and is deeply committed to fostering authenticity and a positive work culture in education. Isabel is a leader and speaker dedicated to creating inclusive environments that extend far beyond her own school. With the completion of a Master’s degree focused on increasing ethnic minority representation in education, she blends research-driven insights with lived experience to spark meaningful change. For Isabel, education is a catalyst for societal change, and she is committed to empowering others to drive lasting, inclusive progress.

Accessing the online event

Following registration for this event you will receive an email from Eventbrite confirming your place. If you do not receive the email within a few minutes, please check your junk or spam folders and check that the correct email address was provided at the time of booking. If you did not create an account at the time of booking or someone else booked on your behalf, you will need to create an Eventbrite account. Open your booking confirmation email, select ‘Claim Your Order’ and then choose a password. Make a note of your email address that was used to make the booking and your new password – you will need these to access the Eventbrite page containing the link to the event.

The day before the event begins you will receive an email containing a direct link to the event and to the Eventbrite Online Event page. Login to Eventbrite, using the same email and password you used to create your account. You will now have access to the online event link and any pre-event materials. This link must not be shared with other people.

Please test the link the day before the event to make sure you can connect. If you need help please email info@otsa.org.uk or call 01865 647999 in good time before the event begins. We will be unable to help during the event itself. Please note, if you unsubscribe from Eventbrite before the event takes place you will not receive any further emails from Eventbrite and therefore will not receive the email with the link to the event.

We do not provide refunds if you are unable to access the event due to technical issues that are beyond our control.

Participation in online events

In all cases, at the beginning of the session to confirm your identity please ensure that your camera is on, your username matches the name you registered with and that you register in ‘chat’ with your first name, second name and organisation. This is for security and registration purposes and we may remove, without refunds, participants who have not confirmed their identity as described above.

Our online events aim to be interactive and at times you may be expected to have your camera and microphone on during the session, although usually your microphone should be muted.

We may use ‘Raised Hands’, ‘Reactions’, ‘Chat’, ‘Polls’, shared whiteboards and shared screens during the session. We may also use ‘Breakout Rooms’ to allow you to work in a smaller group.

Technical Difficulties

Should an online session encounter any technical difficulties we will do our best to continue with the session, this may be on a different online platform. In the event that we are unable to do this we will rearrange the session, if you are unable to attend the new date a full refund will be given.

Payment

Payment is required at the time of booking by credit card, debit card or Paypal. Unless otherwise stated, a ticket gives admission to one person at face-to-face and online events. In the event that you share an online event link with other people who then attend the event, including sharing your screen, or you arrive at a venue without a ticket and we are able to admit you, we will invoice you or your organisation for additional tickets retrospectively.

Refunds

No refunds will be given with less than 30 days notice.

In the event of a refund request, please note that the Eventbrite booking fee of 6.95% plus 0.59p per ticket is not refundable.

To keep our event fees as low as possible, we are not able to issue invoices for payment by cheque or bank transfer and we are not able to reserve places without payment.

We strongly recommend that you take out ‘event ticket insurance’ which may cover the cost of your fee should you be unable to attend the event.