When I first came to teach in Norfolk as a second in department I was quickly faced with the prospect of having a teaching department of 3 rather than 5. One of our staff went on maternity leave and the other moved to another school at Christmas. They were unforseen departures but left the department in a very sticky situation. It was very difficult and we struggled to manage the learning of the youngsters who were faced by teachers in their mathematics lessons who were non-specialists and unfamiliar to them.

Most of the time when this happens in school it is not about being unable to recruit at the beginning of the academic year. Problems often occur when staff leave during the year or when staff are absent for long periods of time.

I hope to initiate a discussion about the possible strategies that could be employed to make sure that the effect of staff shortages on youngsters is minimised. In addition, I hope to offer some ideas.