Key Components of Successful OTT Recruitment
Bluewave deals with schools across England and our experience suggests that there are three key aspects that ensure the recruitment of an OTT is a success:
- Supportive Relocation Package - Bluewave invests a considerable amount of time and money into ensuring our teachers know what to expect upon arrival into the UK. We pick them up from the airport and deliver them into a pre-booked B&B close to the school, provide them with a mobile phone and we maintain contact with them for the first 3 months of their appointment on a weekly or fortnightly basis. Many of our teachers stay in contact with us beyond this time.
- Good Induction Programme - All schools understand the necessity of a strong induction programme for teachers starting at their school, and this is still the case with overseas trained teacher. In some circumstances they need more support than other teachers as they are not only dealing with a new school system, staff and procedures but a whole new country. At Bluewave we place a huge emphasis on preparing our teachers for the impact on culture shock which all our teachers (experienced and newly qualified) face, in varying degrees, when arriving in the UK and our experience shows that strong induction programmes can help make these teachers feel at home more quickly. Our best practice schools have appointed an International Mentor who assists teachers both inside and outside the school in helping them get established. The faster these teachers fit into the school and local community the quicker they find their feet and start to enjoy their new surroundings.
| Induction Checklist | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| School objectives/philosophy/mission | Professional Accountability | ||
| School policies | National Curriculum | ||
| School procedures | Conflict Resolution procedures | ||
| Who is who on management team | Professional development | ||
| Timetablem | Health & Safety | ||
| Behaviour Management | Emergency Procedures | ||
| Performance Management | Dealing with Major/Minor Incidents | ||
| Administration Procedures | Absence Arrangements (Staff/Students) | ||
| Lesson Observation Protocol | Security | ||
| Professional Standards | Extra Curricular / Excursions | ||
- Remuneration - Teachers from Australia, New Zealand and Canada who hold a Bachelor of Education are fully qualified teachers in their own country. Like British teachers they study for 4 years and complete teaching practicum's and their qualifications are equivalent to British Degree standard. Teaching salaries in these countries are now virtually equitable to British salaries, so to entice mature, highly experienced teachers, schools need to try and pay them at equivalent salaries where possible.
Predictors of Retention
Teachers when they first arrive may experience varying degrees of culture shock and have difficulties balancing the positives and negatives of their new environment. Each teacher's ability to cope will vary considerably but we have found the following are just some of the key attributes that will ensure that a Bluewave teacher will remain in employment at your school.
Top 3 - the teachers have achieved:
- Professional confidence in their school
- Community Integration
- Acceptable Compensation
Other potential indictors include:
- Eased assimilation as they have come from similar local environments (i.e. rural or city)
- Strong induction programme
- Ability to create a network of friends outside of the school environment
- Ability to provide quality education for their children
- How well the family is settling into their new environment
- Ability to survive financially
- Clear motivations for why they are relocating
- Clear understanding of what to expect when they arrive in England.
- Type of visa
