High turnover of Grammar staff an 'ongoing challenge'
ALMOST half the teachers at the Grammar School and Sixth Form Centre have been replaced within the last 15 months.
In its latest validation report, the school was found to have a 45% staff turnover from November 2012 up until the end of February this year.
Head teacher Tina Watson acknowledged the recruitment of high quality staff was an ongoing challenge.
'The turnover of staff since the last validation is something that we have highlighted but I am delighted to have recruited some excellent teachers over the last two years.
'In partnership with the Education Department, we place a high priority on the development of our staff by supporting their ongoing professional development and this is something that we must continue to prioritise in order to ensure the retention of high quality staff.'
While Education was unavailable to provide turnover data for other schools, the department said the education service as a whole employed more than 1,100 staff and experienced an annual turnover of approximately 11%.
Director of education Alan Brown said there were many reasons why staff turnover could be high, including retirement, promotion, maternity leave, the end of a housing licence or the wish to move on.
