Stressed Out Teachers Looking For a Way Out

Ex-Headteacher explains why she left the profession in 2020 to ‘get her life back’.

Stress, anxiety, and uncertainty are just a few words that an ex-Headteacher has used to describe how many teachers are currently feeling, and that the fear of not having a regular salary every month is the only reason why many more have not left the profession.

Ex-Headteacher, Shazia Hussain, has worked as a teacher for over twenty years but decided during the pandemic that it was time to ‘get her life back.’ She says she knows ‘for a fact’ that many other teachers are exploring their options as morale continues to plummet, with thousands of exhausted teachers left complaining about feeling demoralised.

Shazia, who is continuing in education and has recently launched her own First Class Learning tuition franchise in Cambridgeshire, explains: “I realised in the pandemic that it was time for me to gain my life back. To have some flexibility and time with my family while creating my own business that will pay me in my old age as opposed to a pension that I may not live to receive or may not be enough to live off. I started my First Class Learning business in October 2020, but as the country was locked down I officially kick-started my business in June 2021. I used the initial time to upskill myself around business development and networked with other FCL Centre Managers, so I was ready to hit the ground running post lockdown. In terms of effect, it has generated a lot of interest as so many children have lost learning during the pandemic. Families are keen to support their children’s education by supplementing their learning after school and are seeking an affordable option. We are not only affordable but high quality too.

“I know for a fact that more teachers are exploring ‘other’ options and the pandemic has also spurred many on to do that. Many are sitting on the fence as they do not know what they can do next to compensate for their teaching salary. Teaching has been a monthly paying job for them and a source of security even if they do not want to stay on. Other options are on the minds of many but how to pursue and do, is another factor holding them back. I am currently studying for my doctorate and one area that I conducted some research on was ‘The Covid Story of Primary School Teachers and Leaders in the UK’, and the desire to step out of the profession is evident. Only the fear of the unknown is holding them back.”

Shazia adds: “I personally feel life is too short to live it on someone else’s terms. I think everyone should self-assess their circumstances, career and self-worth and then decide what life should look like for them. This will enable them to set bigger goals and take massive action. If you believe you can achieve it, you can.”

There are various ways in which schools can help pupils catch up, but in reality they need help. A recent report commissioned by the Economic Research Council looking at the impact of remote learning found that whilst children have largely been spared from the medical impact of COVID-19, they have faced significant disruption to their education. This has been most profound for primary school pupils, although the repercussions for secondary school students have also been significant. The analysis also shows the disproportionate effect that remote learning has had on more disadvantaged students.

“Schools have several funding pots such as the ‘catch up fund’ allocated by the government to close learning gaps and the ‘pupil premium fund’ to close learning gaps of students who come from deprived families. Schools must really plan how they use these funds and who they trust to help their children catch up with what they have lost over the pandemic. Schools need to be open minded and check out what is on offer on the market and spend time in understanding what providers are offering before making decisions. Interventions need to be personalised and the human touch is still a necessity when working with younger learners.

“Schools are doing their best in offering an enriching and balanced curriculum, but the reality is that schools also go through the curriculum at a pace to complete coverage. This does mean at times all students can fall behind and slip through the net. How tuition or academic coaching works is to help those students keep up rather than catch up. Hence, I feel it is important to supplement school with tuition to enable exactly that.”

Ed Hyslop, CEO of tuition franchise First Class Learning, comments, “Teaching as a profession has been hit unbelievably hard by COVID-19 as teachers across all age groups, who were already under strain from increased bureaucracy, have been expected just to get on with it, against a backdrop of constantly changing guidelines and increasingly difficult working conditions. It’s no wonder that so many are now seriously looking at a career change. We have been inundated with enquiries from teachers who just need a change and see running their own tutoring business as a way of staying in education. They can do this while utilising their skill set without all the worry and constant strain of being in a classroom every day. Being in the profession they know the demand and need is there for extra tutoring, parents want their children to catch up.”

First Class Learning (FCL) is a highly successful education franchise specialising in maths and English. It is currently the UK’s fastest growing tuition business with 300 franchisee-run centres nationwide. First Class Learning is a tuition business, but what it is really selling is success; to students, parents, and franchisees. Core to its success is investment in people, with the franchise built on the mantra that no child deserves to be left behind.

First Class Learning has low start-up costs, with investment levels varying depending on where a centre is located. Initial costs cover training, website set-up and access to the Centre Managers’ Portal with its wealth of guidance and templates, marketing and business support, an Accelerator Launch Package worth over £2,000. Franchisees are given exclusive rights to operate an FCL Centre and use the FCL brand in your territory, as well as access to FCL’s vast range of high-quality learning materials, worksheets and resources. Furthermore, FCL offers a 100% franchise fee discount in month one, then a 50% discount for a further three months, to give new starters plenty of time to build a critical mass of students.

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