Teacher recruitment update in Highland

An update on the recruitment of teaching positions in Highland was presented to Members of the Council’s Education Committee yesterday (6 August).

Head of Education, Nicky Grant, said: “I want to thank our staff members who have stepped into these vacancies while we continue in our recruitment of teaching and support staff. Their willingness to adapt, particularly within the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, is recognised and appreciated.

It has been extremely challenging to progress with recruitment to promoted posts during the lockdown period, I am glad we can now do so. We look forward to beginning this process this month and welcoming new colleagues to the Highland Council”.

The Deputy First Minister announced that Local Authorities were to receive funding specifically for the recruitment of additional teachers and support staff to help their progress in the return to education.

The distribution of the announced £50m across Local Authorities has just been confirmed, with detail to follow shortly from the Scottish Government. Planning will begin with Head Teachers and union colleagues on how to maximise additional teaching and support resources when they are made available. The intention to target numeracy, literacy, health and wellbeing and the new attainment gap will remain an initial focus.

Recruitment is set to begin this month for a number of posts in Primary, Secondary, Deputy Head Teacher, and Head Teacher positions. These will be advertised externally on ‘myjobscotland’, the on-line platform used by all local authorities and in the Times Educational Supplement.