Flexible working in schools: #2
There is clear evidence of the need for, and value of, flexible working, and the Covid-19 pandemic has brought it further into the spotlight. With these key points understood, leaders need to be clear on the best approach to take in order to successfully incorporate flexible working within their school.
From our work within the education sector, we have found that many schools have tended to take a reactive approach. When flexible working is agreed, it is often in response to a request from a member of staff, typically on return from maternity leave, for a part-time role.
This request-response process usually starts with a formal written request and ends with a formal written response. It also tends to be done on an individual basis, looking at that specific role in isolation, rather than working out how a different working pattern could be integrated into the department and the wider staff team.
The result is that flexible working can feel like a precious commodity which can only be allocated to a chosen few. The knock-on effect is that those who are unable to get the flexibility they need may end up leaving the school or, indeed, the profession.
However, experience has shown that schools which take a whole-school approach to designing and delivering flexible working are much better placed to reap the benefits that it can deliver, from recruitment and retention of staff to improved motivation and wellbeing.
A whole-school approach means moving away from flexible working being an individual matter, and instead making it a way of working and thinking which is embedded within the school’s culture, and supported by cyclical processes which enable continuous improvement. This ensures that it is successfully incorporated, and well received by all, including those who do not work flexibly.
On a strategic level, this could mean adapting policies and guidelines to clarify that conversations around flexible working will be welcomed, and preferences supported, where possible. It could also mean creating space and processes for conversations and discussions to happen within and across teams. It is easier for schools to decide how best to deliver flexible working if they understand – in advance – the potential demand for it, so it is worth building these discussions into review or CPD processes.
Additionally, it could mean creating an understanding that fairness is not about everyone having the same outcome, but rather everyone having the same opportunity to discuss their desired outcome. It is not always possible for every single flexible working request to be met exactly; flexibility needs to work for the school as well as for the individual. What is important is that people are encouraged to raise their flexible working request, discuss the options, and reach a mutually beneficial agreement.
It could also mean the person responsible for the timetable taking time to develop it collaboratively (for example, with HODs or a flexible working group), so that a range of options can be considered and incorporated, and the needs of different roles across the school can be balanced.
Finally, it requires an understanding of the different kinds of flexibility that might be available, and an appreciation of how they could be made to work in a school setting. That is why understanding job design is such an important part of the process.
While part-time working is the most common flexible working pattern in schools, it does not have to be the only option on the table. There are many other ways to work flexibly, some of which are already being used within school environments to great effect.
Successful job design involves looking at when or where a role is carried out, or how much work it involves, and finding the point at which the needs of the school (and its students) and the needs of the individual are met. Among the different patterns that are currently used in schools are part-time, flexible start and finish times, job sharing and a compressed week.
Additionally, the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the role that technology can play in allowing people to work from different locations, or attend meetings virtually. Schools would benefit from using what they have learned in lockdown to feed into the job design process.
Given the size and scope of school leaders’ workloads, finding time to plan flexible working options is no small ask. However, school leaders undoubtedly have an important part to play in implementing flexible working; indeed, whole-school change has to come from the leadership team.
Headteachers who are keen to do this successfully would benefit from creating time and space for proactive discussions about flexible working, encouraging a collaborative approach to timetabling, and being ready to support the implementation of different types of flexible working. This would include, for example, training staff on job design and how to manage flexible teams.
Another successful approach is to openly champion flexible working, both as a concept, and as a practice. Headteachers and other leaders drive a school’s attitude towards flexible working, so describing flexible working as an opportunity and a positive change, rather than just a legal right for employees, is more likely to lead to a positive outcome.
Getting this right could deliver positive change to the wellbeing and motivation of a school’s staff, and could stop them from leaving the profession. Being open about flexible working when recruiting could help put a school at the top of a candidate’s wish list – a real bonus in a time of teacher shortages. There has never been a better time for schools who want to hang on to their talented staff, and attract the best new ones, to embrace, explore and deliver flexible working.
