No matter how many times you do it, making the switch from summer to the beginning of a new school year can be daunting for teachers. There are new pupils, new classes, new timetables, curriculum changes, and perhaps even new colleagues. Understandably, this can lead to fear of the unknown, or rather, ‘fear of the thing is worse than the thing itself’.

Despite the fact that starting a new school year is like riding a bike, the sense of stress leading up to the big day is fairly inevitable.

So how can MAT leaders, heads, and senior staff help teachers hit the ground running? Well, the key is in being prepared, thinking about the challenges that your teachers are facing, and taking a few smart steps towards solving them. Not just for the individuals, but for your school or trust as a whole.

Back to school challenges for teachers

1. Back to deadlines and due dates

There’s no easy way to fade gradually into the new school year. Once school is open, you’re plunged in at the deep end. That means a return to the world of deadlines, not just for pupils, but for teachers too.

2. Back to structure

A new school year means a new school timetable and Monday to Friday working weeks. This can be jarring when you’ve just had time off. The trouble is, this year isn’t the same as last year. Everything’s different – the pupils, the timetable, potentially even the lessons. Trying to stick to a schedule requires planning and organisation.

3. Back to competing priorities

Put yourself in the teacher’s shoes: you’re trying to run a lesson but you’re aware a student is having emotional difficulties that you need to flag, and you’re trying to give every student an equal amount of attention. There’s no sugar coating it, schooling is hard when there are multiple pressures competing.

4. Back to communication challenges

From parent-teacher communication to teacher-pupil communication and inter-staff communication. Trying to get a message from one place to another in a school, while juggling multiple responsibilities, can tend to be in the hands of fate and luck.

How school leaders can address these challenges head on

1. Offload admin tasks

Save time, money & reduce stress levels by utilising online educational tools for teachers and students that can take care of admin tasks for them. That means everything from class registers to absence management, permission slips, and self-service forms that reduce paperwork. So, teachers can offload all the things they have to remember into one handy online tool, and focus on what really matters: teaching. Learn more about Weduc’s online tools for teachers and students here.

2. Utilise a communications platform

There’s an easier and better way to handle your school communications – with educational software for school management used by parents, staff, and pupils. So, you can contact everyone in one go with a click, raise an issue with those who need to know, track responses and target those who haven’t replied, and provide one place to log in and see everything. Find out more about the Weduc communications platform here.

3. Implement a school communications app

With a unique school communications app using your school’s branding, make it easy for parents, staff, and pupils to communicate seamlessly, order meals, check their calendar and book events/clubs, take registers, access reports, raise absences, and much more. Plus, provide role-permission access to selected stakeholders, so everyone can access the information relevant to them, all in one place. Get more information about Weduc’s custom branded apps for schools here.

4. Upgrade your school website

Want to make a good first impression to prospective parents, connect your app to your school website so you can update both at the same time, and provide one touchpoint for everything parents and pupils need to know? It’s time to update your school website, so you can:

• Publish news posts about student activities and success.
• Highlight your school curriculum, with dedicated subject pages.
• Easily and quickly share your triumphs to public-facing social media accounts.

Find out more about Weduc’s websites for schools here.

Why Weduc?

So, go on. Make starting a new school year easy and seamless with Weduc’s software for school management systems.

To find out more about how to have a great school year with Weduc, click here to book an informal chat at a time that suits you.

Alternatively, drop us a line via our enquiry form, or give us a call on 01509 221 349.