How to offer flexible working to attract outstanding staff and boost retention: case study

An innovative timetable enables Manchester Communication Academy to offer flexi days, staggered start times and part-time working – contributing to a 90% staff retention rate. Read on for ideas about how to implement flexible working in your school.

Last reviewed on 2 September 2021
School types: AllSchool phases: AllRef: 35567
Contents
  1. The school's approach to flexible working
  2. Developing a simple timetable
  3. What does a typical week look like?
  4. Offering flexi days
  5. Budgeting to enable flexible working
  6. Benefits of introducing flexible working
  7. Introducing wider wellbeing initiatives 
  8. Tips for other schools

The school's approach to flexible working

Part-time work and flexible hours for staff have been a priority for Manchester Communication Academy, a secondary school with 1,200 pupils on roll, since it opened in 2010. The school has 126 full-time staff (100 teachers), of whom 21 work part time (including 12 teachers). All staff are on permanent contracts.

The school's vision is to mitigate the effects of social disadvantage in the area. One way of doing this is to remove any barriers, such as restrictive working patterns, that could prevent the recruitment and retention of the very best staff. 

Adapt systems and processes, such as the timetable and cover arrangements, to allow for flexible working and encourage outstanding teachers into the school Welcome part-time, flexi-time and job-share applicants when recruiting. The key question for the school is ‘What can this person offer our pupils, and how can we support