SWINDON'S schools are heading for a shortage of teachers.

Senior headteachers in the town say things have not improved one bit since the recruitment crisis in 2001, when two secondary schools were forced to shorten the school week because they had so few teachers.

Keith Defter, chairman of the Swindon Association of Secondary Heads, said there are teacher shortages right across the town in all schools and primary heads spokesman Paul Kohn says anyone who claims there is no shortage of teachers is lying.

And teaching unions have warned that cash is so tight that "at least five or six schools" will be forced to make staff redundant this summer.

Mr Defter, headteacher at Commonweal School, said: "There is no discernable improvement in the number of people applying for jobs in Swindon.

"I would be reluctant to say the situation has eased, because although most positions in the town's secondaries are filled they have been done so by travelling far and wide.

"Come September there are going to be a lot of positions across Swindon that will be hard to fill."

It is believed there are particular shortages in secondary schools, with maths, English, science, technology and foreign language teachers highly sought after.

The latest available official figures show that in January this year there were just six primary school jobs unfilled and five vacancies in secondaries. But it is thought this figure could rise since schools will only know the true picture by Easter, when teachers who are leaving will have handed in their notice.

Phil Baker, Swindon secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: "The concern for many is the quality of the people available.

"The teacher training agency has totally failed in its attempts to improve the quality of those entering the profession. The number of people applying for jobs leaves the governors with very little choice to make.

"We welcome the efforts of the council to bring people into the town but too many people are being put off the profession by the high workload, relatively poor pay and bad behaviour of pupils."

Ian Hill, Swindon secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: "It is true there is an on-going shortage and the problem has not been sorted because of issues such as workload, stress and a low pay offer from the Government.

"I have taken a lot of calls from teachers in their 50s who are asking my advice on retiring and doing supply work, or even going to work in a DIY store until they can take their pension. A lot of people also leave in their mid to late twenties for a career change.

"I know of at least five secondary and primary schools who are being forced to make redundancies this summer."

In 2001 Headlands and Hreod Parkway schools moved to a shorter week, with Hreod head Andrew Fleet forced to interview teachers in Australia via a video link up in a desperate bid to recruit staff.

Mr Kohn, the chairman of the Swindon Association of Primary Heads, said: "There is a shortage of teachers and anybody who says there isn't is lying.

"It is a bit early to say which schools will be looking for staff, most won't know exactly until Easter.

"All schools in the south east are suffering, if young teachers can go a little further north and enjoy much cheaper housing and a cheaper standard of life then there is a fair chance they will.

"Swindon is trying to attract people and we have a lot going for us, we are right between London and Bristol, with easy access to all sorts of great places and Wiltshire is a lovely place to live in.

"Some people may have been put off by the council's inspection failure but I have full confidence in the new officers who have taken charge."

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