Employee onboarding process for State board schools: a first month that helps new teachers cope
A new teacher in a state board school can be put in front of sixty students on the first morning. A short, planned first month with a mentor helps them cope and makes it likelier they stay.
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Share your requirementsWhy employee onboarding process matters in state board schools
New teachers often join in the middle of a term to fill a gap. They are handed a timetable, a few textbooks and a class register, and asked to start. Nobody introduces them to the school routine, the other teachers or the class history. Some find their feet in a week, and some quietly look for other jobs within the term.
An onboarding plan sets out what happens on the first day, in the first week and by the end of the first month. A senior colleague is named as mentor, the new teacher sees two lessons before taking a class, and the head meets them every week. The plan is short and can be run by a busy school. It reduces early exits and gives the class a more settled teacher.
How to set it up
1. Prepare before the first day
Have the appointment letter signed, the timetable and syllabus copy ready, a place in the staffroom and a note to the class about the new teacher.
2. Name a mentor
A senior teacher in the same subject or level. They introduce the school routine, share lesson notes and sit in on one lesson in the first fortnight.
3. Let the new teacher watch first
Before taking the full load, the teacher observes two lessons of experienced colleagues and one in the same class. See employee onboarding.
4. Meet each week for a month
The head or vice principal asks what is working, what is hard and what help is needed. Large classes and behaviour problems are normal topics.
5. Review at the end of the month
A short written note on how the teacher is settling, with one thing to improve and any support promised. Confirm in writing what happens next.
Check these first
Before changing anything, find out what is true today. These take an afternoon and use your own records.
- Ask your most recent new teacher what they wish had been explained on day one.
- Check if a mentor was named for the last three joiners.
- Look at how many new teachers left within a year.
- Find out who introduces a new teacher to their class.
GullyHR can do this with you. Read how we approach employee onboarding process in general, or share your requirements and we will tell you where to start.
Questions owners ask
Choose a respected colleague who teaches the same subject or level and who is willing. Give them a little relief from other duties, so mentoring is not just an extra burden.
Better to ease in, with a lighter load in the first two weeks if you can. Full load from day one is a common reason for early exits.
Introduce the teacher by name and subject, say a few kind words about their experience and make it clear the head supports them. Students respond to how the school treats a newcomer.