JCL Skills Solutions
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September 10, 2025
The Real Cost of Doing Nothing
Headteachers and SENCOs know the numbers. Every year, schools spend thousands plugging staffing gaps with agencies, short-term fixes, and constant recruitment drives. What rarely gets counted is the disruption these churn cycles cause to pupils and to the culture of a school. Staff leave, classes lose continuity, and learners who need stability most especially those with SEND are left with yet another unfamiliar face.
The cost of doing nothing is high. Retention is at crisis levels, with only around sixty per cent of teachers expecting to stay in the profession over the next three years. Support staff are stretched thin, often deployed to cover lessons, while also shouldering the increasing demands of SEND support. Relying on this model is not sustainable. Schools are left firefighting, not building capacity.
Apprenticeships as Strategy, Not Short-Term Fix
Apprenticeships are often misunderstood. Too many leaders still think of them as “trainee roles” or as a budget drain. In reality, they are one of the most cost-effective ways of building expertise into your team.
Our Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship, for example, isn’t just training. It is a structured pathway that turns teaching assistants into specialists, capable of leading interventions, supporting complex SEND needs, and mentoring colleagues. For the school, this means better outcomes for learners, less reliance on external agencies, and a stronger, more stable team that is invested in staying.
Funding is also misunderstood. Levy-paying schools already have the budget waiting to be used. Non-levy schools contribute only a small fraction around £600 towards a £12,000 programme, with government funding covering the rest. Compare that with the ongoing cost of agency staff or repeated recruitment and the maths quickly becomes clear.
Recruitment Is Only Half the Battle
The truth is that schools can’t recruit their way out of this crisis. Even where candidates are found, keeping them is the real challenge. Apprenticeships allow schools to recruit where needed but, but more importantly to train and retain. Instead of seeing teaching assistants as temporary support, apprenticeships give them a reason to stay, a career path, and recognition as specialists.
This shift matters. More than one and a half million pupils in England now have SEND. The need for skilled, consistent support is only rising. Schools that fail to invest in their staff will struggle to meet this demand, while those that do will build resilience, attract families, and give their students the consistency they deserve.
Why Act Now
With a new academic year underway, the choices made in September set the tone for the months ahead. Waiting until staff leave or until budgets tighten further will only make the problem harder to solve. Investing in apprenticeships now means your team can begin embedding new skills this term, making a measurable impact before Christmas.
At JCL Skills Solutions, we recruit, we train, and we help you retain. Our Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship cohort begins the week commencing 29th September, giving schools a chance to up-skill their staff immediately.
We know how hard it is to balance budgets, meet rising SEND demand, and keep staff motivated. That’s exactly why I believe apprenticeships aren’t just another initiative they are a sustainable solution that gives schools stability, value, and the expertise they need.
Book a Call Today
If you are a Headteacher, SENCO, or Business Manager looking to build a stronger, more stable workforce, this is the time to act.
Our team would love to hear from you email us at getintouch@jclss.co.uk or call us on 0330 0245809
to book your place or ask any questions. Let’s explore how the Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship can support your staff, your learners, and your school. We’ll walk you through funding, practical steps, and the outcomes you can expect.
Because recruitment is only half the battle. The schools that thrive are the ones that train to retain.
INNOVATE | EDUCATE | EMPOWER
