A South Essex school is beating the teacher recruitment crisis by adopting a "grow your own staff" approach.

William Edwards School, in Stifford Clays Road, Grays, took up the Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP) last year when it was unable to fill numerous vacancies despite advertising.

The scheme allows schools to employ teachers not yet qualified and support them through workplace training, allowing them to earn a living while training.

The under-staffed school contacted former pupils who had gone to university and now has 17 GTP trainees. Only four trainees have been funded by the Teacher Training Agency, while the salaries of the other 13 are paid by the school.

Headteacher Brenda Watson said: "Schools in Thurrock probably suffer more than others in the UK because of the unwarranted reputation.

"We found that, contrary to popular opinion, there are many many people who still just want to teach and one former pupil took quite a pay cut from her job in the city to join us."

Ms Watson said the school quickly got to the point where it was having to turn people down and that the trainees and scheme - run by the school's professional tutor Clare Suttling - have been highlighted for praise by OFSTED inspectors who visited recently.

Published Monday January 14, 2002