Sabbaticals in education

Are you enjoying your current school but starting to feel the need for a change? Over the last few years VSO has been able to offer increased flexibility in the length of time we send teachers overseas. Although the majority of placements are still for 2 years, we do have more one-year placements that would be ideal for someone considering a Sabbatical. VSO has long been recognised as a great opportunity for personal development and is increasingly being acknowledged as an excellent professional development tool by forward thinking employers. Gill Howeson, for example, took a twelve-month sabbatical from her school in Essex, to the Maldives.

If you’re considering a sabbatical and want to find out more, our sabbatical guides may just provide the help you are looking for.

Retaining and developing staff: a governors’ guide to sabbaticals for teachers

The National Governors Association and VSO have joined forces to publish Retaining and developing staff: a governors' guide to sabbaticals for teachers. The guide has been mailed to every chair of the board of governors in England. It addresses key issues such as the positive impact of leave of absence on teacher retention rates, the new and improved skills teachers return to the UK with, and how teachers can use the experiences they gained abroad for the benefit of their school and its pupils.