Background
Good-quality teaching is widely regarded as the most important influence on educational outcomes for children. In 2019, the Department of Education (DfE) published a teacher recruitment and retention strategy, introducing a wide range of policies and initiatives.
In 2022, DfE set out its vision for every child to be taught by an excellent teacher by 2030. However, teacher recruitment and retention has remained a challenge for over a decade, with secondary school pupil to teacher ratios at the highest rate since 2010.
DfE predicts that, given demographic changes, the secondary school population will peak in 2026/27. This will then impact further education settings, increasing the need for teachers in these sectors.
Recognised challenges in recruiting and retaining teachers include a lack of competitive salaries, workload, poor progression opportunities and, in schools, worsening pupil behaviour. The current government has pledged to recruit 6,500 new teachers, with details to be confirmed about where these new teachers will go and by when.
Scope
This study will examine DfE’s approach to identifying and meeting teacher workforce needs in secondary and further education, including:
- whether DfE has a good understanding of the teaching workforce needs across the two sectors
- whether DfE makes sound decisions on where to invest or intervene to address the workforce needs it has identified
- whether DfE is making progress in addressing recruitment and retention issues
NAO team
Director: Emma Willson
Audit Manager: Ee-Ling Then