Recommendations & Conclusions
17 items
2
Conclusion
38th Report - Increasing teacher number…
Accepted
The Department has no clear or coherent approach bringing together its various initiatives on teacher recruitment and retention. In 2024–25, the Department had a £700 million package, excluding pay and pensions, for recruitment and retention initiatives which the Department has allocated in a way to make as much progress as …
Read more
The Department has no clear or coherent approach bringing together its various initiatives on teacher recruitment and retention. In 2024–25, the Department had a £700 million package, excluding pay and pensions, for recruitment and retention initiatives which the Department has allocated in a way to make as much progress as possible. This includes bursaries and scholarships to recruit teachers in particular subjects (£233 million budget in 2024–25), and a two-year support package for newly qualified teachers (£131 million budget in 2024–25). It has undertaken some evaluation of its recruitment and retention initiatives, but it has still to undertake a full evaluation, including non-financial initiatives despite a recommendation by a previous Public Accounts Committee in 2016. The Department has limited evidence on the effectiveness of initiatives to improve workload or wellbeing, despite these being common reasons for teachers leaving. Given these gaps, and a lack of targets (beyond those for those starting teacher training), the Department cannot make fully informed decisions on where best to focus resources and justify funding pots. More widely, the Department has started some cross-sector thinking, as well as value for money analysis. This has been used to stop, for example, international relocation payments for trainees. recommendation The Department should develop a whole-system strategy to help frame how it will recruit and retain school and college teachers. This should be based on a fuller evidence base, establish the preferred balance between recruitment and retention initiatives; set appropriate targets for those joining teaching through different routes; and include value for money analysis of different initiatives.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government committed to detailing its whole-system strategy for teacher recruitment and retention across several upcoming policy documents, including the Schools White Paper, the 6,500 delivery plan, and the post-16 education and skills strategy.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
3
Conclusion
38th Report - Increasing teacher number…
Accepted
Teacher vacancies and the challenges of retaining experienced teachers are greater for schools in deprived areas, and across some core subjects, leading to inequities in provision and career opportunities. Schools and colleges decide their own staffing model and have discretion around how they chose to use funding which may, for …
Read more
Teacher vacancies and the challenges of retaining experienced teachers are greater for schools in deprived areas, and across some core subjects, leading to inequities in provision and career opportunities. Schools and colleges decide their own staffing model and have discretion around how they chose to use funding which may, for example, lead to variances in the use of supply teachers and pupil-teacher ratios. Schools with higher proportions of disadvantaged pupils tend to have higher turnover rates and less experienced teachers – 34% of teachers in the most disadvantaged schools had less than five years of experience, compared to 20% in the least disadvantaged schools. These schools also suffer teacher shortages in specialist subjects, such as in Computing (1.4% vacancy rate against 0.8% in secondary schools overall). This means that disadvantaged students are at risk of being locked out of particular careers due to a lack of trained teachers 31% of schools in the most disadvantaged areas do not offer Computer Science A-level (compared to 11% in the least disadvantaged areas), and 9% do not offer Physics A-level (1% in the least 5 disadvantaged areas). This issue is critical to the government’s mission of breaking down barriers to opportunity, but the Department does not have a timescale for when we can expect to see reduced variation between schools in more and less disadvantaged areas. Challenges extend to colleges which struggle to find trained teachers in specialist subjects, such as construction, where shortages in the wider labour market increases the competition for talent and means fewer people are likely to apply. recommendation The Department should work with schools and colleges to understand the reasons behind variations, particularly within deprived areas and core subjects, setting this out in published information to help identify and share good practice and ideas on what works best.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government committed to evaluating the Targeted Retention Incentive, with reports planned for 2027 and 2028, and deciding on a longitudinal study by late 2026 to better understand variations in teacher retention.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
4
Conclusion
38th Report - Increasing teacher number…
Accepted
The Department has recently increased its focus on addressing the significant teacher gaps across further education colleges, but there remains much more to do. A shortage of further education college teachers, which impacts the type and extent of skills developed, puts the achievement of the government’s missions for opportunity and …
Read more
The Department has recently increased its focus on addressing the significant teacher gaps across further education colleges, but there remains much more to do. A shortage of further education college teachers, which impacts the type and extent of skills developed, puts the achievement of the government’s missions for opportunity and growth at risk. In general, further education colleges, 5.1 out of every 100 positions were vacant in 2022–23 and the Department estimate that colleges will need 8,400 to 12,400 more teachers by 2028–29. Compared to schools, the workforce data kept by the Department is less detailed and complete, requiring it to make broader assumptions as part of its workforce model. The Department has begun to focus more on addressing teacher shortages in further education, describing this as now a strong focus. The Department say this includes recently providing £400 million additional funding to the sector, extending targeted retention incentives to further education from October 2024, and bringing in professionals who teach alongside working in industry. This also helps ensure students are taught the latest practices. College teacher pay remains, on average, £10,000 lower than school teacher pay. With no national pay review body, colleges set their own pay considering the funding from the Department, but colleges continue to feel there has been limited additional funding despite government’s positive messages. recommendation Given the urgent need for further education teachers, the Department should update the Committee on its full recruitment and retention plans for the further education sector as soon as possible, including expanding dual professional and industry partnerships in areas of key skill shortages, and then every six months until summer 2028, on its progress addressing gaps. 6
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government committed to detailing its FE teacher recruitment and retention plans in upcoming documents and providing biannual updates on progress, starting with the next Further Education Workforce data publication.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
5
Conclusion
38th Report - Increasing teacher number…
Accepted
Teachers’ working environment and conditions remain critically important to teacher retention, with workload cited as the top reason for teachers leaving, and pupil behaviour an escalating challenge. The Department does not offer payments or structured support for more experienced teachers, which means their working environment constitutes one of the main …
Read more
Teachers’ working environment and conditions remain critically important to teacher retention, with workload cited as the top reason for teachers leaving, and pupil behaviour an escalating challenge. The Department does not offer payments or structured support for more experienced teachers, which means their working environment constitutes one of the main levers keeping them in the profession. The Department recognises workload as the top reason for teachers leaving and has, for example, worked with Ofsted to reduce marking requirements. However, it does not understand the root causes behind these factors including, for example, why and where workload is high. The Department does not dictate working patterns, or maternity and paternity leave, with schools and colleges making these decisions. However, there remains a lack of flexible working arrangements for teachers, although the Department has signalled an intention to raise improving maternity and paternity leave for teachers. More widely, the Department is looking to learn from the health sector on creating clearer career pathways. We are concerned about worsening pupil behaviour impacting workload and the wider environment, with the Department aiming to address this through new attendance and behaviour hubs. Only 17% of schools and colleges have signed the Department’s wellbeing charter. recommendation The Department should work to better understand why teachers leave and then better support schools and colleges in addressing these factors. This includes looking at changes to contractual and working conditions, such as flexible working, and at how teacher workload can be reduced. It should also collect data on the effectiveness of the newly-announced behaviour hubs, rolling them out further if they prove to be successful.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government agrees and is developing a workload reduction toolkit, exploring AI/digital tools with an EdTech pilot to reduce teacher workload, and delivering a flexible working toolkit. It also outlines plans for regional support for behaviour hubs starting 2025-26 and wider rollout from January 2026, …
Read full response →
HM Treasury
6
Conclusion
38th Report - Increasing teacher number…
Accepted
The Department recognises pay as important in recruiting and retaining teachers, but is less clear on how it considers pay alongside other initiatives and how schools and colleges can afford pay rises. Pay is important in recruiting and retaining teachers. The Department’s influence on pay differs between schools and colleges, …
Read more
The Department recognises pay as important in recruiting and retaining teachers, but is less clear on how it considers pay alongside other initiatives and how schools and colleges can afford pay rises. Pay is important in recruiting and retaining teachers. The Department’s influence on pay differs between schools and colleges, for schools, it sets pay ranges and then provides schools a funding package to be used, by schools, on pay and other areas of spend – it has assumed schools will make 1% efficiency savings in 2025–26 to afford pay rises. Colleges do not have a pay review body, setting their own salaries from the funding received. Schoolteachers have received a 17% combined pay increase from the last three pay awards. The Department has reduced its teacher trainee targets as it expects 2,500 more teachers to stay because of the most recent 5.5% pay award. The Department recognises college teachers continue to receive less than those in secondary, who earn around 7 £10,000 more, and those in industry where, for example, IT professionals can earn over £11,000 more. The Department has assessed the relative value for money for some of its financial incentives but has not assessed the extent to which increasing pay has a similar impact. It is unclear how important the Department considers pay over, for example, the Early Career Framework in retaining teachers. It is also worth noting that teachers benefit automatically from a defined benefit pension scheme, a hugely valuable yet easily under-sold perk of the job. recommendation The Department should assess the effectiveness and relative value-for-money of pay against other recruitment and retention initiatives, to make an explicit decision on whether it needs to do more to ensure teachers are paid the right amount. 8 1 The Department’s approach to considering teacher recruitment and retention Introduction
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government agrees and continues to assess the effectiveness and value-for-money of pay against other recruitment and retention initiatives. It details specific ongoing analyses, including existing assessments, workforce surveys, and evaluations of various programs and incentives, which it will continue over the next year to …
Read full response →
HM Treasury
1
Conclusion
38th Report - Increasing teacher number…
Accepted
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Department for Education (the Department) on increasing teacher numbers across secondary schools and further education colleges.1
Government response AI summary
The government agrees and has made progress on its commitment to recruit 6,500 teachers, citing specific pay awards, financial incentives, and £160 million investment for colleges. It will publish a detailed delivery plan outlining how this commitment will be met and tracked.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
8
Recommendation
38th Report - Increasing teacher number…
Accepted
Although unable to breakdown the pledge by time or educational setting, or provide a baseline, the Department described having started delivering the pledge through, for example, the 5.5% pay award for schoolteachers in 2024–25 and an increase to the financial incentives package for schools 10 C&AG’s Report, para 2.37 11 …
Read more
Although unable to breakdown the pledge by time or educational setting, or provide a baseline, the Department described having started delivering the pledge through, for example, the 5.5% pay award for schoolteachers in 2024–25 and an increase to the financial incentives package for schools 10 C&AG’s Report, para 2.37 11 ITN0006, Written evidence submitted by the National Foundation for Educational Research ; ITN0012, Written evidence submitted by the Campaign for Mathematical Sciences 12 C&AG’s Report, para 1.9 13 Qq 14, 65 14 Q 63 15 Q 66 16 Qq 65-67; C&AG’s Report, paras 19, 2.41-2.42 17 ITN0011, Written evidence submitted by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation 11 and colleges.18 The Department told us it was already seeing a positive impact, including 2,000 more secondary teachers starting training than the previous year and early signs of around 1,000 more teachers applying for the next year. It also now expects to retain about 2,500 more teachers than it had previously expected.19 Recruitment and retention
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the recommendation and will publish a delivery plan by December 2025 setting out how it will recruit 6,500 new teachers, including baselines, milestones, and levers for both recruitment and retention.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
10
Conclusion
38th Report - Increasing teacher number…
Accepted
We asked the Department how confident it was that the initiatives funded through the £700 million represented the best value for money. It told us it had allocated the funding in a way to make what is described as “as much progress as possible”.23 We challenged the Department on, for …
Read more
We asked the Department how confident it was that the initiatives funded through the £700 million represented the best value for money. It told us it had allocated the funding in a way to make what is described as “as much progress as possible”.23 We challenged the Department on, for example, whether the £26 million annual spend relating to its recruitment website reflected the right amount. The Department subsequently clarified what these costs covered the whole of the Get Into Teaching service for 2024-25, which comprises the School Teacher Recruitment marketing campaign, candidate support services, teaching internships and digital products and services including the website, costing £1.3 million. However, the Department’s response does not allow like for like comparison with the costs for other comparable recruitment websites or activities or show any analysis of whether the costs were appropriate.24
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government is investing in analysing and evaluating policies to understand impact, maximise value for money and ensure focus on our best evidenced levers, including embedding value for money analysis into the design and evaluation of major initiatives.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
11
Conclusion
38th Report - Increasing teacher number…
Accepted
In 2016, the previous Public Accounts Committee recommended that the Department should undertake a full evaluation of all its recruitment and retention initiatives to understand what works, including 18 Q 62; C&AG’s Report, para 2.38 19 Qq 22, 62 20 C&AG’s Report, para 2.2 21 Q 14; C&AG’s Report, paras …
Read more
In 2016, the previous Public Accounts Committee recommended that the Department should undertake a full evaluation of all its recruitment and retention initiatives to understand what works, including 18 Q 62; C&AG’s Report, para 2.38 19 Qq 22, 62 20 C&AG’s Report, para 2.2 21 Q 14; C&AG’s Report, paras 2.8-2.9, 2.11-2.12, 2.38, Figure 16 22 C&AG’s Report, paras 2.8, 2.14, 2.19 23 Q 14 24 Qq 18, 21; Letter from the Department for Education to the Committee, 2 June 2025 12 those not providing a financial incentive.25 The Department accepted the recommendation and, while it has undertaken some evaluation, it has yet to undertake a full evaluation which includes non-financial incentives and all those initiatives available to further education colleges. The Department recognised that for further education initiatives, its evaluation activity was less mature. The Department stressed that it did not want to spend public money “on things that do not work”, and that it had used evidence to discontinue some schemes such as international relocation payments for trainee teachers. It intends to use the analysis of school related financial recruitment incentives to help decide where to direct funding. It plans to expand this analysis to include retention initiatives such as flexible working, and the newer further education initiatives.26
Show less
Government response AI summary
The department is investing in analyzing and evaluating policies and is embedding value for money analysis into the design and evaluation of all major initiatives, and is using data from various sources to inform its strategy.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
13
Conclusion
38th Report - Increasing teacher number…
Accepted
We questioned the Department on what it was doing to better understand the competition between schools and colleges when recruiting teachers.31 The Department has identified that around 60% of workers who leave an education occupation move into another education occupation. However, until recently, departmental teams for schools and further 25 …
Read more
We questioned the Department on what it was doing to better understand the competition between schools and colleges when recruiting teachers.31 The Department has identified that around 60% of workers who leave an education occupation move into another education occupation. However, until recently, departmental teams for schools and further 25 Committee of Public Accounts, Training new teachers, Third Report of Session 2016–17, HC 73, 10 June 2016; HM Treasury, Treasury Minutes – Government responses to the Committee of Public Accounts, November 2016 (page 23) 26 Qq 56-57; C&AG’s Report, paras 2.32-2.33 27 Qq 55 28 C&AG’s Report, paras 1.10-1.11, Figure 3 29 Qq 22, 55 30 ITN0009, Written evidence submitted by Education Support 31 Q 42 13 education worked in silos, and the Department’s only recruitment strategy, from 2019, applied just to schools.32 The Department has now started to think in a more joined-up way, to help better understand what works and the trade-offs of its decisions.33 Focus on recruitment and retention within further education colleges
Show less
Government response AI summary
The department has published some evidence of variations in schools and works with schools and colleges to inform understanding of why the variations exist.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
14
Conclusion
38th Report - Increasing teacher number…
Accepted
In offering vocational training, further education colleges support the government’s missions for building skills for economic growth and spreading opportunities too all children. However, colleges struggle to compete with schools and industry to recruit the teachers required and have experienced more significant challenges than schools in getting a workforce with …
Read more
In offering vocational training, further education colleges support the government’s missions for building skills for economic growth and spreading opportunities too all children. However, colleges struggle to compete with schools and industry to recruit the teachers required and have experienced more significant challenges than schools in getting a workforce with the relevant experience. This will impact the type and extent of skills that can be taught. In 2022–23, 5.1 out of every 100 teaching positions in further education colleges were vacant.34 Looking ahead, the Department estimates colleges will need 8,400 to 12,400 more teachers by 2028–29.35
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government offers the Targeted Retention Incentive (TRI) worth up to £6,000 per year after tax for early career teachers in key STEM and technical subjects in disadvantaged schools and all FE colleges.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
15
Conclusion
38th Report - Increasing teacher number…
Accepted
We asked the Department if it thought there has been less focus on recruitment in further education than there should have been given the need to increase skills across the UK economy. For example, written evidence we received from the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and the Association of Colleges highlighted the …
Read more
We asked the Department if it thought there has been less focus on recruitment in further education than there should have been given the need to increase skills across the UK economy. For example, written evidence we received from the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and the Association of Colleges highlighted the £10,000 pay gap between teachers in schools and further education which they felt should be closed as a matter of priority.36 Also, in 2024–25, the majority of the £700 million (88%) budget for recruitment and retentions initiatives related to schools, with colleges feeling there has been limited additional funding despite the government’s positive messages.37
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges variations in school and FE recruitment and retention, highlighting the Targeted Retention Incentive (TRI) offering up to £6,000 per year for early career teachers in STEM and technical subjects in disadvantaged schools and all FE colleges.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
16
Conclusion
38th Report - Increasing teacher number…
Accepted
The Department acknowledged that it was concerned about the position in colleges, where the vacancy rate was significantly higher than in schools, but it described having a “strong” focus on recruitment into further education.38 It explained that it had introduced various initiatives such as recently investing £400 million in the …
Read more
The Department acknowledged that it was concerned about the position in colleges, where the vacancy rate was significantly higher than in schools, but it described having a “strong” focus on recruitment into further education.38 It explained that it had introduced various initiatives such as recently investing £400 million in the sector;39 extending targeted retention incentives to colleges from October 2024, with an estimated 32 C&AG’s Report, paras 2.34-2.35 33 Qq 31, 43; C&AG’s Report, para 2.35 34 C&AG’s Report, paras 1.13, 2.4, Figure 8 35 C&AG’s Report, Key Facts 36 ITN0011, Written evidence submitted by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation; ITN0014, Written evidence submitted by the Association of Colleges 37 Q 12; C&AG’s Report paras 2.2, 2.7 38 Q 44 39 Q 12 14 6,000 people benefitting to date, and positive feedback from colleges;40 and a two-year programme to attract teachers and support them through their first two years.41 The Department also described expanding the use of “dual professionals” who teach alongside working in industry. They can upskill other teachers and ensure students are taught the latest practices.42 Written evidence from both the Construction Industry Training Board and the Education and Training Foundation support the value dual professionals bring to the further education sector.43 However, written evidence from the Association of Colleges mentions these initiatives are still “fairly new” with none having fully been evaluated yet on their long-term impact.44
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government offers the Targeted Retention Incentive (TRI) worth up to £6,000 per year after tax for early career teachers in key STEM and technical subjects in disadvantaged schools and all FE colleges.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
17
Recommendation
38th Report - Increasing teacher number…
Accepted
The Department has overseen further education colleges since July 2016 with further education colleges reclassified into the public sector in November 2022. Its further education workforce data collection started in 2020, and while this was able to cover 94% of colleges in 2022–23, this compares to 99.7% of schools providing …
Read more
The Department has overseen further education colleges since July 2016 with further education colleges reclassified into the public sector in November 2022. Its further education workforce data collection started in 2020, and while this was able to cover 94% of colleges in 2022–23, this compares to 99.7% of schools providing the Department with workforce data. As such, the Department must make broad assumptions as part of its further education workforce model which it uses to project the number of teachers needed. It has assessed 60% of assumptions in its model as having limited or no underlying evidence.45 40 Qq 6, 8-10, 13, 45; Targeted retention incentive for FE teachers: data as of 5 May 2025 - GOV.UK 41 Qq 12, 44 42 Q 7 43 ITN0001, Written evidence submitted by the Construction Industry Training Board; ITN0007, Written evidence submitted by Education and Training Foundation 44 ITN0014, Written evidence submitted by the Association of Colleges 45 C&AG’s Report, paras 10, 1.20 15 2 Initiatives and incentives to improve teacher recruitment and retention Teachers’ working environment and conditions
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government states that strengthening the FE evidence base is a key priority, highlighting the FE Workforce in England data publication and increased provider response rates, as well as steps to improve data and evidence related to teacher training for the FE sector.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
18
Conclusion
38th Report - Increasing teacher number…
Accepted
We asked the Department what it was doing to understand why fewer people stay working in the education sector compared with other sectors – 38% of those who had worked within the education sector at some point between the ages of 17 and 29 were still doing so at age …
Read more
We asked the Department what it was doing to understand why fewer people stay working in the education sector compared with other sectors – 38% of those who had worked within the education sector at some point between the ages of 17 and 29 were still doing so at age 30, compared with 44% in health, 48% in the public sector as a whole and 49% in the private sector. The Department told us it had done some significant work looking at “cross-fertilisation between parts of the education sector”, and that it was considering learning from the health sector on how it could make it easier for people to build careers but accepted that it could do more.46
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government states they gather data through the Working Lives of Teachers and Leaders study and are working with the sector through the Improving Education Together partnership to help improve teacher retention across schools and colleges, including developing a workload reduction toolkit and exploring how …
Read full response →
HM Treasury
19
Conclusion
38th Report - Increasing teacher number…
Accepted
The Department’s annual teacher survey showed that 84% of teachers who had left between its 2023 and 2024 surveys described high workload as a reason for leaving, with 75% citing stress and/or poor wellbeing. Full-time secondary school teachers in England work on average 50.3 hours per week in term time.47 …
Read more
The Department’s annual teacher survey showed that 84% of teachers who had left between its 2023 and 2024 surveys described high workload as a reason for leaving, with 75% citing stress and/or poor wellbeing. Full-time secondary school teachers in England work on average 50.3 hours per week in term time.47 The Department told us schoolteachers in England work more than their international counterparts but spend fewer hours in the classroom with pupils. It also told us that while it has made some progress on reducing hours by working with Ofsted to reduce marking requirements, it is “quite hard” to understand the root causes behind what contributed to high teacher workloads and when or why this would be a problem.48
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government gathers data through the longitudinal Working Lives of Teachers and Leaders study and is working with the sector to help improve teacher retention across schools and colleges, including exploring how AI and digital tools can transform teaching and learning.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
21
Conclusion
38th Report - Increasing teacher number…
Accepted
We challenged the Department on the extent to which poor pupil behaviour could negatively impact teachers’ mental health and wellbeing, as set out in written evidence from Education Support.56 60% of schoolteachers felt they spent too much time following up on behaviour incidents and the proportion of ex-teachers citing pupil …
Read more
We challenged the Department on the extent to which poor pupil behaviour could negatively impact teachers’ mental health and wellbeing, as set out in written evidence from Education Support.56 60% of schoolteachers felt they spent too much time following up on behaviour incidents and the proportion of ex-teachers citing pupil behaviour as a reason for leaving rose from 32% to 44% in one year alone (2023 to 2024). The Department told us that a lot of the good practice work on behaviour issues highlighted good quality whole-school behaviour policies. In May 2025, the Department announced 90 new attendance and behaviour hubs that will target “intensive” support 49 C&AG’s Report, Figure 1 and 11 50 C&AG’s Report, para 2.27 51 Q 35 52 Q 33 53 C&AG’s Report, para 2.29 54 ITN0004 55 Q 28 56 ITN0009 17 to 500 schools a year and for best practice on tackling behaviour to be spread to 450 other schools. It noted that the network and regional learning from this will “make a difference”.57 Importance of pay
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government is supporting senior leaders in developing good school cultures with high expectations through the attendance and behaviour hubs programme, which has shown positive changes in staff-rated behaviour in previous iterations.
Read full response →
HM Treasury