Recommendations & Conclusions
10 items
7
Conclusion
38th Report - Increasing teacher number…
Acknowledged
We asked the Department what baseline it was using to measure whether 6,500 additional teachers had been recruited. It told us it had not set a year as a baseline, but that the number of teachers would be more than before the pledge had started and that it was working …
Read more
We asked the Department what baseline it was using to measure whether 6,500 additional teachers had been recruited. It told us it had not set a year as a baseline, but that the number of teachers would be more than before the pledge had started and that it was working on the detail as part of the Spending Review.14 It was unable to tell us how the 6,500 teachers would be distributed across schools and further education colleges, although it did say it would consider the need for skilled special educational needs teachers.15 Furthermore, the Department could not indicate how we could follow progress with the pledge, for example through milestones that would help show whether it was on track. It reiterated that it would not be able to provide further details until after the Spending Review.16 Written evidence from the Gatsby Charitable Foundation stressed the importance of “transparent reporting against the “6,500 additional teachers” pledge, broken down by sector, subject, and region”.17
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the recommendation to set out how it plans to deliver the pledge for 6,500 additional teachers.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
9
Conclusion
38th Report - Increasing teacher number…
Acknowledged
In 2024–25, the Department budgeted to spend around £700 million across a range of initiatives, other than pay and pensions, designed to improve teacher recruitment and retention.20 Of this, £390 million (49%) related to financial incentives. This included training bursaries and scholarships (£233 million) and retention payments for teachers, often …
Read more
In 2024–25, the Department budgeted to spend around £700 million across a range of initiatives, other than pay and pensions, designed to improve teacher recruitment and retention.20 Of this, £390 million (49%) related to financial incentives. This included training bursaries and scholarships (£233 million) and retention payments for teachers, often aimed at those teaching specific subjects and those teaching in deprived areas.21 The remaining £310 million (51%) of funding related to the Department providing non-financial benefits, such as opportunities for professional development. For example, it budgeted to spend £131 million on a framework to better support those in the first two years of their career.22
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the recommendation to set out how it plans to deliver the pledge for 6,500 additional teachers.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
12
Conclusion
38th Report - Increasing teacher number…
Acknowledged
We were interested to understand why the Department only has targets for those starting initial teacher training in primary and secondary schools, when this is just one of several entry routes into teaching.27 In the year to November 2023, 41% of secondary teachers entering the workforce were newly qualified teachers, …
Read more
We were interested to understand why the Department only has targets for those starting initial teacher training in primary and secondary schools, when this is just one of several entry routes into teaching.27 In the year to November 2023, 41% of secondary teachers entering the workforce were newly qualified teachers, with 39% returners to the state-funded sector, 13% new to the state-funded sector and 7% being deferred newly-qualified teachers. Overall teacher numbers are also impacted by those staying, with the number of qualified teachers leaving secondary schools starting to increase to pre-pandemic levels – 19,860 in 2022–23.28 The Department acknowledged that it had focussed on initial teacher training targets, despite considering other routes within its teacher workforce modelling to calculate these targets. The Department told us it wants to tell the “full story” and recognised the need to change the way it publicly presents other routes into teaching to better reflect how critical these are alongside initial teaching training.29 Written evidence from Education Support proposed that, in the same way that the Department has a teacher trainee target, it should set targets for the numbers of teachers, leaders and support staff it needs to retain as a key performance indicator.30
Show less
Government response AI summary
The department continues to review the balance between recruitment and retention measures and is undertaking an evaluation of the Targeted Retention Incentive to better understand its impact on the workforce in colleges, while considering whether to adopt its target setting approach for ITT routes in …
Read full response →
HM Treasury
20
Conclusion
38th Report - Increasing teacher number…
Acknowledged
The Department does not offer experienced teachers any financial incentives to stay, such as bursaries or retention payments, or structured support, such as the Early Career Framework for those with up to two years of experience. The Department’s ability to influence teacher workload and working patterns is limited, with school …
Read more
The Department does not offer experienced teachers any financial incentives to stay, such as bursaries or retention payments, or structured support, such as the Early Career Framework for those with up to two years of experience. The Department’s ability to influence teacher workload and working patterns is limited, with school and college leaders responsible 46 Q 30; C&AG’s Report, para 1.11 47 C&AG’s Report, paras 2.24-2.26 48 Q 34 16 for setting the conditions, arrangements and the overarching culture. However, the Department can support schools and colleges in improving the working environment.49 The Department provides support and guidance to schools and colleges, which includes: • A wellbeing charter for schools and colleges to sign-up to, setting out their commitments.50 We challenged the Department on whether it was fit for purpose given that only 17% of eligible schools and colleges had signed up. The Department recognised it needs to do more to encourage take up and are considering whether the charter’s promotion or content needs to be refreshed.51 • Working with Education Endowment Foundation to build its evidence base on flexible working.52 While the school teaching workforce is predominantly female, 26% of female teachers worked part-time in 2023–24, compared with 37% of female employees in the UK labour market.53 Written evidence from the Maternity Teacher Paternity Teacher Project states that “teaching is incompatible with motherhood”.54 The Department could provide some good practice, mentioning Dixons academy in Bradford who had implemented nine- day fortnights. We also asked how fathers are expected be teachers with just two-weeks paternity leave. While the Department said this is for schools and teaching unions to negotiate it agreed to look at this in the Burgundy Book and signalled intentions to look at how this could be improved.55
Show less
Government response AI summary
The department is engaging with partners to understand potential areas for reform of the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document, promoting the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter and is developing and promoting the Improve Workload and Wellbeing for School Staff service, as well as publishing non-statutory …
Read full response →
HM Treasury
22
Conclusion
38th Report - Increasing teacher number…
Acknowledged
The Department regards pay as its strongest lever in recruiting and retaining teachers. For example, following the most recent 5.5% pay award, the Department reduced its teacher trainee targets as it expected 2,500 more teachers to stay. However, teacher pay has lagged behind others – in 2024, those working in …
Read more
The Department regards pay as its strongest lever in recruiting and retaining teachers. For example, following the most recent 5.5% pay award, the Department reduced its teacher trainee targets as it expected 2,500 more teachers to stay. However, teacher pay has lagged behind others – in 2024, those working in the education sector were paid around 10% less in real terms than in 2010, with the wider public sector being paid on average 2.6% less than in 2010.58 Written evidence from the National Foundation for Educational Research stated that the Department’s 2.8% pay increase for 2025–26 is lower than the Office for Budget Responsibility’s 3.7% forecast for earnings growth in 2025–26.59 Subsequently, the government announced schoolteachers will receive a 4% pay increase for 2025–26.60 The Department recognises college teachers continue to receive less than those in secondary, who earn, on average, around £10,000 more.61 Also, the Department’s own analysis suggests IT professionals in industry, for example, earn £11,000 more than an equivalent further education teacher.62 Written evidence from the National Association of Head teachers, Royal Society of Biology and the National Education Union all stressed the need for the competitiveness of teacher pay to be improved to attract and retain enough teachers.63
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government highlights evidence suggesting that pay can be an effective lever and mentions growing evidence on the effectiveness and value for money of specific targeted financial measures, like bursaries and retention payments, and for non-financial interventions.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
23
Conclusion
38th Report - Increasing teacher number…
Acknowledged
The Department’s influence on teacher pay differs across schools and colleges. For secondary schools, the Department sets teacher pay ranges based on advice from a pay review body. Local-authority- maintained schools must apply these ranges, whilst academies set their own pay although many follow the Department’s guidance.64 We asked the …
Read more
The Department’s influence on teacher pay differs across schools and colleges. For secondary schools, the Department sets teacher pay ranges based on advice from a pay review body. Local-authority- maintained schools must apply these ranges, whilst academies set their own pay although many follow the Department’s guidance.64 We asked the Department how it would ensure schools can afford the pay awards, particularly given the 17% combined pay increase over the last three pay awards, the wider financial pressures faced by schools and the need to find, for example, efficiencies through improving procurement policies or energy contracts.65 The Department told us that it funds pay awards 57 Qq 34, 36; C&AG’s Report, para 2.26 58 C&AG’s Report, paras 2.3, 2.5 59 ITN0006 60 Teacher pay: everything you need to know about the 2025 pay award – The Education Hub 61 Q 8 62 C&AG’s Report, para 2.4 63 ITN0005, ITN0008, ITN0021 64 C&AG’s Report, para 2.6 65 Q 60; ITN0021 18 at an aggregate level, as part of schools’ wider funding package for pay and other areas of spend, but it has also assumed schools will make 1% efficiency savings in 2025–26 to afford pay rises.66 Colleges do not have a pay review body, setting their own salaries from the funding received.67
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government states it continues to assess interventions for recruitment and retention, setting out its view on pay and providing evidence to the School Teachers’ Review Body while monitoring the impact of funding decisions on pay in FE.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
24
Conclusion
38th Report - Increasing teacher number…
Acknowledged
We asked the Department if it has assessed whether spending on initiatives such the Early Career Framework (£131 million budget in 2024–25) provides better outcomes than simply increasing teachers’ pay. The Department did not confirm if it had undertaken this analysis but instead told us more generally that teaching quality …
Read more
We asked the Department if it has assessed whether spending on initiatives such the Early Career Framework (£131 million budget in 2024–25) provides better outcomes than simply increasing teachers’ pay. The Department did not confirm if it had undertaken this analysis but instead told us more generally that teaching quality would need to be considered alongside teacher numbers.68 More widely, the Department has begun work to understand the relative costs and benefits of its school- focused financial incentives to recruit teachers which it plans to use to help decide where to direct funding.69 New teachers also benefit from a defined benefit pension scheme.70 While the Department has not considered pay as part of this analysis, the National Foundation for Educational Research concluded that bursaries were more cost-effective when compared with, for example, universal pay increases and other targeted initiatives such as early career payments.71 Increasing teacher numbers in disadvantaged areas and core subjects
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government states that evidence suggests pay can be an effective lever at scale but that evidence is growing on the effectiveness and value for money of specific targeted financial measures, like bursaries and retention payments, and for non-financial interventions.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
25
Conclusion
38th Report - Increasing teacher number…
Acknowledged
In 2023–24, 46% of secondary schools in England reported at least one vacant teaching position, more than double the figure of 17% in 2010–11.72 When we asked the Department how this has affected student outcomes, it told us the quality of teaching was the “single most significant factor” in schools …
Read more
In 2023–24, 46% of secondary schools in England reported at least one vacant teaching position, more than double the figure of 17% in 2010–11.72 When we asked the Department how this has affected student outcomes, it told us the quality of teaching was the “single most significant factor” in schools impacting pupil’s achievement.73 However, the Department commented that it sees variation across schools in, for example, pupil- teacher ratios and retention rates. Vacancy rates can be a result of how schools use funding on, for example, supply teachers.74 The Department described significant variation across vacancies in certain specialisms and subjects with, for example, more vacancies for Computing teachers (1.4% vacancy rate) compared to all secondary school subjects (0.8%).75 Schools and further education colleges are responsible for deciding the 66 Qq 59-62 67 C&AG’s Report, 2.7 68 Qq 15, 17 69 C&AG’s Report, para 2.32 70 What is a teacher’s pension? | New Starter | Teachers’ Pensions 71 C&AG’s Report, para 2.10 72 C&AG’s Report, para 1.8 73 Q 3 74 Qq 38, 53, 55 75 Qq 3-5 19 staff they need and recruiting their own workforces. Local authorities employ teachers in maintained schools. Multi-academy trusts play a similar role in the academies sector. Further education colleges also employ their own teachers.76
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government recognizes variations in school and FE recruitment and retention and is evaluating the impact of TRI on teacher retention, with reports expected in 2027 and 2028, and will work with stakeholders to understand variances in the workforce and inform future policy.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
26
Conclusion
38th Report - Increasing teacher number…
Acknowledged
Those schools with higher proportions of disadvantaged pupils tend to have higher turnover rates and less experienced teachers.77 This impacts the government’s mission of breaking down the barriers to opportunity and means disadvantaged children are at risk of being locked out from particular careers.78 In 2023–24, 34% of teachers in …
Read more
Those schools with higher proportions of disadvantaged pupils tend to have higher turnover rates and less experienced teachers.77 This impacts the government’s mission of breaking down the barriers to opportunity and means disadvantaged children are at risk of being locked out from particular careers.78 In 2023–24, 34% of teachers in the most disadvantaged schools had up to five years’ experience (20% in the least disadvantaged schools).79 In the most disadvantaged areas, 31% of schools do not offer Computer Science A-level, compared to 11% of schools in the least disadvantaged areas, due to a lack of trained teachers. For Physics A-level, this is 9% compared to 1%.80 We asked the Department when we could expect there to be less variation between schools in the most and least disadvantaged areas, but it did not commit to a timeframe. Instead, it noted that its retention initiatives providing financial incentives were targeting schools and colleges with the highest proportion of disadvantaged students.81
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government recognizes variations in school and FE recruitment and retention and is evaluating the impact of TRI on teacher retention, with reports expected in 2027 and 2028, and will work with stakeholders to understand variances in the workforce and inform future policy.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
27
Conclusion
38th Report - Increasing teacher number…
Acknowledged
Further education colleges have higher vacancy rates than schools, with challenges across certain subjects, particularly those that are more specialist.82 We asked the Department why further education colleges find it difficult to keep specialist teachers. The Department said it sees more recruitment challenges where there are shortages in the labour …
Read more
Further education colleges have higher vacancy rates than schools, with challenges across certain subjects, particularly those that are more specialist.82 We asked the Department why further education colleges find it difficult to keep specialist teachers. The Department said it sees more recruitment challenges where there are shortages in the labour market, for example in construction, where 9.6% of teaching positions were vacant in 2022–23. Given a competitive wider labour market, in-demand jobs, like construction, are well-paid and offer salaries which colleges struggle to compete with to recruit the teachers they need.83 76 C&AG’s Report, paras 1.4-1.5 77 C&AG’s Report, para 1.12 78 Qq 38, 41 79 C&AG’s Report, para 1.12 80 Teacher shortages deny nearly a third of poorer pupils’ access to computer science A-level | Teach First 81 Q 41 82 C&AG’s Report, paras 6, 1.13 83 Q 6; C&AG’s Report, para 1.13 20
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government recognizes variations in FE recruitment and retention and is evaluating the impact of TRI on teacher retention, with reports expected in 2027 and 2028, and will work with stakeholders to understand variances in the workforce and inform future policy.
Read full response →
HM Treasury