Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
38th Report - Increasing teacher numbers: Secondary and further education
Public Accounts Committee
HC 825
Published 9 July 2025
Recommendations
8
Accepted
Department claims positive impact on teacher recruitment and retention from current initiatives
Recommendation
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 …
Read more
Government Response 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.
HM Treasury
View Details →
Conclusions (6)
2
Conclusion
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 …
Government Response 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.
3
Conclusion
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 …
Government Response 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.
4
Conclusion
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 …
Government Response 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.
5
Conclusion
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 …
Government Response 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, pending evaluation and funding.
6
Conclusion
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, …
Government Response 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 inform its approach.
1
Conclusion
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 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.