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Select Committee · Education Committee

Teacher recruitment, training and retention

Status: Closed Opened: 20 Mar 2023 Closed: 27 May 2024 18 recommendations 51 conclusions 1 report

The Committee will investigate the current state of teacher retention and recruitment, the main factors causing difficulties and the impact on students. This includes assessing how well the current teacher training framework works to prepare new teachers, and how England's system compares internationally. The inquiry will look at steps the Department for Education has taken … Show more

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Second Report - Teacher recruitment, training and retention HC 119 17 May 2024 69 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

7 items
5 Conclusion Second Report - Teacher recruitment, tr… Accepted in Part

Teacher pay requires competitive increases without adversely affecting other school budgets.

We understand the Department’s budgetary pressures. However, in order to compete with other sectors and improve recruitment and retention, teacher pay must keep pace year on year with other comparable sectors. It is also essential that funding to enable the continued competitiveness of teacher salaries does not adversely impact levels … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation for a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders, addressing the need for pay to keep pace. However, the response did not explicitly detail how funding would avoid adverse impact on other school budgets.
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Department for Education
21 Conclusion Second Report - Teacher recruitment, tr… Accepted in Part

Promote, review and expand veteran bursary schemes for ex-military personnel entering teaching.

We welcome the Department’s continued efforts to encourage ex-military personnel to enter the teaching profession. We view their experience managing people with differing levels of education as extremely valuable to schools. However, the Department should do more to promote the undergraduate bursary for veterans to increase awareness. Further, the Undergraduate … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government stated the veteran bursary is advertised and featured in campaigns, committing to consider how to further increase awareness. However, they confirmed the eligibility criteria remain unchanged for 2024-25 and there are no plans to introduce a non-graduate route for ex-military personnel.
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Department for Education
37 Conclusion Second Report - Teacher recruitment, tr… Accepted in Part

Addressing teacher shortages requires both recruitment and retention, supported by attrition data

High attrition rates in shortage subjects mean that a two-pronged approach is needed to address subject specific teacher shortages. This should look at the retention of existing teachers in addition to the recruitment of new teachers. Reliable data on the number of teachers leaving by subject and the reason for … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government stated it currently publishes some subject leaver rates and will explore publishing subject-level leaver rates from the School Workforce Census. However, it does not publish reasons for leaving at a subject level due to small sample sizes.
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Department for Education
38 Conclusion Second Report - Teacher recruitment, tr… Accepted in Part

Require collection and publication of teacher attrition data by subject and reason

The Department should collect and publish data on the attrition of teachers by subject, particularly those in their first 5 years of teaching. Data should also be collected on the reason teachers are leaving, to improve understanding of why particular subjects are experiencing higher attrition than others and to help … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government stated it already publishes subject leaver rates and will explore publishing more granular subject-level data as part of future School Workforce Census publications. They collect reasons for leaving nationally but do not publish them at subject level due to small sample sizes.
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Department for Education
43 Recommendation Second Report - Teacher recruitment, tr… Accepted in Part

Expand Levelling Up Premium and Early Career Payments based on subject and regional demand.

We recognise the positive impact both the Early Career and Levelling Up Premium Payments can have in improving teacher retention in subjects that are experiencing teacher shortages. In line with earlier recommendations in this report the Department should expand the Levelling Up Premium and Early Career Payments according to subject … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government has accepted by doubling the previous Levelling Up Premium payments to £6,000 as a new Targeted Retention Incentive, expanding it to include eligible FE teachers. It also committed to keeping eligibility criteria under review and considering further expansion of the offer.
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Department for Education
60 Conclusion Second Report - Teacher recruitment, tr… Accepted in Part

Monitor implementation of workload reduction strategies across schools and review progress by Spring 2025.

The Department should also put measures in place to monitor the implementation of strategies and solutions across schools and trusts. The listed recommendations from the Workload Reduction Taskforce should be introduced as a matter of urgency with the Department reviewing progress on this by Spring 2025. Read more

Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges workload drivers and states it has made good progress implementing the Workload Reduction Taskforce's initial recommendations, including removing Performance Related Pay and launching a new online service. It notes ongoing activity regarding SEND reforms and the Child Poverty Taskforce but does not …
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Department for Education
66 Recommendation Second Report - Teacher recruitment, tr… Accepted in Part

Lead cross-government assessment of pupil mental health and review current support provision by Autumn 2024.

Once again, we recommend that the Department leads a cross-government assessment of the scale of mental health difficulties amongst pupils and review the current provision of support available in schools and outside of them. The Government should conclude this review and report its findings by Autumn 2024. There then needs … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government agrees on the need for cross-government work and commits to improving mental health support, including specialist professionals in every school, new Young Futures hubs, and recruiting 8,500 additional mental health workers. However, it does not commit to the Autumn 2024 review deadline or …
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Department for Education

Oral evidence sessions

5 sessions
Date Witnesses
12 Dec 2023 Rt Hon Damian Hinds MP · Department for Education, Sue Lovelock · Department for Education View ↗
14 Nov 2023 Dr Luke Sibieta · Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), Jack Worth · National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), Katie Waldegrave, MBE · Now Teach, Philip Nye · Institute for Government, Professor Becky Allen · Teach Tapp, Professor Becky Francis CBE · The Curriculum and Assessment Review, Sinéad Mc Brearty · Education Support View ↗
12 Sep 2023 Deborah Weston OBE · National Association of Teachers of Religious Education, Hari Rentala · Institute of Physics, Professor Paul Glaister CBE · Joint Mathematical Council of the UK, Rene Koglbauer · Association for Language Learning, Ryan Ball · Design and Technology Association View ↗
11 Jul 2023 Dr Annabel Watson · University of Exeter, Dr Jasper Green · Institute of Education, Melanie Renowden · National Institute of Teaching, Richard Gill · Teaching School Hubs Council, Russell Hobby · Teach First View ↗
20 Jun 2023 Dr Mary Bousted · National Education Union, Dr Patrick Roach · NASUWT, Jenny Sherrard · University and College Union, Julie McCulloch · Association of School and College Leaders, Paul Whiteman · NAHT, Professor Dame Alison Peacock · The Chartered College of Teaching View ↗

Who gave evidence

25 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Deborah Weston OBE · Research Officer National Association of Teachers of Religious Education 1
Dr Annabel Watson · Associate Professor in Language Education University of Exeter 1
Dr Jasper Green · Head of Initial Teacher Education Institute of Education 1
Dr Luke Sibieta · Research Fellow Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) 1
Dr Mary Bousted · Joint General Secretary National Education Union 1
Dr Patrick Roach · General Secretary NASUWT 1
Hari Rentala · Head of Learning and Skills Institute of Physics 1
Jack Worth · Lead Economist National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) 1
Jenny Sherrard · National Head of Equality and Policy University and College Union 1
Julie McCulloch · Director of Policy Association of School and College Leaders 1
Katie Waldegrave, MBE · Co-founder and CEO Now Teach 1
Melanie Renowden · CEO National Institute of Teaching 1
Paul Whiteman · General Secretary NAHT 1
Philip Nye · Data Scientist Institute for Government 1
Professor Becky Allen · Chief Analyst and a Co-founder Teach Tapp 1
Professor Becky Francis CBE · Chair The Curriculum and Assessment Review 1
Professor Dame Alison Peacock · Chief Executive Officer The Chartered College of Teaching 1
Professor Paul Glaister CBE · Immediate Past Chair Joint Mathematical Council of the UK 1
Rene Koglbauer · Chair of Board of Trustees Association for Language Learning 1
Richard Gill · Chair Teaching School Hubs Council 1
Rt Hon Damian Hinds MP · Minister of State for Schools Department for Education 1
Russell Hobby · CEO Teach First 1
Ryan Ball · Director of Education Design and Technology Association 1
Sinéad Mc Brearty · Chief Executive Officer Education Support 1
Sue Lovelock · Director of Professional and Technical Education Department for Education 1

Correspondence

1 letter
DateDirectionTitle
16 Jan 2024 — Correspondence from the Minister of State for Schools providing supplementary e…