Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Recommendation 64
64
Accepted
Address underlying reasons for recruitment and retention crisis among school and college teachers
Conclusion
The Department for Education must address the underlying and unresolved reasons for the recruitment and retention crisis amongst school and college teachers, which include pay disparities, excessive workloads, limited professional development and job insecurity. In so doing, it must develop incentives for all post-16 teaching staff to remain in the profession. It must include specialist colleges within the targeted retention incentive payments scheme and consider alternatives to that scheme for mid- and late-career teachers. (Recommendation, Paragraph 236)
Government Response Summary
The government details existing actions, including £800 million in additional funding for 16-19 education, targeted financial incentives for early career STEM teachers in FE, and initiatives to improve job security, workload, and wellbeing in partnership with unions.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
PLANS ALREADY IN PLACE We are taking a range of action and developing incentives to support the recruitment and retention of teachers across the post-16 education sector as part of the Government’s commitment to 6,500 additional teachers across secondary schools, special schools, and colleges during this Parliament. We are investing nearly £800 million in additional funding for 16-19 education in FY 2026-27. This will support reforms to FE and enable provision for an additional 20,000 students, helping to ensure that institutions can recruit and retain the staff they need. We have also invested in targeted financial incentives to retain teachers in the subjects and settings where they are most needed. This scheme offers eligible early career teachers in priority STEM and technical subjects up to £6,000 after tax per year, in addition to their salary. Since launch, nearly 6,000 claims have been approved under the FE scheme, including over 1,700 in building and construction, more than 1,300 in mathematics and over 1,100 in engineering and manufacturing. The targeted retention incentive is focused on teachers in their first five years of teaching, where attrition is highest, and is available in general FE colleges, sixth form colleges, designated institutions, and eligible 16-19 only academies and schools. We will continue to keep the scheme’s eligibility criteria under review. There are a range of reasons beyond pay and incentives why teachers leave the profession, including job insecurity, workload and wellbeing, and lack of access to high quality professional development opportunities. Through our plan to Make Work Pay we are taking steps to improve job security and boost living standards for workers, including those working in post-16 education. This includes day one protection from unfair dismissal, strengthened Statutory Sick Pay and improved access to flexible working. Through the Improving Education Together partnership we are working closely with unions and employers to identify the most effective ways to improve retention. This includes a strong focus on workload and wellbeing, with the aim of delivering a step change in teacher experience over the next three to five years.