Teacher retention in deprived areas
Greater challenges in recruiting and retaining experienced teachers in schools in deprived areas and across core subjects.
Source spread
Where this theme appears
This theme appears across 4 independent accountability sources, so the source mix matters as much as the headline total.
131 committee recs
7 NAO recs
1 PHSO decision
86 LGO/SPSO decisions
Browse by source
Source-grouped records are useful for tracing where a concern came from. Large sections show the 50 strongest matches for that source; counts still show the full theme total.
Select committee recommendations(131)— showing 50 strongest matches
#26 — Disadvantaged schools suffer higher teacher turnover, fewer experienced staff, and limited pupil opportunities.
Recommendation: 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 …
Gov response: 3. PAC conclusion: 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. 3. PAC recommendation: …
Not Addressed
#3 — Understand reasons for teacher variations in deprived areas and core subjects.
Recommendation: 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 …
Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. retention, including greater shortages in key STEM and technical subjects and in disadvantaged areas. The department has published some evidence of these variations in schools and works with …
Accepted
#64 — Address underlying reasons for recruitment and retention crisis among school and college teachers
Recommendation: 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 …
Gov response: 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 …
Accepted
#63 — Low college teacher retention rates caused by pay, workload, and professional development issues
Recommendation: College teacher retention rates are significantly lower than in schools, with less than a quarter of college teachers remaining in the profession after ten years. Pay disparities, excessive workloads, limited professional development and job insecurity are causing burnout and undermining …
Gov response: 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 …
Accepted
#7 —
Recommendation: There has also been a relative re-distribution of funding from more deprived schools (those with a higher proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals) to less deprived schools. Between 2017–18 and 2020–21, average per-pupil funding for the most deprived …
Gov response: 2.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: July 2022 2.2 The national funding formula (NFF) distributes funding for schools fairly, based on the needs of schools and their pupils. This includes …
Under Consideration
#67 — Poor pupil behaviour has worsened since the pandemic, impacting learning and teacher retention.
Recommendation: Though the issue of poor pupil behaviour it not new, it has become worse since the pandemic with more disruptive pupil behaviour, school exclusions and suspensions. Poor behaviour not only undermines pupils learning and a positive classroom culture, but it …
Gov response: Tackling absence and providing safe, calm and supportive classrooms is at the heart of the Department’s mission to break down the barriers to opportunity. This government firmly believes that every child and young person should …
Accepted
#39 — Subject-specific teacher shortages significantly compromise teaching quality and reduce subject provision.
Recommendation: We have significant concerns about the negative impacts of subject specific teacher shortages. These include compromising the quality of teaching where subjects are being taught by teachers without subject expertise and the reduction of subject provision where schools do not …
Gov response: Whilst there has been some progress since the previous government published the 2019 recruitment and retention strategy, there are shortages of qualified teachers across the country and there is much more to do to meet …
Accepted
#37 — Addressing teacher shortages requires both recruitment and retention, supported by attrition data
Recommendation: 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 …
Gov response: We currently publish subject leaver rates within the annual postgraduate ITT targets publication4. These are calculated to aid the Teacher Workforce Model supply calculations and the residual PGITT targets. We will explore publishing subject level …
Partially Accepted
#12 — Expand teacher retention payments according to subject and regional demand, reviewing eligibility.
Recommendation: We welcome the initial success of existing retention payments such as the Levelling Up Premium and Early Career Payments. The Department should expand the Levelling Up Premium and Early Career Payments according to subject and regional demand. We have heard …
Gov response: The government has inherited a challenging set of fiscal circumstance and needs to make difficult decisions to restore economic stability, including focusing funding where it is needed most to deliver the best outcomes for children …
Under Consideration
#2 — Ensure sustained efforts to improve teacher recruitment and retention across all education stages.
Recommendation: Our evidence suggests that recruitment and retention issues occur at every stage of education, from primary school through to further education. However, the challenge increases as we move up the phases with more vacancies and a greater retention challenge in …
Gov response: The Department already accounts for pupil demographic trends when estimating future teacher demand. As stated in the annual postgraduate ITT targets publication2, the Teacher Workforce Model (TWM) estimates future school teacher demand from a starting …
Accepted
#1 — Teacher numbers remain insufficient despite absolute increase, with missed recruitment targets.
Recommendation: There are now over 468,000 teachers which we accept as an improvement in absolute terms though not relative to pupil numbers. However, we recognise that this is still insufficient, particularly when we know recruitment targets continue to be missed, the …
Gov response: At the centre of this government’s plans to break down barriers to opportunity is the goal to see every child achieve and thrive, and this starts in the classroom. As the report raised, we recognise …
Not Addressed
#61 — Growing pay disparity between school and college teachers undermines retention and recruitment
Recommendation: There is a growing pay disparity between school and college teachers in England, with college staff earning significantly less—on average college teachers earn 15% less. This issue has led to staff dissatisfaction and has contributed to the recruitment and retention …
Gov response: NOT TAKEN FORWARD We welcome the final report of the ESC and appreciate the committee’s interest in funding for pay and pay arrangements in further education (FE). It is right to highlight the ongoing challenges …
Not Accepted
#29 —
Recommendation: High quality teaching is particularly transformative for disadvantaged pupils. Over a school year, these pupils get 1.5 years’ worth of learning with high quality teachers, compared with 0.5 years with poorly performing teachers. To support the development of local teachers, …
Gov response: 87. We recognise the pressures schools have faced and have listened to teachers and parents. This Government has announced the biggest funding boost for schools in a decade, which will give every school more money …
Under Consideration
#28 —
Recommendation: Good teachers who understand disadvantaged White students’ needs and who can be good role models are central to raising this group’s outcomes. We know that teaching quality is worse in disadvantaged areas than in wealthier areas, with schools less likely …
Gov response: 87. We recognise the pressures schools have faced and have listened to teachers and parents. This Government has announced the biggest funding boost for schools in a decade, which will give every school more money …
Under Consideration
#33 —
Recommendation: In its written evidence, the National Association of Head Teachers emphasised the need to improve salaries for teachers and school leaders as a critical element of any strategy to resolve the “longstanding recruitment and retention crisis”. It said that schools …
Gov response: 6: PAC conclusion: The Department cannot say when it will implement its commitment to a starting salary of £30,000 for new teachers. 6: PAC recommendation: The Department should set out a timetable for meeting its …
Under Consideration
#32 —
Recommendation: In September 2019, the Government set out its intention that salaries for new teachers would rise to £30,000 nationally by September 2022. It stated that this increase would make teacher pay among the most competitive in the graduate labour market.46 …
Gov response: 6: PAC conclusion: The Department cannot say when it will implement its commitment to a starting salary of £30,000 for new teachers. 6: PAC recommendation: The Department should set out a timetable for meeting its …
Under Consideration
#8 —
Recommendation: The written evidence that we received raised concerns about the impact of the national funding formula. Professor Tanya Ovenden-Hope said that the formula had not delivered the expected significant increases in funding for small schools, including rural schools which have …
Gov response: 2.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: July 2022 2.2 The national funding formula (NFF) distributes funding for schools fairly, based on the needs of schools and their pupils. This includes …
Under Consideration
#6 —
Recommendation: The Department cannot say when it will implement its commitment to a starting salary of £30,000 for new teachers. In September 2019, the Government set out its intention that salaries for new teachers would rise to £30,000 by September 2022, …
Gov response: 6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Spring 2022 6.2 As is standard process, the department will be seeking the recommendations of the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) for the 2022-23 …
Under Consideration
#12 —
Recommendation: We asked the Department about the regional differences in the financial health of the sector. In 2019/20, 8% of academy trusts in the North of England were in a cumulative deficit compared with 2% in South East England & South …
Gov response: 2: PAC conclusion: The Department does not fully understand the causes of variability within the financial performance of academy schools, and consequently may not know how to best protect the education for pupils taught in …
Not Addressed
#63 — Excessive teacher workload stems from a wide range of non-teaching tasks.
Recommendation: A wide range of non-teaching tasks are contributing to excessive teacher workload so efforts towards reducing teacher workload cannot be limited to reducing teaching hours or the Workload Reduction Toolkit. (Paragraph 259) 84 Teacher recruitment, training and retention
Gov response: The government recognises that workload is one of the biggest drivers for teachers and leaders leaving the profession and is driven by a range of complex and systemic drivers at national and local level with …
Not Addressed
#61 — Accountability pressures significantly contribute to teachers' non-teaching workload, hindering reduction efforts.
Recommendation: It is evident that accountability pressures contribute to additional non-teaching workload for teachers with perceived expectations undermining efforts to implement best practice around reducing workload. This persists despite guidance from the Department.
Gov response: Ofsted will be consulting on a new education inspection framework, to come into force next academic year. Following the removal of the single headline grade for school inspections with immediate effect on 2 September 2024, …
Not Addressed
#57 — Accelerate efforts to reduce teacher working hours sooner than the current target.
Recommendation: We welcome the progress made towards reducing teachers working hours, acknowledging that the 5-hour reduction between 2016 and 2019 was a move in the right direction. However, workload remains a top concern for teachers. We welcome the Department’s ambition to …
Gov response: We have recently completed a user research project to update and improve the digital experience of users when engaging with the resources (previously accessed through the School Workload Reduction Toolkit). Based on feedback from users …
Not Addressed
#52 — Integrate successful flexible working approaches like job shares into the new recruitment and retention strategy.
Recommendation: The Department have told us they will put flexibility at the heart of the new recruitment and retention strategy. This should include the promotion of existing approaches to flexibility that have been proven to be successful such as job shares …
Gov response: Expanding and enabling flexible working is a priority for ensuring we can attract and retain the expert teachers our children need. Ministers have expressed support for flexible working, including through clarifying the position on Planning, …
Accepted
#51 — Education sector lags behind other professions in adopting flexible working opportunities.
Recommendation: Since the pandemic, flexible working has been widely embraced across different professions and sectors of the economy. However, this has not been replicated in the education sector. If the education sector is to remain competitive, particularly in the recruitment of …
Gov response: Expanding and enabling flexible working is a priority for ensuring we can attract and retain the expert teachers our children need. Ministers have expressed support for flexible working, including through clarifying the position on Planning, …
Accepted
#49 — Prioritise upskilling teachers as a mitigation strategy for subjects experiencing persistent shortages.
Recommendation: Upskilling should be used as a mitigation across subjects experiencing teacher shortages. For subjects such as Maths, a compulsory subject that has experienced persistent shortages in teacher supply it is even more pertinent that mitigations such as upskilling are used …
Gov response: The current Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) programme is available to support applicants who have a conditional offer of a place on an ITT programme leading to the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). SKE is …
Accepted
#48 — Inconsistent upskilling opportunities undermine potential to mitigate subject teacher shortages.
Recommendation: Beyond the specific subject knowledge enhancement programmes that may be delivered within initial teacher training, upskilling is a useful and effective way for non-specialist teachers to gain the necessary knowledge to teach certain subjects once qualified. This approach has the …
Gov response: Where there are teacher shortages in particular subjects, the Department will encourage subject associations to continue to support schools to access training to help teachers to upskill. New Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) …
Accepted
#47 — Reinstate funding for subject knowledge enhancement programmes in five axed subjects.
Recommendation: We strongly disagree with the Department’s decision to axe five subject options from the Department’s subject knowledge enhancement programme offering. Subject knowledge enhancement programmes are crucial in closing knowledge gaps to allow more people to teach in shortages subjects. We …
Gov response: The Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) package is reviewed on a regular basis to ensure we are focusing our available funding on the subjects with the greatest sufficiency challenges. We also continue to engage with providers …
Not Accepted
#43 — Expand Levelling Up Premium and Early Career Payments based on subject and regional demand.
Recommendation: 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 …
Gov response: For 2024/25 and 2025/26, the Department is offering a Targeted Retention Incentive worth up to £6,000 after-tax for mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who work in …
Partially Accepted
#42 — Increase the value of lower-valued bursaries for subjects with persistent teacher shortages.
Recommendation: As discussed previously in this report, we have heard convincing evidence about the importance of interventions such as bursaries in targeting recruitment to subjects where there are teacher shortages. Bursaries should continue to be targeted towards subjects where there are …
Gov response: The Department currently offers bursaries worth up to £29,000 tax-free and scholarships worth up to £31,000 tax-free for school ITT courses. We review bursaries each year before announcing the offer for those starting ITT the …
Accepted
#41 — Publish detailed data on regional subject teacher shortages to inform financial incentives expansion.
Recommendation: The Department should collect and publish data on regional subject shortages in teacher supply. This data should be used to inform the expansion of financial incentives such as the Early Career Payment and Levelling Up Premium according to where there …
Gov response: The Department recognises that collecting and publishing more information on sub-national supply challenges would be beneficial. However, it is challenging to quantify teacher supply using a single figure or metric as different metrics may give …
Not Addressed
#40 — Limited understanding of overlapping teacher shortages hinders effective targeting of financial incentives.
Recommendation: We know subject specific and regional teacher shortages persist and we acknowledge the Department’s interventions to address this. However, we have heard that there is limited data and understanding of how these shortages interact and where they overlap. Further analysis …
Gov response: The Department recognises that collecting and publishing more information on sub-national supply challenges would be beneficial. However, it is challenging to quantify teacher supply using a single figure or metric as different metrics may give …
Not Addressed
#38 — Require collection and publication of teacher attrition data by subject and reason
Recommendation: 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 …
Gov response: We currently publish subject leaver rates within the annual postgraduate ITT targets publication4. These are calculated to aid the Teacher Workforce Model supply calculations and the residual PGITT targets. We will explore publishing subject level …
Partially Accepted
#34 — Expand subject-specific National Professional Qualifications and establish clearer career progression pathways
Recommendation: The Department should build on improvements in its Continuing Professional Development (CPD) offering and there should be more scope in the system for teachers to gain and maintain seniority through subject specialism. The Department should expand its subject specific NPQ …
Gov response: We do not believe that producing a list of responsibilities for schools and teachers would be helpful, as looking after the development and wellbeing of large numbers of children is inevitably complex. Recognising that workload …
Under Consideration
#33 — Leadership-focused professional development limits teacher retention and non-leadership progression opportunities
Recommendation: We understand that when Continuing Professional Development is exclusively focused on leadership teacher retention can be undermined as teachers unwilling to take up such roles have limited opportunities for promotion or progression. We welcome the move towards more subject specific …
Gov response: NPQs are based on the best available evidence of what works, providing access to high-quality in-role training and support in the areas that matter most to teaching and learning, ensuring they continue to provide the …
Not Addressed
#31 — Teacher workload and lack of time limit engagement with professional development
Recommendation: The opportunity to partake in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is crucial to teacher retention; we recognise, however, that pressure of workload and lack of spare time limits teachers’ engagement with CPD. We consider issues relating to teachers’ workload further in …
Gov response: We have recently completed a user research project to update and improve the digital experience of users when engaging with the resources (previously accessed through the School Workload Reduction Toolkit). Based on feedback from users …
Under Consideration
#24 — Review decision to cut international relocation payments and protect current international trainee teachers.
Recommendation: We are disappointed about recent changes to the international relocation payment which will exclude trainee teachers from the 2024 and 2025 academic years. We viewed this payment as a positive intervention to encourage the recruitment and training of international teachers …
Gov response: The Department acknowledges the value of the International Relocation Payment (IRP) in attracting high-quality teachers from overseas to teach in England. The IRP was a time-limited scheme which aimed to address short-term teacher supply challenges …
Not Addressed
#20 — Encourage former teachers to return by introducing specific training and bursary routes.
Recommendation: The Department should encourage the return of former teachers into the profession by introducing and promoting specific training and bursary routes for returners. We also recommend that the Department reviews how returning teachers can be used to address current issues …
Gov response: The Department recognises the value that returning teachers can bring to the profession. Returners are eligible for the same bursaries and scholarships as other graduates, depending on the subject they train to teach. We will …
Not Addressed
#19 — Rethink decision to cut Now Teach funding and introduce specific bursaries for career changers.
Recommendation: The Department should urgently rethink the decision to cut funding for Now Teach as career changers are an important group that have the potential to positively contribute towards improving secondary teacher numbers. Further, the Department should introduce more paid routes …
Gov response: We recognise that career changers can bring a wealth of valuable experience into teaching and support diversity in the workforce. Career changers are eligible for the same bursaries and scholarships as other graduates. The Department …
Not Addressed
#18 — Reverse decision to remove Now Teach funding, utilising all channels for recruitment.
Recommendation: Given the extent of the teacher recruitment challenge, in particular severe shortages being faced in certain secondary school subjects (see chapter 5) the Department should be using all available channels to recruit specialist secondary teachers. The decision to remove funding …
Gov response: we will establish a process for reviewing the existing NPQ suite, to ensure the qualifications continue to be based on the latest evidence and best- practice of what works for teaching and learning. The government …
Under Consideration
#16 — Teacher apprenticeship routes remain underutilised, requiring expansion to grow the workforce.
Recommendation: We welcome the Department’s plan to introduce a non-graduate apprenticeship, specifically for experienced non-teaching staff alongside the existing graduate apprenticeship, as an opportunity to recruit non-graduates who are already working within the education sector into teaching. However, we are concerned …
Gov response: The Department should continue to promote and expand the existing Graduate Teacher Apprenticeship, setting intake targets for each academic year. The Department should also move forward with plans to introduce a non-graduate teaching apprenticeship, specifically …
Accepted
#15 — Teacher recruitment efforts overly focus on graduates, neglecting other potential groups.
Recommendation: The Department’s recruitment efforts currently focus heavily on new graduates. However more needs to be done to encourage recruitment from other groups. There should be more and clearer pathways for groups such as non-graduates, former military personnel and those interested …
Gov response: We are committed to providing Early Career Teachers (ECTs) with a high- quality evidence-informed training programme as they embark on their teaching career. As a first step, from September 2025 we are implementing an updated …
Under Consideration
#13 — Monitor attrition of retention payment recipients to understand the "postponement effect".
Recommendation: The Department should also monitor the attrition of those who receive these payments. This would improve understanding of whether there is a “postponement effect” amongst recipients, where they leave the profession once these payments stop. (Paragraph 74) Alternative routes into …
Gov response: For 2024/25 and 2025/26, the Department is offering a Targeted Retention Incentive worth up to £6,000 after-tax for mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who work in …
Accepted
#11 — Review 'golden handcuffs' option and commission research on improving teacher retention.
Recommendation: Though concern remains about the retention of teachers in receipt of bursary funding. Evidence tells us that the current structure of bursaries offers sufficient value for money in terms of recruitment and retention, given that retention rates are similar for …
Gov response: For 2024/25 and 2025/26, the Department is offering a Targeted Retention Incentive worth up to £6,000 after-tax for mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who work in …
Accepted
#10 — Introduce lower bursary offerings for shortage subjects and promote non-bursary teaching vocations.
Recommendation: Bursaries should continue to be targeted according to under-recruitment so the subjects struggling the most with recruitment receive the highest bursaries. However, additionally, the Department should introduce lower bursary offerings for shortage subjects where there is no existing offer alongside …
Gov response: We do not believe that introducing a specific route for non-graduate veterans would improve uptake, as this was previously trialled through the Troops to Teachers programme. The Teacher Degree Apprenticeship (TDA) is a new route …
Under Consideration
#9 — Targeted bursaries improve teacher recruitment but negatively impact non-bursary subjects.
Recommendation: Where available, bursaries and scholarships improve teacher recruitment. We heard strong evidence that bursaries should be targeted where they will be most effective, such as for subjects with longstanding under-recruitment, subjects where demand is expected to increase and subjects that …
Gov response: We have also accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools from this September. This award is above economy- wide average earnings …
Under Consideration
#8 — Complete review of unfunded support staff pay increases and allocate sufficient funding.
Recommendation: We recommend the Department complete a review into the cumulative impact of excluding funding for support staff pay increases from school funding allocations. Further, going forward, the wage growth of support staff must be factored into school budgets and the …
Gov response: We do not believe there is a need to introduce a bursary specifically for career changers. We announce the above financial incentives for ITT at the start of each recruitment cycle, meaning that career changers …
Under Consideration
#7 — Insufficient DfE funding for support staff pay increases strains school budgets.
Recommendation: We are also concerned that despite support staff pay increasing additional resource has not been made available to schools from the DfE to fund these increases. We are concerned about the additional pressure this puts on school budgets and that …
Gov response: We have published information about the TDA on the Get Into Teaching website and we will shortly publish a TDA page on GOV.UK to support prospective providers and employing schools to design, develop and deliver …
Under Consideration
#6 — Low pay for support staff is hindering recruitment and retention in vital roles.
Recommendation: We welcome the most recent pay agreement for support staff; however, we have heard persistent concerns that low pay is resulting in difficulty recruiting and retaining staff in these vital roles which help both teachers and pupils and provide essential …
Gov response: The Department’s approach to schools funding and costs already takes account of wage growth for support staff and its impact on school budgets. This is factored into the department’s decisions on funding. The department’s analysis …
Accepted
#5 — Teacher pay requires competitive increases without adversely affecting other school budgets.
Recommendation: 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 …
Gov response: We accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools from this September.
Partially Accepted
#4 — Teacher starting salaries require increases to remain competitive for recruitment and retention.
Recommendation: Teacher salaries need to be attractive in order to boost recruitment. We welcome the introduction of a £30k starting salary as a step towards improved competitiveness. However, it is clear that this salary will have to be increased in the …
Gov response: We accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools from this September. We announced a financial incentives package for the 2025/26 recruitment …
Accepted
NAO audit recommendations(7)
Teacher workforce: secondary and further education
DfE should consider what more it can do to encourage those undertaking teacher training to move into teaching jobs in the state-funded sector, and ensure the right type of students enrol on training, particularly for subjects that are seeing the …
Teacher workforce: secondary and further education
DfE should extend its evidence base of what works to recruit and retain teachers to include non-financial initiatives, and analyse the relative costs and benefits of initiatives to decide where to prioritise resources.
Teacher workforce: secondary and further education
DfE should assess the extent to which its further education workforce demand model is fit for purpose and uses the best available data and assumptions, implementing any required changes based on this assessment.
Teacher workforce: secondary and further education
DfE should, following announcement of the multi-year spending review settlement, provide greater transparency around what the 6,500 pledge means in practice for the school and further education sectors, with a published delivery plan setting out objectives, responsibilities, milestones, and how …
Teacher workforce: secondary and further education
DfE should, as part of its thinking around meeting the 6,500 pledge, fully assess, balance and manage the implications for value for money, affordability, responding to future teaching requirements and demographics, and the extent to which it can deliver its …
Teacher workforce: secondary and further education
DfE should collect more comprehensive data on further education teachers by reiterating the importance of providing data returns, and exploring how to build a historical picture.
Teacher workforce: secondary and further education
DfE should develop cross-sector data and insights across schools and further education colleges, to understand career paths and the unintended impact of sector?focused initiatives, to create a cross-sector approach.
PHSO casework decisions(1)
LGO / SPSO decisions(86)
24-001-065 — Cambridgeshire County Council
Summary: Miss X complains the Council failed to provide suitable education and special educational needs support to her child D when they were out of school. There was fault by the Council which caused D to miss education and special educational needs provision. It also caused avoidable distress for D, …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Dec 2024
23-019-194 — Worcestershire County Council
Summary: Miss X complained the Council failed to provide a suitable education for her son between July 2023 and March 2024. We found there was a delay in reviewing Y’s Education Health and Care Plan and a failure to provide an education for Y while he was not attending school. …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Sep 2024
24-014-834 — Dorset Council
Summary: Mrs X complains the Council has not dealt with her daughter Y’s education properly and she has missed educational opportunity. The Council delayed considering whether it should make alternative education provision for Y. Y suffered delay and the loss of educational opportunity. The Council should apologise and pay Mrs …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Jun 2025
24-014-134 — Norfolk County Council
Summary: Miss B complained the Council failed to comply with a tribunal order to name a specialist placement in section I of her child, X’s, Education, Health and Care Plan. Miss B says her mental health has been impacted, causing mental and physical exhaustion. Miss B also says her son …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Jun 2025
24-011-390 — West Northamptonshire Council
Summary: Mrs X complains the Council has not dealt properly with her daughter Y’s Special Educational Needs (SEN) and has suffered distress and loss of educational opportunity. The Council is at fault because it delayed issuing Y’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan and it did not ensure all Y’s …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Jun 2025
24-010-085 — Birmingham City Council
Summary: Mr X complained about the Council’s handling of his son, Y’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan and annual reviews between 2023 and 2024. The Council was at fault. It failed to process an early annual review and then delayed issuing an amended Plan following a subsequent review. It …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Jun 2025
25-001-323 — Essex County Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Education, Health and Care plan process. This is because the Council has agreed to an appropriate remedy for the injustice caused by the delay.
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Jun 2025
25-001-300 — Essex County Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Education, Health and Care plan process. This is because the Council has agreed to an appropriate remedy for the injustice caused by the delay.
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Jun 2025
24-023-141 — West Northamptonshire Council
Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint that the Council is failing to make alternative educational provision for the complainant’s daughter while she is not attending school. This is because the complainant has used her right to appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability) and this places the …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Jun 2025
25-002-754 — Shropshire Council
Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s Education, Health and Care assessment of her child, Y, in 2022 because it is late. We cannot investigate some of Mrs X’s complaints about support provided to Y in school because the law says we cannot. We will not …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Aug 2025
25-002-458 — Birmingham City Council
Summary: We will not investigate Ms M’s complaint about the Council’s decision to refuse her request for a personal budget because there is no evidence of fault in the Council’s decision.
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Aug 2025
24-018-126 — Essex County Council
Summary: Ms X complained about delays in the Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment process for her child, Y. Ms X also complained the Council failed to provide Y with a suitable education when they were unable to attend school. We found delays in the EHC needs assessment process, …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Aug 2025
25-007-343 — West Northamptonshire Council
Summary: We will not investigate Mr F’s complaint about his dealings with a Council Officer in connection with his son’s return to school because it is too late.
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Nov 2025
25-001-217 — Wiltshire Council
Summary: Mrs X complained the Council failed to provide her son with education after they moved into the area. The Council was at fault. Mrs X’s son, who has special educational needs, was without education for three months and received part-time education for approximately five further months. The Council has …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Nov 2025
21-008-739 — West Sussex County Council
Summary: Ms X complains the Council delayed in consulting special schools in time for her child to transfer from primary to secondary, meaning the statutory deadline for naming a placement was missed. There was delay both in consulting placements and in putting in place contingency plans. This caused distress, uncertainty, …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Mar 2022
21-007-265 — Suffolk County Council
Summary: Ms X complained the Council failed to ensure provisions in an Education, Health and Care plan for her daughter, Y, were met. She also complained the Council delayed in securing Y a new school placement. This caused the family financial stress and Y missed out on education. We found …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Mar 2022
21-008-249 — Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Summary: Mrs X complained that the Council failed to provide alternative education when her son, Y was unable to attend school due to anxiety. The Council accepted it was at fault and offered Mrs X £1000 to support educational opportunities for Y. It has also improved its procedures for the …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Apr 2022
21-008-105 — Suffolk County Council
did not provide her son with the education and specialist provision as set out in his Education, Health and Care plan when he started a new school in September 2020. We find the Council was at fault for failing to provide Ms E’s son with alternative education when he was …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Apr 2022
21-006-895 — Cambridgeshire County Council
Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint that the Council failed to ensure her son’s (A’s) school made provision for his Education Health and Care Plan requirements. This is because it is unlikely our involvement would add to the investigation carried out by the Council or lead to a …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Apr 2022
21-004-521 — Somerset County Council
Summary: Mrs C complained the Council delayed in providing her son with an Education, Health and Social Care Plan naming a suitable school. Also, that it failed to provide him with suitable education while she appealed the content of that plan. We uphold a complaint the Council took too long …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Apr 2022
21-003-540 — London Borough of Bexley
Summary: Miss X complained that the Council failed to make special educational provision for her adult son in line with his Education, Health and Care plan. She also complained that the Council failed to review her son’s Education, Health and Care plan, failed to provide onsite learning during COVID-19 lockdowns, …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Apr 2022
21-010-513 — Nottinghamshire County Council
Summary: Miss X complained the Council did not provide a suitable alternative education for her daughter, Y, when she was out of school. Although the Council was not aware initially that Y was out of school, it was at fault for not checking the support in Y’s Education Health and …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Jun 2022
22-002-747 — West Berkshire Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the schools the Council has considered as possible placements for Ms X’s child and what it has told her about this. The matters complained of are not separable from those which carry a right of appeal to the Special Educational Needs and …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Jun 2022
21-009-688 — Kent County Council
Summary: The Council was at fault for the delay in finding Mrs X’s son a suitable school placement and provide him with the provision as outlined in his Education, Health and Care Plan. To remedy the injustice caused by the fault, the Council has agreed to make a payment to …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Jun 2022
21-012-754 — Suffolk County Council
Summary: Mrs F complained the Council delayed finalising her son’s Education, Health and Care plan and delayed providing him with education and specialist provision. We find the Council was at fault for the delay in providing Mrs F’s son with education and specialist provision. The Council has agreed to our …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Jun 2022
21-011-730 — Wakefield City Council
Summary: There was fault with how the Council reached its decision to refuse Miss X’s request for school transport assistance. This caused Miss X a financial and medical injustice. The Council has agreed actions to remedy Miss X’s injustice.
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Jun 2022
21-015-318 — Dorset Council
Summary: The Council was at fault for delaying both the production of a child’s education, health and care plan, and also the arrangement of alternative provision while she could not attend school. Although the Council has already recognised both points of fault, it should now offer a financial remedy for …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Jun 2022
21-013-747 — Wiltshire Council
Summary: Ms X complained on behalf of Miss Y, her child, about the way the Council has dealt with her Education, Health and Care plan and educational provision since November 2020. The Council was at fault for the delay in issuing Miss Y’s amended Education, Health and Care plan after …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Jun 2022
21-012-817 — Wokingham Borough Council
Summary: Mr X complains the Council failed to attend his daughter’s annual review meetings, and complete the annual review process properly. We have found fault with the Council for delay, and for failing to send out a final amended Education, Health and Care Plan by the statutory deadline of 31 …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Jun 2022
21-005-546 — Buckinghamshire Council
Summary: Mrs X complained the Council did not arrange alternative provision for her son when she removed him from school. There is no fault with how the Council handled Mrs X’s son’s case. We have completed our investigation.
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Not Upheld
Jun 2022
22-003-270 — Reading Borough Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about failures by the Council in issuing Education Health and Care Plans for Mrs X’s children and failing to offer alternative educational provision for them. Some of the matters complained of are not separable from those where Mrs X used her right to …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Jul 2022
21-010-279 — Suffolk County Council
Summary: Mrs X complains about the Council’s handling of her requests for support since her child (Child Y) has been absent or unable to attend school. The Council’s delay in completing the Education, Health and Care Plan assessment and response to Mrs X’s stage two complaint was fault. The Council …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Sep 2022
22-007-872 — Warwickshire County Council
Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about the Council’s response to the complainant’s daughter’s special educational needs. This is because the substantive matters fall outside the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction.
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Oct 2022
22-009-242 — Surrey County Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council naming a school on Mr X’s child’s Education Health and Care Plan that is too far away. Mr X has used his right to appeal to the SEND Tribunal and the matters complained of are not separable from that.
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Oct 2022
21-019-072 — Staffordshire County Council
Summary: Miss X complained about delays relating to the Council’s handling of the Education, Health, and Care Plan annual review process for her son. There is fault by the Council for significant delay in issuing a draft and final Plan following its decision to amend and also in the handling …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Oct 2022
21-018-318 — Hertfordshire County Council
Summary: The Council failed to complete Ms X’s son, Z’s, annual review or finalise his Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan). The Council then delayed in consulting with Ms X’s preferred school and used an outdated version of Z’s EHC Plan to make its consultations. The Council also repeatedly …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Oct 2022
21-018-143 — Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
Summary: Mr X complains the Council refused his request for a personal transport budget. This request was to cover the mileage costs of driving his son, F, to and from school. We have decided to uphold Mr X’s complaint because there is evidence of fault in the Council’s decision-making. This …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Oct 2022
23-020-122 — Somerset Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about school transport mileage payments because Mrs X has not suffered injustice significant enough to warrant an investigation.
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
May 2024
24-000-366 — North Yorkshire Council
Summary: We upheld Miss X’s complaint about delays in the Education, Health and Care Plan process regarding her children, Y and Z. The Council agreed to resolve the complaint early by providing a proportionate remedy for the injustice caused.
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Jun 2024
23-020-263 — Surrey County Council
Summary: Ms X complained the Council failed to provide suitable education for her child since September 2019. Ms X also complained the Council delayed in producing her child’s Education, Health and Care Plan from February 2022 until October 2023. We found fault with the Council failing to provide suitable education …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Aug 2024
24-020-815 — Birmingham City Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about an unsuccessful appeal for a school place. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault by the panel for us to be able to question its decision.
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Apr 2025
24-014-531 — Surrey County Council
Summary: Mrs X complained about the Council’s decision to decline Mr Y’s application for school transport assistance. Mrs X says Mr Y will not be able to access his education if transport assistance is not provided. We do not find fault with how the Council considered Mrs X’s application or …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Not Upheld
Apr 2025
24-019-397 — Brighton & Hove City Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s consultation into changes to its school admission arrangements. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council.
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Apr 2025
24-018-157 — Nottinghamshire County Council
Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s decision to refuse her application for free home to school transport for her son. This is because there is no sign of fault by the Council.
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Apr 2025
24-020-217 — London Borough of Ealing
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to refuse the complainant’s application and appeal for school transport for her son. There is insufficient evidence of fault on the Council’s part to warrant investigation.
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Apr 2025
24-019-625 — Norfolk County Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the suspension of the complainant’s son’s school transport. Investigation would not add anything significant to the response the Council has already made, or lead to a different outcome.
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Apr 2025
25-002-920 — Oxfordshire County Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council has failed to ensure appropriate educational provision for the complainant’s daughter while she has been unable to attend school. Our intervention is unlikely to add anything significant to the investigation the Council has already carried out, or lead to a …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Aug 2025
24-011-785 — West Sussex County Council
Summary: Mrs X complained the Council delayed arranging alternative educational provision for her child, Y when he was unable to attend school. She also complained the Council failed to provide the specialist provision outlined in Y’s Education Health and Care (EHC) Plan. The Council decided without fault that the school …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Aug 2025
25-010-047 — Buckinghamshire Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about delays in the Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment process. The Council has already upheld this complaint and made an offer of a suitable remedy for the injustice. There are no wider public interest issues to justify an investigation.
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Nov 2025
25-008-976 — Essex County Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Education, Health and Care plan process. This is because the Council has agreed to an appropriate remedy for the injustice caused by the delay.
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Nov 2025