TTR0148

Written evidence submitted by the Department for Education

Submission of Evidence for Education Select Committee inquiry into Teacher Recruitment, Training and Retention (2023)

INTRODUCTION

Section summary

SECTION 1- Government’s vision and contextual information

Introduction

Teacher numbers – overview

Teacher Workforce Model

ITT recruitment targets for 2023/24

SECTION 2- Current teacher recruitment and retention, including comparisons with other sectors.

Recruitment to Initial Teacher Training

Retention of teachers

Impact of secondary subject teacher shortages on schools

Recruitment and retention by region and school type

Factors impacting the recruitment and retention of qualified teachers

SECTION 3 – Government action to improve teacher recruitment and retention

Becoming a Teacher

Routes into teaching

Financial incentives and their impact

Teacher training and professional development

Teacher pay

Workload, wellbeing and flexible working

Pupil behaviour

Teacher diversity

Comparisons to other professions and sectors of the economy

SECTION 4- Delivery and impact of Government’s teacher training framework

Teacher training

Initial Teacher Training Core Content Framework (ITT CCF)

Initial Teacher Training reform

Impact of the Early Career Framework reform on the teaching profession

ITT Core Content Framework and Early Career Framework Review

Impact of the reformed National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) programme

SECTION 5 - Teacher training in other countries

International comparisons of initial teacher training

SECTION 6 Challenges for teachers from different demographic backgrounds

Recruitment and retention of initial teacher trainees by characteristics

Recruitment and retention of teachers and leaders by characteristics

INTRODUCTION

Section summary

1.  This paper sets out the Government’s evidence for the Education Select Committee inquiry into teacher recruitment, training and retention in schools.[1] It addresses the specific questions raised in the inquiry terms of reference, outlining the main factors impacting recruitment and retention and the work the Government has undertaken to address teacher sufficiency and improve teacher quality.

2.  Section 1 sets out contextual information on:

• Government’s vision and objectives for teacher recruitment, training and retention in schools. (paragraphs 8-13)
• Overview of teacher numbers (paras 14-17)
• Teacher Workforce Model (paras 18-23)

3.  Section 2 provides information on current recruitment and retention including:

• Recruitment to initial teacher training (paras 35-38)
• Teacher retention (paras 39-43)
• By subject (paras 44-45)
• Recruitment and retention by region and school type (paras 46-49)
• Factors leading to the recruitment and retention of qualified teachers (paras 50-79)

4.  Section 3 describes the action the Government is taking to improve recruitment and retention (paras 80-92 and paras 98-134) with comparisons with other sectors, including:

• The impact of the new bursaries and scholarships announced in October 2022 (paras 93-97)
• Comparisons with other professions/sectors of the economy and what can be learnt from them (paras 134-138)

5.  Section 4 sets out the delivery and impact of the Government’s teacher training framework, including:

• How the current teacher training framework prepares new teachers and how it could be improved (paras 140-144 and paras 162-164)
• As assessment of the impact of the Early Career Framework implemented in September 2021 (paras 153-161)

6.  Section 5 describes teacher training in other countries and considers how training in England compares, and the benefits and disadvantages of the English system (paras 172-179)

7.  Section 6 considers the particular challenges that exist for teachers from different demographic backgrounds, including:

• How well the demographic makeup of the teaching workforce reflects that of the pupils they teach (paras 180-184)
• The particular challenges that exist in teacher recruitment, training and retention for teachers from different demographic backgrounds (paras 185-208)

SECTION 1- Government’s vision and contextual information

Introduction

8.  The Schools White Paper,[2] published in March 2022, set out a long-term vision for a school system that helps every child to fulfil their potential by ensuring that they receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time – founded on achieving world-class literacy and mathematics. 

9.  At the heart of these ambitions is the need for an excellent teacher for every child in classrooms across England. Teachers’ knowledge, experience and dedication are central to their role in shaping the lives of children and young people. High-quality teaching is the single most important in-school factor in improving outcomes for children, especially for children from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

10.  One of the Department’s top priorities is to ensure that it continues to attract, retain and develop the high-quality teachers needed to inspire the next generation. The Department’s work aligns with every stage of a teacher’s career – from the marketing and support offered to candidates who are considering entering teacher training, to the policies and programmes aimed at developing and retaining experienced leaders. The Government makes significant investments in teacher recruitment, retention and quality each year with over £500m budgeted for financial year (FY) 2023-24.

11.  The Department offers bursaries and scholarships worth up to £29,000 for trainees and is on track to raise starting salaries to £30,000 from September 2023. The Department has also launched the Levelling Up Premium, worth up to £3,000 tax-free for early career STEM teachers working in disadvantaged schools.

12.  We know that great teachers are made, not born. That is why the Department is delivering the single biggest programme of teacher development ever undertaken in this country, and investing further in the skills and futures of the professionals who are central to our mission.

13.  The Prime Minister has also set a new mission for all young people to study maths to age 18, equipping them with the knowledge they need for the modern economy. A good understanding of maths has significant benefits for young people’s economic prospects, and a mathematically literate population is essential for a strong economy. On 17 April, the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Education set out how we will take the next steps towards delivering this mission; this includes convening an expert advisory group to advise on the essential maths knowledge and skills young people need to study to the age of 18. Rolling out maths to a substantially larger post-16 cohort will require a larger workforce, trained and equipped to teach young people the maths skills they need for their future careers. The Department will work to set out next steps towards implementing the Prime Minister’s ambition later this year.

Teacher numbers – overview

14.  The number of teachers is currently at the highest level recorded since the School Workforce Census (SWC)[3] began in 2010/11. There were 465,526 full time equivalent (FTE) teachers in November 2021, 4,400 more than 2020. The majority of this growth was in secondary, which increased by 3,700 last year. Since 2010, FTE teacher numbers have increased by 24,200.

15.  The most recent growth in teacher numbers has been driven by improvements in recruitment and retention during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019/20, teacher leaver rates fell to 7.3% - their lowest recorded levels since the School Workforce Census started in 2010/11. Before the pandemic, leaver rates had been improving from 10.6% in 2014/15 to 9.4% in 2018/19. The pandemic also significantly boosted initial teacher training (ITT) recruitment, with 34,394 new entrants to postgraduate ITT in 2020/21 - the highest across the data series back to 2010/11. In 2020/21 125% of the primary ITT target and 103% of the secondary target was achieved.

16.  We are now seeing the system return closer to pre-pandemic levels. The overall leaver rate worsened slightly from 2019/20 to 2020/21, with ​36,300 teachers (8.1%) leaving the state-funded sector in 2020/21, up by 4,000 on the previous year. Whilst leaver rates are still below pre-pandemic levels, they are likely to increase as workforce behaviour reverts to pre-pandemic norms.

17.  In a competitive labour market, there has also been a reduction in ITT recruitment. Overall, there were 23,224 new entrants to postgraduate ITT in 2022/23, a 23% decrease on the year previously. This meant recruitment targets were missed in both primary and secondary for the first time since 2019/20.

Teacher Workforce Model

18.  The Department’s 2019 Recruitment and Retention Strategy[4] re-focused efforts on addressing recruitment and retention challenges. In support of this, in 2021 the Department introduced a new, more sophisticated workforce model, the Teacher Workforce Model (TWM).

19.  The TWM allows the Department to adopt a more holistic approach to ITT recruitment target-setting than its predecessor. In particular, postgraduate ITT recruitment targets are now developed that not only aim to meet projected future teacher demand, but also account for short-term recruitment and retention impacts not yet reflected in the School Workforce Census. This allows our targets to attempt to counteract the impact of any net under-recruitment impacts resulting from the two most recent ITT recruitment rounds.  

20.  The TWM takes into account the impact of a wide range of factors upon both future demand and supply when estimating future national teacher demand in England and setting future ITT recruitment targets, including (and not limited to) pupil number projections, economic impacts upon future recruitment and retention, secondary school curriculum, retirements, and teacher demographics.[5] 

21.  The Department uses the latest economic forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), and any other known factors that might impact upon future teacher recruitment and retention. This ensures the impact of teacher pay relative to pay in the wider economy can be accounted for within forecasts of future recruitment and retention.

22.  The impact of inflation upon existing and prospective teacher salary compared to private sector wage growth and the relatively low levels of unemployment both place pressures on teacher supply.

23.  A further pressure has been growth in pupil numbers. A demographic ‘bulge’ has recently moved through primary education; pupil numbers are now declining and are projected to fall a further 5.3% between 2022 and 2025. This is now reflected in the secondary pupil population, with numbers likely to peak in 2024 at 3,230,000 (a 3.3% increase on 2022). Overall, pupil numbers are projected to fall by 9.4% between 2022 and 2030. This reduction in pupil numbers is expected to reduce the demand for teachers in the coming years and may serve to alleviate some of the pressures on teacher supply seen in recent years.

ITT recruitment targets for 2023/24

24.  The Department published 2023/24 postgraduate initial teacher training (PGITT) recruitment targets on the 27th April 2023.[6] To provide transparency about the methodology and data used, we have also published a workbook setting out the calculations behind the PGITT targets. This is accompanied by a methodological annex that provides further technical details on our assumptions and the data used.

25.  The targets were calculated to provide a sufficient number of new teachers in 2024/25, having considered a broad range of factors as described above.

26.  Overall it is estimated that 35,540 trainees are required to start postgraduate initial teacher training (PGITT) in the academic year 2023/24. This is an increase of 2,940 (9.0%) on the 2022/23 postgraduate initial teacher training target, and includes those to be recruited through the Teach First training programme.

• The 2023/24 target for primary PGITT trainees has decreased by 2,475 compared to 2022/23; from 11,655 to 9,180 (a 21.2% decrease).
• The 2023/24 target for secondary PGITT trainees increased by 5,415 compared to 2022/23; from 20,945 to 26,360 (a 25.9% increase overall).

27.  The primary target is lower this year, as primary-aged pupil numbers fall more rapidly.

28.  In addition, recruitment and retention forecasts have become more favourable for primary this year than last, including those for returners and those new teachers gaining QTS via undergraduate ITT and Assessment Only. While secondary ITT recruitment was boosted by the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020/21, primary ITT recruitment was boosted in both 2020/21 and 2021/22.

29.  All these factors have led to a lower primary target this year through both a reduced need for ITT trainees to meet future demand, and the removal of the adjustment relating to recent ITT under-recruitment impacts that was used last year. 

30.  The key driver of whether the 2023/24 targets have increased or fallen for specific secondary subjects is the extent to which those targets have been adjusted to counteract the impact of recent under-recruitment.

31.  The TWM uses data on both retention and wider recruitment to teaching to estimate the size of the teaching workforce in 2023/24.  The TWM then compares this to the estimated 2023/24 teacher demand to identify whether we have recruited the teachers we needed from the two PGITT rounds prior to 2023/24 (which have not yet affected the most recently published School Workforce Census from November 2021 – the baseline data in the model).

32.  If this comparison shows that we have under recruited in specific subjects, then an adjustment is applied by increasing the 2023/24 PGITT target for those subjects. No adjustment is required for subjects where there is no impact from under-recruitment impact. By applying this adjustment, the Department has made a broad assessment of short-term teacher supply, considering the various routes into teaching and future retention.

33.  This holistic approach is illustrated when considering the maths target for 2022/23; which decreased to 2,040 from 2,800 in 2021/22. When setting the 2022/23 target, the postgraduate ITT recruitment targets for 2020/21 and 2021/22 had been missed. This might suggest that an adjustment to counter this under-recruitment would be necessary. However, the impacts of under-recruitment against those recent postgraduate ITT targets were fully offset by more favourable recruitment via other routes (e.g. returners) and improvements in short-term retention, making such an adjustment unnecessary. In setting the target for 2023/24 an adjustment was reintroduced (due to under-recruitment and less favourable recruitment through other routes). As a result, the target has increased to 2,960 for 2023/24.

34.  The Department adjusts its recruitment strategies in light of ITT targets, including setting bursary levels. A reduction in targets does not necessarily mean that a bursary would be reduced. For example, the maths bursary remained at the top rate in 2022/23 despite the fall in target.

SECTION 2- Current teacher recruitment and retention, including comparisons with other sectors.

Recruitment to Initial Teacher Training

35.  The Department is responsible for ensuring there are enough high-quality teachers in primary and secondary schools to deliver a world-class education for every child. Recruitment to initial teacher training is one of the key routes used to meet demand for teachers in the state-funded sector.

36.  Recruitment throughout 2020 was strong, largely as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated economic conditions, with limited job opportunities and a lack of movement between jobs in the wider economy. In the years since the pandemic, the wider graduate recruitment market has strengthened significantly with the High-Fliers survey, covering 100 leading graduate employers,[7] reporting that the number of graduate jobs available in 2023 is expected to increase by approximately 6% compared to the previous year.

37.  This presents a more challenging recruitment picture for initial teacher training and has driven increased expenditure on initiatives and incentives that have proven successful in the past. Just over 23,000 postgraduate trainee teachers were recruited to start training in 2022/23, 71% of the postgraduate initial teacher training (PGITT) target.

Figure 1: Percentage of postgraduate ITT recruitment target reached[8]

38.  Whilst targets in primary have been exceeded in 3 of the last 5 years, recruitment to meet some secondary targets has been more challenging (see Figure 1). Performance varies by secondary subject. Some subjects such as History, Classics and PE attract strong interest and regularly perform above target, but others including Design and Technology, Physics and Modern Foreign Languages regularly under-perform against targets (see Figure 2 for latest year’s performance). Consequently, performance against the overall secondary target is driven by sustained under-performance in these shortage subjects.

Figure 2: Percentage of ITT Recruitment Target reached by subject – 2022/23[9]

Retention of teachers

39.  Teacher retention is vital for sufficiency and for teaching quality; supporting newly qualified teachers through their early career and keeping experienced teachers in the system are central to the Department’s strategy.

40.  Leaver rates rose between 2010/11 and 2014/15, from 9.9% to 10.6%. From 2016/17 rates fell to 9.4% in 2018/19. During the pandemic they fell further, with leaver rates lower than at any point over the past decade (2019/20, 7.3%) before increasing in the latest year available (2020/21, 8.1%). Leaver rates are expected to increase again in future years as the system returns to normal after Covid.

41.  Latest economic data shows vacancies in the wider economy and job-to-job moves are higher than they were pre-pandemic and during the pandemic which suggests more options for teachers outside the profession. This is supported by findings from the 2023 publication of the Working Lives of Teachers and Leaders (WLTL) survey[10] which reported that a large proportion (25%) of teachers and leaders were considering leaving the profession (though not all of these teachers will necessarily leave).

42.  In the WLTL survey, 38% of computing teachers and 30% of science teachers reported they were considering leaving teaching. This aligns with what is known about the labour market with greater competitiveness in the wider economy for jobs that require STEM expertise.

43.  There are also differences in retention for teachers at different stages of their career. Retention of early career teachers (ECTs) is lower than the average for all teachers but has improved in recent years. 2021/22 School Workforce Census data shows that 87.5% of teachers are still in post 1 year after qualifying, versus 85% in 2016/17 and 86.4% in 2010/11.

Impact of secondary subject teacher shortages on schools

44.  There is evidence that secondary schools are experiencing challenges in recruiting teachers. In a September 2022 survey, 90% of secondary schools reported that they had experienced difficulty recruiting in at least one EBacc subject over this time period.[11] Secondary schools found it most challenging to recruit for the STEM subjects (except biology), with 47% citing difficulties in recruitment in physics, 42% mathematics, 39% computing and 30% chemistry; followed by English (21%) and geography (12%).

45.  Despite these challenges, levels of specialist teaching are generally quite high, with 9 in 10 (89%) hours taught in EBacc subjects taught by a teacher with a relevant post-A level qualification in 2020/21. There is some variety by subject with STEM subjects including physics (72%) and computing (53%) having a comparatively low proportion of hours taught by a teacher with a relevant post A-level qualification. 88% of mathematics teaching in secondary schools was carried out by a teacher with a relevant post A-level qualification – as seen in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Percentage of hours taught and percentage of teachers with a relevant post-A level qualification[12]

Recruitment and retention by region and school type

46.  There are differences between recruitment and retention trends in London compared to the rest of England. In 2022/23, the number of postgraduate new entrants to ITT dropped across all regions. The smallest change was observed in London (a 17% decrease on new entrant trainees compared to 2021/22). On retention, the School Workforce Census shows consistently higher leaver rates in London compared to other regions. Leaver rates reported in the 2021/22 School Workforce Census for classroom teachers were 11.1% and 9.5% for Inner and Outer London respectively, compared to a range of leaver rates between 7.2% and 8.3% for other regions.[13] This is likely to be caused by a variety of factors such as differences between the economy in London and other regions, or demographic differences, with teachers in London tending to be younger on average.

47.  While there is no clear geographical pattern in most of the country, evidence does show a link between level of school-level deprivation and workforce challenges. A recent National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) survey[14] of senior leaders found that schools with high levels of disadvantage struggle more with retaining teachers and show greater indications of teacher shortages having a negative impact. In particular, the research showed that there were notable differences across school disadvantage levels in the use of non-specialist teachers in physics and MFL, but not significantly for maths.

48.  There are also differences in recruitment and retention by school type. Entrant and leaver rates are highest for special schools and Pupil Referral Units (PRUs). In the 2021/22 census, the leaver rate for special schools and PRUs was 10.3% compared with 8.0% for secondary and 7.8% for primary. Leaver rates for special schools and PRUs have been higher than other settings since 2011/12. The entrant rate was 11.2% compared with 10.3% for secondary and 9.0% for primary. 44% of entrants into special schools in 2021/22 were returners to the state-funded sector – this is higher than in primary (36%) and secondary settings (30%). In 2020/21, wastage rates were higher in primary schools (7.2% FTE) than secondary schools (6.9% FTE). The rate of wastage in special schools and Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) was at 8.5% FTE.

49.  There is less evidence of the link between teacher sufficiency and outcomes for pupils with SEND, though the WLTL survey showed those with teaching responsibilities felt less confident adapting their teaching to the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND, than other aspects of teaching. The survey also showed that ECTs were less likely to say their training prepared them well for teaching pupils with SEND (46%) than for other aspects of teaching such as professional conduct (84%) and planning effective lessons (74%). There is also evidence that pupils with SEND were disproportionately affected during the pandemic with 74% of leaders and teachers who personally teach pupils with SEND reporting that they felt the gap between SEND pupils and pupils without SEND had got wider.

Factors impacting the recruitment and retention of qualified teachers

50.  There are a number of factors which impact teacher recruitment and retention. Many relate to the wider labour market, including the graduate recruitment market, but some are specific to teaching. Wider Government policies also have an impact on the pipeline of graduates able to enter teaching; for example, implementation of the Prime Minister’s maths to 18 ambition is likely to increase the number of graduates eligible to become maths teachers in future.

Graduate recruitment market

51.  Teaching is a graduate entry profession, and we need to compete for the best graduates to become teachers. The graduate recruitment market has become considerably more competitive in 2023, with an increase in graduate vacancies, greater competition among recruiters and higher salaries on offer. Competition for sought-after STEM graduates is particularly acute from the professional services, consulting and banking sectors.

52.  The High-Fliers report, ‘The Graduate Market in 2023’,[15] covering 100 leading graduate employers, reported that the country’s top employers recruited 3,500 more graduates in 2022 than expected at the start of the 2021/22 academic year. The number of graduate jobs available in 2023 is expected to increase by a further 6% compared to 2022, with vacancies set to reach a new record that is 16% above pre-pandemic levels. The median graduate starting salary with these firms has risen by 12% in the last two years.

53.  Challenges with recruiting and retaining staff are being experienced across both the public and private sectors,[16] including in further education,[17] nurseries[18] and in general practice. Unemployment in the wider economy is currently at historic lows and the number of vacancies across the UK is higher than it was before the pandemic indicating a tight labour market. Similarly, job-to-job moves are also higher than pre-pandemic levels.

Teacher pay

54.  Evidence suggests that teachers in their early career are more sensitive to pay when making decisions on whether to remain in the profession[19] and pay is reported as a bigger factor for teachers in their 20s in choosing to leave the profession than for older teachers.[20] The start of the career is also where our retention challenges are most significant, with teachers in the early years of their career significantly more likely to leave the profession.

55.  An attractive starting salary is important to recruiting high quality graduates to the profession, which is why the Department is committed to delivering the £30,000 starting salary from September 2023. International evidence supports this link between higher starting pay and recruiting teachers who are more effective at raising pupil attainment on average.[21]

56.  There are challenges in ensuring a financially competitive salary for teachers in key subjects, especially in STEM. The Department offers the Levelling Up Premium, worth up to £3,000 tax-free for early career STEM teachers working in disadvantaged schools.

Teacher training and professional development

57.  High-quality training and professional development enable teachers and leaders to feel supported to stay and build their careers. The Department’s development reforms are set out in detail in sections 3 and 4.

58.  The first wave of the WLTL survey showed that the most common forms of CPD undertaken by teachers in the last 12 months were training designed and delivered by their own school, MAT or LA and observation/feedback on lessons (both reported by 69% of teachers). Other common forms of CPD were professional reading (54%) and training designed and delivered by external providers (48%). The most common content for CPD was pupil safeguarding (81% of teachers and leaders reported this as content of CPD they had undertaken in the last 12 months).

59.  The Department’s evaluations of continuing professional development (CPD) programmes[22] provide some preliminary evidence that CPD is having a positive influence on teacher retention; teachers’ perceived influence over their CPD is associated with improved job satisfaction and intention to stay in teaching. As the evaluations are ongoing, the Department will need to strengthen its evidence on the impact of CPD on teacher retention.

Workload and wellbeing

60.  Workload is a longstanding and complex issue. In the recent Working Lives of Teachers and Leaders (WLTL) report, of those teachers saying they are considering leaving the profession within the next 12 months (for reasons other than for retirement), 92% cite workload as a reason, compared to 57% citing dissatisfaction with pay. 

61.  The Department continues to work proactively with the sector to understand the drivers behind workload and wellbeing issues and improve our policies and interventions. Between 2016 and 2019, the self-reported working hours of teachers and leaders fell by around 5 hours on average, at least in part due to the work of the Department and expert groups.

62.  Encouragingly, despite the impact of the pandemic, average working hours for all teachers have continued to fall since 2019 - though this is principally driven by a reduction in primary teacher hours, with secondary teacher hours stable since 2019.

63.  With regard to the working hours of leaders the survey shows a slight increase since 2019, though hours are still substantially lower than in the 2016 Teacher Workload Survey.

64.  In the 2023 WLTL survey, 58% of respondents reported being satisfied with their current job all or most of the time, rising to 70% for leaders. A majority (63%) of respondents also reported very high or high feelings of worthwhileness, that things done in their life were worthwhile. This was particularly the case for leaders, where almost three quarter (73%) reported very high or high feelings of worthwhileness. Teachers’ job satisfaction is driven by a number of different factors. It is not just the number of hours they work but also how they spend their time. That is why the Department has targeted a reduction in activities such as excessive marking, data collection and other administrative tasks so teachers can effectively concentrate their time supporting and teaching pupils.

Flexible working

65.  The opportunity to work flexibly supports retention yet there is an unmet demand for flexible working in the sector and implementing flexible working in schools can pose challenges. NFER (2022) analysis of 2020 Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings data[23] shows that around a fifth of full-time teachers who left moved into part-time work in their new role.

66.  In the 2021/22 academic year, 24% of teachers were listed in the School Workforce Census (SWC) as working part time.[24] In the WLTL study published in 2023, four in ten teachers and leaders (40%) reported using some form of flexible working arrangement themselves, whether formal or informal.[25]

67.  Following the pandemic, opportunities for flexible working have increased rapidly in competitor careers. The proportion of graduates, similar to teachers, who reported to mainly work from home increased rapidly from around 15% up to 2018/19 to 44% in 2021/22.[26] This is not reflected in the teaching sector, where there are limited opportunities to work from home.

School inspection

68.  The WLTL survey reported that after workload and Government initiatives and policy changes, ‘other pressures relating to pupil outcomes or inspection’ is the third-most cited factor by teachers considering leaving in the next 12 months (at 69%).

69.  Ofsted inspection plays a crucial role in providing assurance that pupils are receiving a good quality education and are being kept safe. It is the case though that independent inspection leading to a published report is a source of pressure on schools. The Department and Ofsted recognise this and continue to engage with the sector on ways to reduce the pressure associated with inspection.

70.  Through the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter, Ofsted is committed to ensuring that inspectors take staff wellbeing into account in coming to their judgements and monitoring this through quality assurance and evaluation; reviewing whether the framework is having inadvertent impacts on staff wellbeing (for example, creating unnecessary workload) and taking steps to alleviate any issues; and continuing to clarify that it does not expect schools to create documentation for inspection, to try to reduce administrative workload.

71.  Ofsted’s school inspection handbook includes a section designed to correct misconceptions about inspections that can result in unnecessary anxiety and workload in schools. Ofsted also seeks opportunities to engage with schools, including through its termly webinars, which aim to provide school leaders and staff with information about how inspections work and to reduce anxieties about the process.

72.  Ofsted’s post-inspection survey shows that 9 in 10 respondents agree that the inspection will help them improve, and a similar number agree that they are satisfied with the way the inspection was carried out.[27]

73.  It is important that all inspections are of the highest quality, and Ofsted continues to refine its inspection approach and respond where concerns arise, as part of a commitment to ongoing improvement. For example, Ofsted is currently reviewing the way it inspects and reports on safeguarding; and its complaints arrangements. It is also looking to clarify aspects of its inspection approach, working closely with the Department and representative organisations.

74.  The Department continues to keep the overall inspection system under review, engaging with Ofsted and the sector.

Pupil behaviour

75.  Both the level of poor pupil behaviour and the support that teachers receive when dealing with poor behaviour affect teachers’ wellbeing and job satisfaction which can have implications for teacher recruitment and retention.

76.  In the recent WLTL survey, 62% of teachers and school leaders rated pupil behaviour as ‘good’ or ‘very good’, and a further 22% rated it as ‘acceptable’. Teachers and school leaders who considered pupil behaviour to be ‘good’ were less likely to report that their job negatively affected their mental health than those who considered pupil behaviour to be poor. Teachers and school leaders who rated pupil behaviour as ‘poor’ were more likely than average to report considering leaving the profession in the next 12 months, than those who reported behaviour as ‘good’ (37% vs 21%).

77.  The level of support when dealing with poor behaviour correlated with job satisfaction: 70% of those who always or mostly felt supported to deal with disruptive behaviour were satisfied with their job all or most of the time compared with 27% of those who felt occasionally or never supported.

78.  Of those teachers and leaders who reported that they were considering leaving the profession in the next year those who reported ‘occasionally’ or ‘never’ being supported to deal with disruptive behaviour were more likely to be considering leaving compared to those who felt ‘always’ or ‘mostly’ supported (41% vs 20%).

79.  Dealing with poor behaviour can be particularly challenging for teachers early in their career. Just over half (54%) of ECTs reported feeling well prepared for managing poor behaviour or disruptions in class. One in six (17%) felt badly prepared for this, with one in twenty (5%) saying they felt ‘very badly’ prepared.

SECTION 3 – Government action to improve teacher recruitment and retention

80.  The Department’s reforms (see overview at Annex A) have been focused on ensuring there are enough high-quality teachers in English schools to deliver world-class education, while establishing a school-led system, empowering teachers and leaders to help young people succeed. The reforms are aimed not only at increasing teacher recruitment in key subjects and areas – through an attractive pay offer and financial incentives such as bursaries – but also at ensuring teachers stay and thrive in the profession. All of this is underpinned by significant investment in world class training and development, to ensure children across England are taught by high-quality teachers.

81.  The Government makes significant investments in teacher recruitment, retention and quality each year with over £500m budgeted for financial year 2023-24.[28] This is in addition to the core schools budget: this year, funding for both mainstream schools and high needs is £3.5 billion higher, compared to 2022-23, taking the core schools budget to a total of £57.3bn. That increase is on top of the £4 billion, year-on-year increase provided in 2022-23 – an increase of £7.5 billion, or over 15%, in just two years. Total funding for both mainstream schools and high needs will total £58.8 billion in 2024-25 – the highest ever level in real terms per pupil.

Becoming a Teacher

82.  As recognised in the 2019 Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy, the routes into teaching are confusing for applicants, and burdensome for schools. In response, the Department has radically simplified the process of becoming a teacher and improved services, support and guidance for prospective teachers. The Department also works to ensure that the routes into teaching themselves are as accessible as possible, especially for people who need extra support.

83.  The School Teacher Recruitment marketing campaign provides inspiration and support to explore a career in teaching and directs people to the Get Into Teaching service, which is designed to make teaching a career of choice and support candidates to apply for teacher training. Prospective candidates can find support and advice on the Get Into Teaching website and through expert one-to-one Teacher Training Advisers, a contact centre and a national programme of events. The service works alongside other policy levers, such as teacher pay and training bursaries.

84.  The Department remains committed to the Teaching Internships Programme, allowing students to experience teaching during their degree. In 2022, 72 school partnerships delivered the programme and from this year it is available to students interested in teaching chemistry, computing, mathematics, modern foreign languages and physics. 

85.  In order to improve the process of finding and applying for teacher training, ‘Find Postgraduate Teacher Training Courses’ and ‘Apply for Teacher Training’ were gradually rolled out from 2019 (taking the process in-house from UCAS), and all applications to mainstream postgraduate teacher training courses in England are now made through the Department’s own services. Not only does this deliver a more streamlined, user-friendly application route for applicants, it also provides the Department with real-time data on candidate and provider behaviour. This data and insight has led to the introduction of several changes to the application journey, including changing the references process and increasing the number of choices applicants have. The Department is also making new data available to the sector to drive behavioural changes and maximise candidates’ chances of success.

86.  To ensure teaching is an accessible career for future potential teachers from all backgrounds, the Department uses the data collected from digital services to identify and address the barriers candidates face in applying to teacher training. The Department continues to work with schools and universities to make the teacher training application process accessible to all candidates.

Routes into teaching

87.  The Department has three core routes into teaching: undergraduate fee funded, postgraduate fee funded, and salaried. It has created a range of specialist programmes to encourage and support trainees from diverse backgrounds. Most postgraduate trainees (88% in 2022/23) undertake fee-funded Initial Teacher Training, split roughly evenly between university and school-centred provision (see Figure 4).[29]  

88.  Salaried routes are an important driver of teacher sufficiency, and the Department supports two salaried routes into teaching: School Direct Salaried and the Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship. Both provide the opportunity for people to earn and learn whilst obtaining Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Additionally, the Department is working closely with the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) and the sector to design an attractive and high-quality undergraduate apprenticeship route enabling those without a degree the opportunity to enter the teaching profession while earning a salary. This would enable employing schools to benefit from Government funding to support the training and development of the apprentices.

89.  The High Potential Initial Teacher Training (HPITT) programme, delivered by Teach First, targets the brightest and best graduates who would otherwise be unlikely to join the profession and places them in schools of greatest need. Recruitment through Teach First currently represents between 4% and 6% of annual ITT recruitment.

90.  The Department funds a bespoke programme for career changers, ‘Now Teach’ that targets highly experienced professionals, who may not otherwise consider teaching but can add significant value in schools.

91.  The Department launched a pilot initial teacher training course in spring 2022 called ‘Engineers Teach Physics’. It was designed to encourage engineering graduates and career changers with an engineering background to consider a career as a physics teacher. Following the first-year pilot for ‘Engineers teach physics’, the Department has rolled it out to all providers nationally in its second year.

92.  The Department funds subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) programmes, which are designed to help ITT applicants in key subjects to gain the depth of subject knowledge needed to train to teach their chosen subject and meet Standard 3 of the Teachers’ Standards (Subject Knowledge).[30] Over the 4 years of the current Framework (October 2021 – September 2025) the total investment is up to £55m. In 2021/22 approximately 2,200 candidates benefited from SKE programmes, and there is capacity to support up to 3,500 candidates in 2022/23.

Financial incentives and their impact

93.  To encourage talented trainees to apply to train in key subjects with long-standing shortages such as chemistry, computing, mathematics, and physics, the Department has made available an ITT financial incentives package worth up to £181m for trainees starting courses in academic year 2023/24, a £52m increase on the package announced for 2022/23.

94.  There is strong evidence that increasing bursaries increases ITT recruitment. In 2021 NFER published independent research which corroborates DfE analysis that a £1,000 increase in bursary value results in approximately a 3% increase in applicants on average, all other things being equal.

95.  We are offering bursaries worth £27,000 tax-free and scholarships worth £29,000 tax-free in chemistry, computing, mathematics, and physics, a £3,000 increase on the last recruitment cycle. A languages scholarship worth £27,000 tax-free is also available in French, German and Spanish. Scholarships are awarded by professional bodies for the relevant subject and comprise a higher bursary award alongside non-financial support including subject specialist events and webinars; online and face-to-face workshops; mentoring and coaching; and access to classroom resources and networking events during teacher training and beyond. The evidence of impact for bursaries applies equally to the scholarship bursary.

96.  The Department is also offering a £25,000 tax-free bursary for geography and languages trainees (a £10,000 increase), a £20,000 tax-free bursary for biology and design & technology (a £10,000 and £5,000 increase respectively), and has reintroduced a £15,000 tax-free bursary for English. In addition, bursary and scholarship eligibility has been extended to all non-UK national trainees in languages and physics.

97.  It is too early to fully assess the impact of these bursary increases at this stage in the recruitment cycle. Based on applications to date, however, there is a clear correlation between the bursary increases and increased applications. At the halfway point in this cycle, applications for the 9 subjects that offer increased bursaries compared to last cycle comprised 70% of all applications, whereas at the halfway point last cycle those same 9 subjects with bursaries comprised only 61% of all applications.

International Recruitment

98.  International teachers and trainees have boosted the workforce particularly in some key subjects, making up 38% of languages and 11% of STEM postgraduate trainees in academic year 2022/23.

99.  The Department introduced a £10,000 relocation premium to help with visas and other expenses which is complemented by bursaries for international trainees to teach or train in physics and languages.

100.  From February 1 2023, the Department launched a new digital service, ‘Apply for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England’ to recognise high quality teaching qualifications from other countries. The Department will publish the number of applications and awards of QTS through this digital service in the coming months.

Teacher training and professional development

101.  The quality of teaching is the most important in-school factor in improving outcomes for children.[31]  A study of education-related behaviours and factors that rated the impact on pupil attainment found that those related to effective classroom teaching consistently showed the greatest impact.[32] There is some evidence that the impact of teaching quality is greater for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.[33] This is why we are taking action to attract more people to teaching and enable them to succeed through transforming their training and support.

102.  Delivering on the commitments set out in the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy, and the Government response to the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Market Review, the Department is creating a world-class teacher development system by transforming the training and support teachers and school leaders receive at every stage of their career. Each stage of this support – initial teacher training, early career support, specialisation and leadership – is underpinned by frameworks that set out what all teachers and leaders need to know and know how to do, and which build on and complement one another. The frameworks have been independently reviewed by the Education Endowment Foundation to ensure they draw on the best available evidence.

103.  The frameworks have been developed into curricula, which are being delivered to trainees, teachers and leaders by accredited provider partnerships for ITT, and a professional development infrastructure comprised of lead providers and delivery partners for the Early Career Framework (ECF) and National Professional Qualifications (NPQs). Teaching School Hubs have a key role to play in this system as school-led centres of excellence for professional development. The recently established National Institute of Teaching also plays an important role - showcasing exemplary delivery of these programmes and building and sharing evidence around the most effective approaches to training and developing teachers. This delivery infrastructure is inspected by Ofsted to ensure it is of the highest quality.

104.  Together, these reforms have created a ‘golden thread’ of high-quality evidence underpinning the support, training and development available through the entirety of a teacher’s career. The implementation and impact of these reforms is covered in greater depth in section 4.

105.  Where schools need more targeted training and development, they can access support and CPD from a number of subject-specific curriculum hubs that the Department also funds.

106.  The Maths Hubs programme, coordinated by the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM), is working with a network of 40 Maths Hubs to help local schools drive up the quality of mathematics teaching. On 17 April the Secretary of State announced plans to extend the support available from Maths Hubs from academic year 2023/24. This includes by increasing the number of schools supported by the Teaching for Mastery programme to reach 75% of primary and 65% of secondary schools by 2025, expanding the Mastering Number programme to target multiplication for pupils in years 4 and 5, and offering more intensive support for schools that need it most.

107.  The network of 29 Science Learning Partnerships provides CPD to teachers and technicians to improve subject knowledge and pedagogy. We are continuing to fund the University of Cambridge to provide challenging GCSE and A level physics materials through the Isaac Physics online platform. The programme aims to improve physics attainment at GCSE and A level as well as improve physics teacher retention by decreasing workload through the provision of teaching resources.

108.  Teachers can find support for their lesson planning and teaching through the new curriculum body, Oak National Academy. It will exemplify high-quality curriculum design - providing teachers with a high-quality foundation for their lesson planning across the school curriculum and giving them more time to focus on teaching.

Teacher pay

109.  An attractive starting salary is important to recruiting high quality graduates to the profession and that is why the Department is committed to raising starting salaries to £30,000 and over the last few years, has targeted pay awards at early career. Further detail on the reasoning for this targeting approach is covered in section 2 of this document, and in the Department’s written evidence to the STRB (linked below).

110.  For the 2022/23 academic year, the Government implemented in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s (STRB) recommendations of an 8.9% uplift to starting salaries outside London, raising them to £28,000. This was as well as the 5% uplift for experienced teachers and leaders in the 2022/23 academic year, the highest award for experienced teachers in the last 30 years. 

111.  The Department published its written evidence to the STRB[34] on 21 February 2023 setting out how the Government’s ambition of £30,000 starting salaries can be achieved in September 2023, following the significant progress made through last year’s teachers’ pay award. We know a £30,000 starting salary will have a substantial positive impact on recruitment. Compared to when the commitment was made, teacher starting salaries have grown much faster than other graduate salaries.

112.  The median graduate starting salary has grown by less than 7% over the last three years, according to both High Fliers and Institute of Student Employers medians. Starting salaries for teachers have risen by 15% over the same period, including almost 9% last year alone. An increase to £30,000 starting salaries in September would mean another 7% rise for teacher starting salaries, while the High Fliers report predicts median salary growth much lower at under 5%.

113.  Following the delivery of the £30,000 starting salary in September the Department will be looking at its long-term vision for pay in the teaching profession. 

114.  We have also introduced the Levelling Up Premium to incentivise the recruitment and retention of early-career STEM teachers where there are critical shortages. 

115.  Alongside the annual pay award, many classroom teachers are eligible for pay progression. This year we expect approximately 40% of classroom teachers will receive pay rises through progression or promotion of between 8.5%-15.9%.

116.  It is worth noting that the median classroom teacher salary of £39,500 is also significantly higher than the median graduate salary of £36,000.[35] Overall, it is significantly above the national average for full-time employees, sitting within the top 40% of earners. Average headteacher pay is in the top 10% of earners.

117.  The overall public sector remuneration package, including the package for teachers, remains competitive when taking account of pay, pensions and wider benefits including job security. Despite this, the Government remains in trade disputes with the following teacher and headteacher trade unions: the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), National Association of Headteachers (NAHT), NASUWT and the National Education Union (NEU).

118.  A period of intensive discussions took place between 17 March and 23 March, when an in-principle offer was made. This offer comprised a package of pay and non-pay related measures, and included further funding, conditional upon the offer being agreed. Taking into account our latest assumptions for energy prices and support staff pay for 2023-24, the Government calculated that a 4% teacher pay award (in 2023) should be affordable, nationally, from existing budgets. This includes the overall £3.5 billion funding increase schools are seeing this year, thanks to the additional £2 billion funding announced at the Autumn Statement. The additional £620 million offered as part of the pay offer would have covered the remaining 0.5% of the 4.5% pay offer in full.

119.  The offer included an average consolidated pay increase over this year (2022/23) and next year (2023/24) that is over 10%, with 5.4% this year compounded by the 4.5% offered for next, as well as a non-consolidated additional £1,000 for this year. The Office for Budget Responsibility forecast for inflation at the end of this calendar year is 2.9%, with inflation forecast to fall further in 2024. 

120.  The education trade unions have rejected this offer and teacher pay for next year will now go through the independent pay review process as usual.

121.  Teachers benefit from an employer pension contribution of 23.6%. Teacher Pension Service members accrue defined pension benefits which means they have certainty in what they will receive each year in retirement – the scheme is underwritten by the Exchequer and is therefore not subject to the risks of investments. Active members have their accrued pension indexed at a rate faster than inflation (CPI +1.6%) and will continue to receive indexation in line with inflation in retirement.

Workload, wellbeing and flexible working

122.  The Department is committed to working with schools and trusts to understand the drivers behind workload and wellbeing issues and to support teachers and leaders to focus on activities that best support pupil outcomes. We will continue to promote our school workload reduction toolkit and encourage to schools to sign up to the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter as a shared commitment to promote staff wellbeing and drive down unnecessary workload. 

123.  In 2019, the Department provided funding for the Teaching Schools Council to promote the School Workload Reduction Toolkit and support schools to use it. Where participating schools measured teacher time, workload reduction interventions were found to reduce the average self-reported time spent on target tasks from around 1 hour and 20 minutes to half an hour.[36]

124.  Building on a successful pilot, the Department is funding a programme of mental health and wellbeing support. The scheme, delivered by the charity Education Support, provides one-to-one counselling and supervision for school leaders. From April 2023, college leaders will also be able to access support through the programme. 

125.  The Department is providing grants to fund senior mental health training in schools and colleges. More than 11,700 schools and colleges have now received a senior mental health lead training grant, and this is part of the Government’s commitment to offer this training to all schools and colleges by 2025.

126.  To support flexible working practice in the sector, the Department published resources on GOV.UK, including non-statutory guidance and case studies. In February 2023, the Government announced a culture change programme to embed flexible working in schools and trusts. The programme will include the appointment of up to 12 funded flexible working ambassador schools and trusts to provide bespoke peer support to leaders in education.

127.  The Department has an ongoing programme of research to help broaden our understanding of flexible working in schools and to target future intervention. This includes a planned evaluation of the Department’s funded flexible working programme 2023-2025 to explore programme experiences, potential impact(s), and to inform our future flexible working strategy.

128.  While there has been progress on workload and opportunities for flexible working, there is still more to be done. The Department will continue to work with the sector to ensure schools and trusts have inclusive cultures and practices that support teacher wellbeing and retention.

Pupil behaviour

129.  The Department is taking action to improve behaviour and culture in all schools. This includes publishing the recently updated Behaviour in Schools guidance[37] and Suspension and Permanent Exclusion guidance.[38] These documents provide practical advice on how all schools should create calm, safe, and supportive environments where pupils and staff can work in safety and are respected.

130.  The Department is delivering the £10 million Behaviour Hubs programme to support schools that need and want to turn around their behaviour. The programme launched in April 2021, and there are now a total of 50 lead schools and 10 lead Multi Academy Trusts (MATs). The aim is to support up to 700 schools over 3 years.

131.  The National Behaviour Survey is also underway to understand pupils, parents, school leaders and teachers’ perceptions of pupil behaviour. The survey will allow the Department to build up a national picture over time and act as a signpost to what schools need for a respectful environment for the school workforce.

Teacher diversity

132.  The Department wants teaching to be an inclusive profession where teachers from all backgrounds are supported throughout their career journey. The Department is improving the quality of the data on teachers’ protected characteristics to support more effective analysis of the barriers they face in the profession.

133.  The Department is working to improve data collection and identify barriers to schools collecting and reporting on disability data. As part of this, we are updating our SWC guidance to better support schools in reporting disability status of employees. The Department has also made use of the Schools and Colleges Panel Survey to understand what actions schools are taking to encourage diversity in the workforce.

Comparisons to other professions and sectors of the economy

134.  As set out in Section 2 (Factors impacting the recruitment and retention of qualified teachers), there are currently recruitment challenges across both the public and private sectors, with vacancies significantly elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels.

135.  The Government evidence to the STRB considers the competitiveness of teacher pay in line with other public sector workers as well as in comparison to private sector pay settlements.

136.  Alongside 13 weeks of holiday each year, teachers benefit from a Teachers’ Pension Scheme which is significantly more generous than the private sector average (see paragraph 118 for details).

137.  The Department’s recruitment and retention initiatives draw on practice outside the sector. Through the ECF the Department has introduced an entitlement to at least three years of structured training, support and professional development for all new teachers, bringing teaching into line with other prestigious professions such as law, accountancy and medicine. 

138.  Due to the unique and varied nature of teaching, initiatives in other sectors are not necessarily directly comparable. For example, changes to remote and flexible working in the wider labour market cannot be implemented as straightforwardly in schools.

SECTION 4- Delivery and impact of Government’s teacher training framework

Teacher training

139.  The Government understands the importance of ensuring teachers and leaders at all levels are supported and remain in the profession. We know (as per section 2) that early career is where the retention challenge is most acute, and where the benefits to improving retention are greatest, as figure 5 below demonstrates.[39]

Figure 5: Wastage rate of qualified teachers by experience band[40]

140.  That is why we are creating a world-class teacher development system, by transforming the training and support that teachers and school leaders receive at every stage of their career. This support is grounded in a ‘golden thread’ of high-quality evidence that ensures each step of the development journey is designed and sequenced to build from one another. As is the case for other professions, areas covered in initial training will be covered in greater depth as part of induction and beyond as teachers continue on their journey to becoming expert teachers. Our overarching vision for teacher training and development is covered in section 3.

141.  The first element of this approach is structured training, support and professional development for trainees in the first three years of their career. This starts with ITT, underpinned by the ITT Core Content Framework (CCF) and, from 2024, new Quality Requirements for ITT. Early career teachers then continue their teacher development journey by completing a two-year induction. This induction is based on the Early Career Framework (ECF), which builds on the ITT CCF and provides a platform for future development. Both of these programmes include mentoring and support from expert colleagues.

142.  Beyond the first few years of teaching, we are supporting all teachers and school leaders to continuously develop their expertise throughout their careers through the reformed suite of NPQs. These qualifications complete the golden thread, rooting teacher and leader development in the best available evidence and collective wisdom of the profession. They are designed to support the professional development of teachers and leaders, building on the understanding and evidence that underpin the ITT CCF and ECF, so every child in every classroom has the best start in life.

143.  Below, we have broken down how the reforms are being implemented for every career phase, and the impact they are having.

Initial Teacher Training Core Content Framework (ITT CCF)

144.  In 2019, the Department worked with a panel of experts to publish the new ITT CCF – which defines the minimum entitlement of all trainee teachers, drawing on the best available evidence that also underpins the ECF. It is designed to support trainee development in 5 core areas – behaviour management, pedagogy, curriculum, assessment and professional behaviours.

145.  The CCF sets out two types of content. This mirrors the ECF, which is covered separately in more detail below. Within each area, key evidence statements (‘Learn that…’) have been drawn from current high-quality evidence from the UK and overseas. These ‘Learn that…’ statements are deliberately the same as the ‘Learn that…’ statements in the ECF because the full entitlement – across both initial teacher training and early career development – for new entrants to the profession is underpinned by the evidence of what makes great teaching. A full bibliography is provided with suggested reading, which can be shared with trainee teachers to support their critical engagement with research. This evidence includes high-quality reviews and syntheses, including meta-analyses and rigorous individual studies.

146.  In addition, the ITT Core Content Framework details practice statements (‘Learn how to…’) appropriate for initial teacher training. Drawing on the expertise of the Expert Advisory Group, these ‘Learn how to…’ statements have been sorted into two categories. These categories define an entitlement to practise key skills as well as an opportunity to work with and learn from expert colleagues as they apply their knowledge and understanding of the evidence in the classroom.

147.  Since September 2020 all ITT courses leading to QTS must incorporate the CCF in full into curricula to ensure greater quality and consistency in ITT. Ofsted ITE Inspection Framework ensures that the ITT Core Content Framework is integrated into all ITT courses leading to QTS.

148.  The CCF sets out the mandatory content that trainee teachers must know irrespective of subject and phase. It remains the responsibility of accredited ITT providers to ensure that they carefully craft coherently sequenced curricula that meet the phase, and subject-specific needs of their trainees. While accredited ITT providers are best placed to determine the content, structure and sequencing of their ITT courses, courses must be designed so that teacher trainees can demonstrate that they meet all of the Teachers' Standards at the appropriate level.

Initial Teacher Training reform

149.  The Department wants all ITT providers to deliver consistently high-quality ITT in line with the CCF and in a more efficient and effective market, and to this end commissioned an expert advisory group to undertake a review of the ITT market in 2021. The review report included 14 recommendations which the Department consulted on, and as part of the response the Department published new Quality Requirements for ITT. These Quality Requirements in the areas of curriculum, mentoring and support, assessment, quality assurance and partnerships will form part of the ITT criteria and must be embedded into all ITT courses leading to QTS that commence from September 2024 onwards. All ITT courses that lead to QTS will continue to be inspected by Ofsted.

150.  Following a rigorous accreditation process by the Department and Ofsted in 2022, 179 providers were awarded accreditation for courses starting from September 2024. The Department is also supporting those accredited to expand their provision through partnerships, offering a partnership grant in priority areas and publishing guidance to help with the process. It remains a priority to continue to review market supply beyond 2024, particularly in areas that have had historically low trainee numbers. The resulting ITT market will provide high-quality ITT in every region[41] of the country from September 2024.

151.  It is clear that the complexity of the ITT market can put off some candidates – and that this may have an impact on teacher recruitment. As part of our quality reforms we have therefore made clear that from September 2024 all ITT that leads to QTS should be defined within three core routes (postgraduate fee funded, undergraduate fee-funded and postgraduate employment based). We are keen to retain local expertise so at the discretion of accredited providers, and in line with their partnership agreement, local schools or school networks can continue to recruit to ITT courses and be involved in delivering training in a similar manner to the way they do now.

Impact of the Early Career Framework reform on the teaching profession

152.  The ECF reforms were rolled out nationally in September 2021. This entitled all ECTs in England to a two-year package of structured, high-quality training and support that follows on from the ITT CCF and is linked to the best available research evidence. This includes time off timetable, access to high-quality development materials and a dedicated mentor who also receives funded time off timetable. These measures were designed to ensure new teachers have dedicated time set aside to focus on their development. The reforms are backed by over £130 million a year in funding.

153.  The ECF has been designed to support early career teacher development in the same five core areas as the CCF. The ECF provides practical guidance on the skills that early career teachers should be supported to develop. Practice statements (“Learn how to…”) draw on both the best available educational research and on additional guidance from an Expert Advisory Group and other sector representatives.

154.  The ECF has been endorsed by a wide range of sector bodies including unions, teacher training providers, university researchers, headteacher groups and special educational needs and disability experts.

155.  The simplest option to undertake ECF-based training, and the option most schools have taken, is to use a DfE- funded training provider, that delivers a comprehensive programme of face-to-face and online training. Lead providers are inspected by Ofsted so schools can be assured that this training will remain high-quality. The support is fully funded so there are no costs for schools. A small number of schools may also choose to develop their own induction programmes based on high-quality materials accredited by the DfE or design a programme themselves based on the ECF.

156.  In the academic year (AY) 2021/22, 26,927 ECTs (93% of ECTs in the 2021/22 School Workforce Census) started the provider-led ECF-based programme. As of February 2023, so far during AY 2022/23 there have been 23,313 ECTs starting a provider-led induction, and 17,610 mentors started training for provider-led ECF-based induction.

157.  When evaluating the impact of the ECF it is important to note that only two cohorts have commenced to date and the first will not complete their induction until summer 2023.

158.  The evaluation of early roll-out of the ECF being carried out by the EEF/National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) will include consideration of the impact of the ECF on teacher retention and will report in December 2023. The national roll-out will be subject to a process evaluation which will conclude in summer 2024.

159.  In May 2022, the DfE published initial survey findings from the external evaluation of national roll-out of the provider-led ECF-based programmes, and published findings from the first year of national roll-out in March 2023. Early findings show positive signs on ECT retention: the evaluation report published in March 2023 found that four in five ECTs (82%) considered it likely they would still be in teaching in five years’ time, and half (49%) considered it very likely.

160.  The main areas for improvement in both reports centred around perceived rigidity and relevance, and challenges around work and time commitment. Mentors continue to find it challenging to balance their mentoring commitments alongside their workload but there appears to be a shift towards this easing over time and of the average time spent on induction programme activities falling over the first year.

ITT Core Content Framework and Early Career Framework Review

161.  The Department has publicly committed to reviewing the initial teacher training (ITT) Core Content Framework (CCF) and Early Career Framework (ECF) alongside each other. Building on what we have learned from the first few years of ECF delivery, we plan to review and revise the ITT, CCF and ECF into more closely combined frameworks.

162.  These frameworks will underpin a coherent programme of training, development, and support over at least the first three years of new teachers’ careers. We aim to ensure that new teachers receive continuous and complementary professional development that provides them with the confidence and skills for a career in teaching.

163.  Other changes that the Department is undertaking to improve participant experiences include creating new materials for school leaders, mentors and early career teachers (ECTs) to answer common questions about induction and ECF-based training; reviewing materials to make them as user friendly as possible; and working with the lead providers to allow greater flexibility in the timing of mentor training. 

Impact of the reformed National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) programme

164.  NPQs are a national, voluntary suite of qualifications, designed to support the professional development of teachers and leaders. In autumn 2021, the Department introduced its new and updated suite of NPQs, including the Specialist NPQs trailed in the Recruitment and Retention Strategy. They were developed in consultation with expert advisory groups from across the education system to provide the best possible training and support to teachers and leaders, helping them to become more effective inside and outside the classroom. The qualifications have been designed with teachers, leaders, and practitioners in mind, using the latest and best available evidence. NPQs provide professionals with the skills and knowledge to take the next step in their career and, most importantly, benefit the lives of young people across the country.

165.  The changes to NPQs build on the evidence and expert advice already established in the new CCF for ITT and the ECF. The content frameworks set out the things that participants should know and be able to do after completing an NPQ. Providers of NPQs use these frameworks to design their courses.

166.  In the academic year 2021/22, 29,425 teachers and leaders started a DfE-funded NPQ – 5.7% of the total teaching workforce. In the academic year 2022/23, 22,093 teachers and leaders started a DfE-funded NPQ by February 2023 and numbers will rise as the year progresses.[42]

167.  The Department commenced the process and impact evaluation of the reformed NPQs in March 2021 which will run to Spring 2026. We published emerging findings from the first stage of the external evaluation of the NPQ programme in an interim report in January 2023. It provides insight into how effectively the NPQs are being delivered to inform the ongoing development and improvements to the programme.

168.  The research found that, when asked to discuss their motivations for applying, career progression and improving pupil outcomes were common reasons highlighted by teachers and leaders, as well as increasing their knowledge of the latest evidence in schools and acquiring new knowledge and skills. Participants reported that the NPQs are meeting their expectations, that they are learning new skills and almost all would recommend them to others.

169.  The introduction of the specialist NPQs has led to participants feeling highly motivated to undertake a qualification because it supported their professional interests and focused on deepening their knowledge and expertise, rather than solely focusing on leadership.

170.  Awareness of NPQs amongst teachers and leaders is increasing, findings from the School and College Panel Survey conducted in September 2022 showed that 80% had heard of NPQs prior to the current survey, with leaders having more awareness than teachers (99% vs. 76%). Awareness has increased since December 2021 when just over half (55%) of leaders and teachers were aware of NPQs.

171.  The interim NPQ evaluation report (January 2023) identified a need to further increase awareness and address misconceptions about the courses, particularly in relation to the eligibility criteria and the purpose of the specialist NPQs. The recent NPQ marketing campaign focused on sharing professionals’ experiences of the programme which directly addressed the misconceptions noted in the evaluation report such as workload, course quality and flexibility around existing commitments. The Department also developed a course prospectus, designed with school and MAT leaders in mind, to be shared amongst staff networks to promote NPQs.

SECTION 5 - Teacher training in other countries

172.  The teacher training system in England has many similarities to other training systems across the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), with the main distinction being that the English model has a system where subject knowledge is learnt before pedagogical training is undertaken, rather than alongside. While no evaluation has been made of England’s system against other countries, it meets many of the recommendations laid out by the OECD in their 2019 report ‘A Flying Start: Improving Initial Teacher Preparation Systems’.[43]

International comparisons of initial teacher training

173.  This section is based largely on the OECD's analysis "What are the pathways to becoming a teacher and a school head?",[44] covering initial teacher training in OECD countries. While different types of teacher training can be used in countries, the information below focuses on the predominant method of initial teacher training, which in England is postgraduate initial teacher training.

Length and method of initial teacher training

174.  In almost all countries initial teacher training lasts 4 to 5 years for both primary and secondary teachers, with an overall range of 2.5 to 6.5 years. Including the typical time taken to complete a bachelor’s degree, teachers in England will complete 4 years of initial teacher education. OECD data shows that across 36 OECD and partner countries the duration of initial teacher education programmes for secondary school teachers ranges from 3 years in Costa Rica, the Flemish and the French Communities of Belgium, and New Zealand to 6.5 years in Germany. In nearly two-thirds of countries, the duration of initial teacher training is the same for primary and secondary teachers; where it differs the duration of training is always shorter for primary teachers.[45]

175.  In more than three-quarters of OECD and partner countries initial teacher training of primary and secondary teachers is organised according to the concurrent model (in which pedagogical and practical training are provided at the same time as courses in academic subject matter). OECD data shows that England is one of only 4 countries where the teaching training model for primary teachers is described as consecutive, where teacher training takes place after a degree. The others are Costa Rica, France and Germany. In England and Costa Rica, the pedagogical and practical training lasts 1 year, in Germany it lasts 1.5 years and in France it lasts 2 years. For secondary teachers this rises to 9 countries, with the pedagogical and practical training lasting between 1 year in 4 countries to 3 years in Italy.[46] 5 countries at primary, and 12 at secondary, have both consecutive and concurrent programmes available.

Requirements for entering initial teacher training.

176.  The educational requirements for entry into initial teacher training differ little and, in most countries and other participants with available data, the minimum requirement is usually an upper secondary qualification.[47] In over one-third of these countries, not including England, the number of student places for entry into initial teacher training is limited. Over two-thirds of the countries and other participants with data, including England, have at least one selective criterion to enter or to progress through initial teacher training. In most cases, selection occurs at entry, except in Germany and Italy where there is no selection to enter the initial teacher training programme, but there is for students to progress into the later stages. Regardless of the level of education, the most widespread criterion for entry into initial teacher training is grade point averages from secondary school or upper secondary examinations, as is the case in England to enter tertiary education.[48]

Role of different entities in deciding initial teacher training

177.  In the majority of countries, including England, universities play a large role in making decisions on initial teacher training. In most countries, these institutions typically provide initial teacher training and design the curriculum for it. Also, similarly to England, central or state Government education authorities have the main role in setting the frameworks for the content of initial teacher training programmes in around two-thirds of countries and other participants where data are available and provide accreditation to programmes in a little under half of them.[49]

OECD recommendations for initial teacher training

178.  While no evaluation has been made of England’s system in comparison to other countries’, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) 2019 report ‘A Flying Start: Improving Initial Teacher Preparation Systems’[50] recommends that for an initial teacher preparation system to be effective it needs a joined up process across the system and across the duration of training. It should provide beginning teachers with a coherent experience across coursework, practical training, induction and early career professional development. It needs to establish cross-institutional and multilevel partnerships to engage stakeholders who belong to different contexts in a whole-of-system perspective.[51]

179.  Most of these recommendations are already in place in England‘s teacher training system and our new Quality Requirements for ITT courses that start from September 2024 aim to strengthen this.

SECTION 6 Challenges for teachers from different demographic backgrounds

180.  The Department is committed to ensuring diversity is reflected across the career journey, so teachers and leaders are representative of the communities they serve and the pupils they teach.

181.  The Department is working with the sector to better understand the experiences of teachers from diverse backgrounds and will continue to work to address barriers across the teacher career journey. The Department will continue to highlight best practice to help schools build an inclusive and supportive culture.

182.  The Department is improving the quality of the data it holds on teachers’ protected characteristics and the barriers they face in the profession. Some groups remain underrepresented in the workforce and at leadership level.

183.  The recent WLTL study reported that those of a white ethnicity were more likely to be in leadership roles (White ethnicity 14% vs. 7% Asian ethnicity, 8% Black ethnicity, 7% mixed ethnicity) There is clearly more to do, and the Department is continuing its work to attract and retain a diverse workforce across all subjects and phases.

184.  As well as improving data collection on all protected characteristics, the Department is working to identify barriers to schools collecting and reporting on disability data. In the 2021 School Workforce Census, disability status was not obtained for 53% of teachers, and this missing data does not allow us to give a true reflection of the teaching population. To understand this issue in more detail the Department recently conducted a small-scale research project to identify the possible barriers to schools collecting and reporting on disability data. The Department will continue to explore this issue in the coming months. 

Recruitment and retention of initial teacher trainees by characteristics

185.  The Department monitors the characteristics of new entrants to initial teacher training (ITT) through the ITT census and the characteristics and outcomes of final year trainees completing ITT through the ITT Performance Profiles publication.

186.  Recruitment campaigns are targeted at audiences of students, recent graduates and potential career changers regardless of their identity or background. The Department makes every effort to ensure that its advertising is reflects this across its full range of marketing materials.

Ethnicity

187.  Recruitment of ITT trainees in England is more ethnically diverse than the wider population in England and Wales, with 78% of postgraduate new entrants who declared their ethnic group in 2022/23 being from a White ethnic group compared to 82% in the wider population in England and Wales.[52]

188.  In 2020/21, for postgraduate final year trainees who declared their ethnicity, QTS award rates varied from 78% for Black trainees to 89% for White trainees, compared to 86% and 92% in 2019/20 respectively. In 2020/21, QTS award rates were 81% for Asian trainees, 86% for Mixed ethnic group and 82% for Other ethnic group. The proportion of postgraduate final year trainees not awarded QTS by ethnic group remained in line with historical years (ranging between 4-6% for each group). All groups saw an increase of at least 2 percentage points, in the proportion of trainees ‘yet to complete’.[53] The largest increase of 6 percentage points was seen for the Asian, Black, and Other ethnic groups.

Sex[54]

189.  In 2022/23, 28% of postgraduate new ITT entrants with known sex are male and 72% are female, unchanged since 2021/22. For primary, 16% of postgraduate trainees are male, unchanged from 2021/22 but down from 22% in 2015/16. For secondary, 39% of postgraduate trainees are male – this has been relatively stable at between 38% and 40% since 2015/16.

190.  For 2020/21 final year postgraduate trainees, 89% of female trainees were awarded QTS compared to 84% of male trainees; these rates have decreased when compared to 2019/20, which were 93% and 87% respectively. The 2020/21 decrease is largely due to an increase in the proportion of final year postgraduate trainees who are marked as ‘yet to complete’.[55]

Age

191.  The proportion of postgraduate trainees aged under 25 is 53% for 2022/23, an increase of around 1 percentage point compared to 2021/22.

192.  In 2020/21, 90% of postgraduate final year trainees aged under 25 were awarded QTS, compared to 86% of those aged 25 and over. This compares to 2019/20 figures of 93% and 90% respectively. Prior to this year figures have been the same since 2016/17. The 2020/21 decrease is largely due to an increase in the proportion of final year postgraduate trainees who are marked as ‘yet to complete’.[56]

Disability

193.  In 2020/21, 81% of postgraduate final year trainees who declared a disability were awarded QTS compared to 88% for those who did not. Both figures show a 4-percentage point decrease when compared to 2019/20. This was due to a 3 and 4 percentage point increase seen in those trainees yet to complete for postgraduate final year trainees who declared a disability and did not declare a disability respectively. Prior to 2019/20 these figures have been broadly consistent.

Recruitment and retention of teachers and leaders by characteristics

194.  The Department collects data on the teaching population through the School Workforce Census (SWC) and ITT Census (ITTC). Currently, the Department only has data on the following characteristics: age, gender,[57] ethnicity, and disability.

195.  Based on the data available, some groups remain under-represented in the workforce and at leadership level. Data also shows the rate and reasons for teachers and leaders leaving the profession differs among certain groups.

Ethnicity

196.  As of November 2021, 11.1% of deputies and assistant heads (up from 7.5% in 2010) and 7.5% of headteachers (up from 5.4% in 2010) identified as belonging to an ethnic minority group (including White minorities). For teachers and leaders in primary schools, 9.8% of deputies and assistant heads (up from 7.1% in 2010) and 7.0% of headteachers (up from 5.1% in 2010) identified as belonging to an ethnic minority group (including White minorities).

197.  The teaching workforce is also less representative of the school pupil population for ethnicity. Evidence shows that 34.5% of pupils in England identify as belonging to ethnic minority groups (including White minorities), up from 33.6% in 2019/20. Whereas 14.9% of teachers identified as belonging to an ethnic minority group (including White minorities) in November 2021 (2021/22), up from 11.2% in 2010/11.

198.  Wastage rates were highest amongst teachers from other ethnic groups (10.8% FTE) in 2020/21 compared to White teachers (6.8% FTE). Asian/Asian British and Black/Black British teachers also have higher rates of wastage than White teachers (8.4% and 9.8% respectively).

199.  Teachers and leaders from an Asian/Asian British or Black/Black British background were much more likely than those from a White background to disagree that they were satisfised with the salary they received (70% vs. 60% of teachers and leaders from a White background).

200.  Regarding satisfaction with how pay decisions were taken and how those decisions were communicated, there was higher disagreement amongst teachers and leaders from a Black ethnic background: 19% disagreed that the decisions taken by their school about their pay was fair (vs. 11% White) and 27% disagreed that they were satisfied with how their school communicated the decisions about pay (vs. 16% White).

Gender

201.  The teaching workforce does not reflect the school pupil population in terms of gender. The pupil population in state-funded schools is almost evenly split, with 49% girls and 51% boys.

202.  The Department’s latest data is from November 2021. It shows that 76.8% of classroom teachers are female (up from 75.7% in 2010). In senior leadership, 70.2% of deputy and assistant head teachers (up from 66.4% in 2010), and 67.5% of head teachers (up from 65.1% in 2010) were female (excluding gender not known). In primary schools and nursery, the disparity is more marked: 82.3% of deputy and assistant head teachers (up from 81.6% in 2010), and 73.7% of head teachers (up from 71.1% in 2010) were female (excluding gender not known).

203.  Gender parity amongst teachers and leaders in secondary schools is closer to being achieved, where 54.5% of deputy and assistant head teachers (up from 48.1% in 2010), and 41.5% of head teachers (up from 37.9% in 2010) were female (excluding gender not known).

204.  Wastage rates did not substantially vary by gender in 2020/21. Amongst female teachers the wastage rate was 7.1% FTE, versus 7.2% for male teachers. However, the WLTL survey found that men (31%) were more likely to report considering leaving the state sector for reasons other than retirement in the next 12 months compared to women (23%).

Age

205.  The majority of the teacher workforce is aged between 30 and 49 (60.7% of all teachers were between these ages).

206.  For age, wastage rates were highest amongst teachers under 25 (9.6% FTE), reducing to their lowest for 40 to 49 year olds (6.0% FTE) before increasing again for 50 to 59 year olds (9% FTE).

Disability

207.  The 2021 SWC found that 1% of teachers have a disability. However, this figure may not be representative of the workforce, given disability status was not obtained for 53% of teacher in the 2021 SWC.

208.  The WLTL survey found that of the quarter of teachers and leaders who were considering leaving the profession within the next 12 months, 19% provided declining wellbeing and mental health among staff, as one of the reasons for doing so. The study found that levels of anxiety were highest amongst those who reported having a disability or health condition, with 57% of those respondents reporting high levels of anxiety. Those with a disability were also more likely than those with no disability to report bullying (17% vs. 10%), discrimination (12% vs. 7%) or both (7% vs. 3%). These findings suggest there may be particular challenges for teachers with a disability or health condition remaining in the profession.

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TTR0148

Annex A – Timeline of Teacher Reforms

May 2023

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