This NFER annual Teacher Labour Market report shows that very little progress has been made on improving teacher retention or reducing teacher workload since 2019.
The report paints a stark picture of persistent recruitment shortfalls, rising vacancy rates, and the increasing reliance on unqualified teachers, particularly in schools serving disadvantaged communities.
The report highlights a significant disparity between the growth in secondary pupil numbers and the number of secondary teachers. While pupil numbers surged by 15% between 2015/16 and 2023/24, the number of teachers only increased by 3%, exacerbating the teacher supply challenge. This has resulted in a six-fold increase in unfilled teacher vacancies compared to pre-pandemic levels, forcing secondary schools to rely heavily on unqualified and non-specialist teachers.
Recruitment into initial teacher training (ITT) remains a major concern. This year, secondary ITT recruitment reached only 62% of the government's target, with 12 out of 17 subjects falling short. While bursary changes in some shortage subjects provided a slight boost, the overall trend of severe under-recruitment continues. Postgraduate primary recruitment also fell short, reaching 88% of its target, marking a concerning trend of worsening recruitment in the primary sector.
The report also reveals that teacher pay growth has lagged behind the wider labour market, making the profession less competitive, especially for experienced teachers. Furthermore, leaving rates remain stubbornly high, with 9.6% of teachers leaving the state sector in 2022/23. Early-career teachers (ECTs) are particularly affected, and the Early Career Framework (ECF) appears to have had only a modest impact on retention.