NFER’s new Teacher Labour Market in England Annual Report 2024,
funded by the Nuffield Foundation, reveals that both recruitment
and retention issues are persisting - the latter made worse by
increased teacher workload pressures since the pandemic.
Workload challenges growing as a result of behaviour and
pastoral support pressures
Data from both the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and Government’s
Working Lives of Teachers and Leaders (WLTL) survey shows that
teachers’ working hours significantly increased in 2022/23
compared to the previous year.
Despite workload reduction being a policy priority for
Government, NFER’s report finds that rising teacher working hours
mean that the Government may face a challenge in meeting its
workload reduction target. Teachers continue to work longer hours
than similar graduates in other jobs during a typical working
week.
This is particularly worrying as workload is the main reason why
teachers leave the profession, and the WLTL survey data also
suggests that the number of teachers who are considering leaving
increased by 44 per cent in 2022/23 compared to the previous
year.
According to NFER’s research, teachers now say pupil behaviour is
driving higher workload and that behaviour management and
pastoral care should be key priority areas for workload
reduction. More support from outside agencies for specific pupil
needs such as special educational needs and disability (SEND)
support, mental health and safeguarding are seen by teachers as
key to further workload reduction.
The study recommends that the Government should set up an
independent review focusing on how to reduce teachers’ workload
related to behaviour management and pastoral care, which should
also consider the role of external support services.
Teacher pay levels and affordability still a persistent
issue
The research also finds that teachers’ pay has grown more slowly
than pay in the rest of the labour market since 2010/11, making
the profession less competitive. The report outlines how it is
unlikely that last year’s pay award has significantly improved
the competitiveness of pay, particularly for experienced
teachers* which, in 2023/24 was 12 per cent lower, in real terms,
than in 2010/11. This was 15 percentage points lower than average
UK earnings growth over the same period, a wider gap than in
2018/19, just before the pandemic.
Recruitment showing an improvement this year but still
likely to fall short of targets
Addressing pay and workload are key to supporting teacher
recruitment and retention and should be a focus for political
parties in the run up to the next general election and for the
next parliament. The report finds that while teacher recruitment
is on track to be better this year than last year due to bursary
increases and new initiatives to attract international
applicants, it is still likely to be far below target.
NFER’s ITT recruitment forecast, based on applications made up to
February 2024, suggests that 10 out of 17 secondary subjects are
likely to under-recruit in 2024/25. Overall secondary recruitment
is forecast to be around 61 per cent of target – an improvement
compared to 2023/24. Primary recruitment, however, which is
usually at or above its target each year, is forecast to reach
only 83 per cent of target next year.
Jack Worth, School Workforce Lead at the NFER and co-author of
the report said:
“Teacher supply is in a critical state that risks the quality of
education that children and young people receive. We urge the
current Government to take action to improve teacher recruitment
and retention, and the political parties to develop long-term
plans for after the election.
“The 2024 teacher pay award should exceed 3.1 per cent – the
latest forecast of the rise in average earnings next year – to
narrow the gap between teacher pay and the wider labour market
and improve recruitment and retention. This needs to be
accompanied by a long-term strategy to improve the
competitiveness of teacher pay while crucially ensuring schools
have the funds to pay for it.
“Meanwhile workload, a key driver of retention, is rising just as
the Government is aiming to reduce working hours.
“Overall, these trends affirm that ambitious, radical and
cost-effective policy options to address teacher recruitment and
retention are urgently needed.”
The research further recommends that political parties should
introduce a Frontline Workers Pay Premium to compensate public
sector workers for the lack of remote and hybrid working
opportunities in their jobs, compared to the wider labour market.
To compensate for this inflexibility the report estimates that
teacher pay would have to rise by 1.8 per cent.
Dr Emily Tanner, Programme Head at the Nuffield Foundation said:
"NFER's expert and independent analysis of the teacher labour
market is an invaluable resource for policymakers looking for
evidence-based solutions in the face of immense challenges.
Today's report shows that previous initiatives, such as
bursaries, have made some difference but that more fundamental
changes are needed for teaching to be an attractive and
sustainable profession that reflects its importance in our
society."
Notes to editors
*Experienced teachers are those at the top of
the upper pay scale.
