State of the Education Workforce 2026: NFER publishes final report

NFER's ‘Education Workforce in England 2026 – Summary Report', funded by the Nuffield Foundation, is the culmination of a four-part research series on the education workforce covering early years staff, support staff, school teachers and further education (FE) teachers.

Key insights into the challenges and pressures facing different parts of the education workforce include:

Pay:

• FE teacher pay has dropped sharply in real terms in recent years and now sits around 20 per cent below school teacher salaries. It has declined in real terms by almost a fifth since 2011, contributing to the pay gap reaching its highest level since at least 2010, while average UK earnings have grown by four per cent.

• School teacher pay, while comparatively higher, has still fallen in real terms and compared to average earnings growth, fuelling ongoing recruitment and retention pressures.

• Early years pay is low but has improved slightly against the wider labour market, but tight funding and limited incentives for gaining qualifications threaten long-term sector stability.

Workload:

• Despite school teacher working hours falling and workload perceptions improving over the past four years, teachers continue to work longer hours than similar graduates. Many still want to reduce their working hours further. 

• FE teachers work similar hours to similar workers but are significantly more likely to work unpaid overtime.

• Early years staff generally work hours comparable with similar workers. School support staff tend to work fewer hours overall, but 15 per cent report wanting more paid hours—indicating some unmet demand.

Other findings:

• Career progression opportunities vary significantly across the workforce. Teachers are more likely than similar graduates to agree there are good opportunities for career progression in their job. However, limited career progression opportunities remain a major barrier for FE teachers, school support staff and higher qualified early years staff.

• DfE has developed an excellent evidence base on the school teacher workforce and should now do the same for other workforce groups. 

Recommendations for the Government include:

• Providing funding that enables FE providers to pay teachers more.

• Ensuring that funding rates support early years providers to offer competitive wages to recruit and retain staff, with a pay structure that rewards higher qualification levels.

• Exploring how regulation could help create clearer career progression opportunities for early years staff alongside a pay structure that incentivises gaining further qualifications.
• Increasing bursaries for teacher recruitment in languages and arts subjects that are below their Initial Teacher Training targets.

NFER Education Workforce Lead, Jack Worth, said:

“The Government has set out ambitious plans to strengthen the education system — from expanding early years provision to delivering its pledge to recruit 6,500 new teachers. 

“We have found there is a wide range of differing challenges facing groups within the education workforce. Our evidence shows retention is improving for school teachers and early years, but the support staff attrition rate is at its highest level since at least 2011. 

“There are also challenges with pay. FE teachers now earn on average 20 per cent less than school teachers and even their pay has lost competitiveness in the last decade. Groups such as early years and school support staff have seen pay progression compressed by increases in the statutory National Living Wage.

“What is clear from our research is that a comprehensive, targeted approach that recognises the distinct challenges each workforce faces will be essential if the Government is to achieve its ambitions for a stronger, more sustainable education system.”