- EEF publishes new evidence reviews looking at strategies to
support teacher recruitment and retention
Flexible working approaches could play an important role in
improving teacher retention, but there is little research looking
at their broader impact, according to a new report published by
the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) today.
The mixed methods review by the National Foundation for
Educational Research (NFER) is one of three reports published by
the EEF today. The reports were commissioned to identify how best
to support the recruitment and retention of high-quality teaching
staff in schools with high numbers of socio-economically
disadvantaged pupils, in response to current challenges facing
the sector.
Evidence from a literature review, case studies and interviews
with experts concluded that flexible working could help to
improve wellbeing and job satisfaction, as well as teachers’
productivity and motivation. However, the research also
highlights school leaders’ concerns around the strain it could
put on school budgets, and the lack of consistency for
pupils.
The review also found that some schools are already implementing
various approaches to flexible working, such as offering personal
days, part-time posts, and giving teachers the opportunity to
complete their lesson planning and marking offsite.
Between a fifth and a third of teachers work part time, with this
being more common for primary than secondary teachers. Other
types of flexible working are much less common. Findings suggest
that a proactive, whole-school approach is key to successfully
implementing flexible working. Yet, in a piece of analysis for
this review based on a sample of 500 state-funded schools in
England, only three per cent had a flexible working policy
published on their website.
A second review published today, also conducted by NFER, focuses
on how different approaches to managing workload can support
recruitment and retention. High workload is the top reason
teachers give for leaving the profession, so reducing workload is
a priority for improving retention and making teaching more
attractive to new entrants.
The review finds that most schools are using multiple strategies
to manage teacher workload, most commonly giving timetabled time
for planning and marking, offering access to existing schemes of
work and lesson plans, and collaborative lesson planning. Many
schools in the study had changed their policies and approaches
recently with the intention of reducing teacher workload.
Teachers in schools with more workload reduction strategies in
place were much more likely to have positive views of their
workload, autonomy and job satisfaction.
A third review, conducted by Durham University and University of
Warwick, explores the evidence base on school leadership for
teacher retention. This review affirms the importance of school
leadership in informing teacher retention. It evidences that
prioritising teacher development, building an equitable support
system, promoting collegiality, and maintaining a positive school
climate are effective leadership approaches and strategies to
motivate and retain teachers in schools.
Today’s new reviews were commissioned as part of the EEF’s
flagship research theme for 2023: supporting the recruitment and
retention of teachers to schools with high levels of
socio-economically disadvantaged pupils. New research projects
informed by these findings, which will test the impact of
specific approaches, will be launched shortly.
Professor Becky Francis CBE, Chief Executive of the
Education Endowment Foundation, said:
“Working out how to improve recruitment and retention rates
in our schools is the most pressing priority for our education
system.
“It’s absolutely vital that we have highly skilled teachers
in classrooms, particularly in light of the disruption to
education we’ve seen in the last few years.
“It’s our hope that this research sets us on the right path
to understanding how we can make teaching an attractive,
sustainable career path – one that empowers educators to make a
real difference to children’s learning, particularly for our most
vulnerable pupils.”
Jack Worth, School Workforce Lead at the NFER,
said:
“Recruiting and retaining enough teachers in state-funded
schools is a crucial challenge for the education sector. We have
seen the challenges intensify since the pandemic and these are
particularly affecting schools serving the most disadvantaged
communities.
“NFER research has consistently shown that improving
retention is key, and manageable workloads and opportunities to
work flexibly, when needed, are vital for retaining
teachers.
“This latest analysis highlights the actions school leaders
can take to improve flexibility and reduce workload, but also
highlights the importance of external drivers of teacher
workload.”
