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Jack WorthNational Foundation for Educational Research (NFER)
Project overview
This project builds on previous Nuffield-funded research analysing the key trends affecting teacher supply and shortages in England.
Why is this important?
The teacher workforce in England is facing significant challenges of recruiting and retaining enough teachers, particularly in STEM subjects. Resulting shortages are likely to affect pupils’ educational progress negatively.
Amid a competitive graduate labour market, the issues and factors associated with attracting and retaining high-quality teachers are constantly changing in emphasis and importance.
This project will provide independent analysis with the aim of informing key audiences, develop solutions and tools which support policymakers, and contribute to a greater understanding of key teacher supply issues by addressing under-researched questions.
What does it involve?
The research will have three strands:
- Analysing the latest trends in teacher recruitment, retention, pay, and working conditions.
- Exploring the factors affecting teacher recruitment and retention.
- Exploring variation in teacher supply challenges by subject, region, and school type.
How will it make a difference?
Findings from the research will be shared in two annual reports on the teacher labour market in 2024 and 2025, which will be accompanied by webinars and engagement with key stakeholders. Other publications throughout the project will aim to inform policymakers and encourage them to implement solutions illuminated by the research.
The data dashboard, created using previous Nuffield funding, will be updated and developed to include breakdowns by Teaching school hub areas.