The report also proposes that providing direct rewards to teachers, rather than just to the schools they work for, may help address recruitment and retention issues in the education sector.
The report also proposes that providing direct rewards to teachers, rather than just to the schools they work for, may help address recruitment and retention issues in the education sector.
A new report by the Education Endowment Foundation has recommended financial incentives, such as higher salaries and bonuses, to attract high-quality teachers to challenging schools in the UK.
The findings stem from a review of strategies to boost teacher recruitment and retention, authored by a team from the Institute of Education at University College London’s Faculty of Education and Society.
The report also proposes that providing direct rewards to teachers, rather than just to the schools they work for, may help address recruitment and retention issues in the education sector.
The research comes at a time when teachers are engaged in a prolonged dispute over pay, resulting in strikes this school year.
The report also indicates that strategies aimed at reducing workload and improving working conditions are correlated with improved teacher retention, whereas heavier workloads are linked to higher staff turnover.
A separate report published on June 8 showed a 12 percent increase in job advertisements for secondary school teachers over the past year.
The Teacher Tapp app and data company SchoolDash have reported that secondary schools are struggling to keep up with the growing student enrollment and retain teachers.
Enrollment in Technology and Humanities subjects has experienced the largest growth in 2023 compared to 2018, with increases of 52 percent and 41 percent, respectively.
Since 2018-19, there has been an increase in the abundance of teaching opportunities for those seeking new roles, particularly in secondary schools. Leaders in primary and secondary education report a decrease in the number of applicants per position, as job advertisements have risen this year.
This year, the intention to remain a teacher among those with five years or less of experience has dramatically declined, reaching its lowest figure ever recorded at 55 percent in May 2022, down from 72 percent. This decline can be attributed to the cost-of-living crisis and recent strike actions that threaten teachers’ livelihoods.
A report monitoring job advertisements and surveying 8,000 teachers has found that many secondary school leaders have been unable to interview candidates due to a weak applicant pool, resulting in “reluctant” appointments for 40 percent of them.
England’s four education unions are currently balloting their members regarding coordinated strikes in the autumn, following the publication of these two reports.
Professor Becky Francis, the head of EEF, stressed that “great teaching has the biggest impact on the learning of pupils, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.” However, she acknowledges that goals for teacher recruitment are often not achieved, with one-third of new teachers leaving within five years.
Julie McCulloch, the Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, warns that teacher shortages are a “growing problem” that could potentially compromise educational standards.
