At this year’s Labour Party Conference, the Education Policy Institute has partnered with the Chartered College of Teaching to hold a public panel on: ‘What can we do to keep teachers in the classroom?’
Access to high-quality teaching is the single biggest lever schools have for improving educational outcomes, particularly for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. The government’s pledge to recruit 6,500 teachers is a welcome start in expanding this access, but perhaps just as critical is ensuring that experienced teachers remain in the profession. EPI research shows that teacher retention rates are continuing to fall, with consequences including a higher pupil-teacher ratio and lower average years of experience per teacher. These challenges are particularly pressing for the most disadvantaged schools, where experienced teachers are under-represented.
Meanwhile ethnic minorities are under-represented in the teaching population; 85% are White British despite this demographic making up 70% of the working age population, showing there are improvements to be made in making teaching an inclusive profession.
So what solutions are there to falling retention? How can we ensure that pupils in all schools have access to high-quality, experienced teachers from a diverse range of backgrounds?
There is strong evidence that benefits such as financial incentives or access to flexible working arrangements increase retention. With many teachers citing challenges such as low pay and poor work-life balance, these options could address these challenges, supporting teachers who are parents or carers and giving them the flexibility to strengthen their skills and expertise. Could broader implementation of these programmes turn the tide for teacher retention?
This timely panel will bring together politicians, school leaders and sector stakeholders with the aim of discussing the solutions to the workforce crisis. The panellists will consider what is needed from national policy to keep teachers in the classroom, with a particular focus on how to make UK schools an attractive workplace for a diverse and experienced workforce. They will discuss what the government’s next steps should be to foster long-term improvements in teacher recruitment and retention, ensuring that every child has access to high-quality teaching.
Speakers will be announced in due course.
** Note: This event will take place in the conference secure zone. To access the secure zone you will need to obtain a pass directly from the Labour Party.**
