Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Teacher Recruitment and Retention

Monday 9 December 2024 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Teacher recruitment and retention issues were highlighted in questions to the Secretary of State for Education.
  • Parents in Portsmouth expressed concerns about school provision and the learning environment at a local public meeting.
  • The Secretary of State acknowledged the challenge of experienced women in their 30s leaving teaching due to work-life balance difficulties.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Bambos Charalambous Lab Southgate and Wood Green
Education
Context

Teachers' pay, workload, and work environment are highlighted as reasons for leaving the profession.

Question

I begin by thanking all the teachers, support staff and senior leaders in my constituency of Southgate and Wood Green, and across the country, for their hard work ensuring that our children receive the high quality education they deserve. Teachers' pay, their workload and the environment in which they work have been highlighted as reasons why they leave the profession. Can my right hon. Friend tell the House what steps she is taking to address the reasons for teachers quitting the profession?

Answer from Bridget Phillipson

I join my hon. Friend in praising the amazing teachers and support staff in his constituency and across our country for the vital work that they do. I want to ensure not only that we keep teachers in the profession but that they thrive in it, which is why I was pleased to agree to the recommendation of a 5.5% pay award, but we know that there is much more to do to keep experienced, dedicated staff in the profession. I know from speaking to many of them that many of the challenges they face go way beyond the school gate. That is why I am proud to lead the work on child poverty, together with the Work and Pensions Secretary, to address some of the drivers of workload and pressures that many of our school staff are facing.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific steps beyond pay awards and addressing challenges outside the school gate were not detailed.

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Q2 Amanda Martin Lab Portsmouth North
Education
Context

Parents in Paulsgrove, Portsmouth raised concerns about school provision and the learning environment. The local authority is ranked third from bottom in league tables.

Question

At a recent local public meeting in Paulsgrove, Portsmouth, parents raised concerns about school provision and the learning environment. As a local authority, we sit in the bottom three in the league tables. What steps is the Secretary of State taking not only to improve recruitment and retention in specialist subjects, but to ensure that there are key staff in specialist areas, where different learning environments are needed in our classrooms?

Answer from Bridget Phillipson

My hon. Friend is right to draw attention to the challenges that we face in particular parts of the country, and there are no greater champions of Portsmouth than her and the Under-Secretary of State for Education, my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth South (Stephen Morgan). We are taking steps to ensure that teaching is the go-to profession for our best graduates, as well as ensuring that we keep experienced, well-qualified professionals in teaching. On specialist support, we have set out measures around SEND reform and additional investment to address the challenges that my hon. Friend identifies.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific steps for recruitment and retention of specialist teachers were not detailed beyond general statements.

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Q3 Bambos Charalambous Lab Southgate and Wood Green
Education Women & Equalities
Context

Some 9,000 women in their 30s left teaching in 2022-23. This is the single biggest age group leaving teaching.

Question

Some 9,000 women in their 30s left teaching in 2022-23. This is the single biggest age group leaving teaching in Bath and across the country. Will the Government improve maternity pay for teachers and teaching assistants?

Answer from Bridget Phillipson

The hon. Lady is right to identify that challenge, and I have used that statistic many times myself. I am really concerned about the big numbers of experienced women, particularly those in their 30s, who leave teaching because they find it too difficult to combine work with family life. That is why, as part of what we have set out to the School Teachers Review Body process, we have asked it to look specifically at some of those challenges. As part of our wider work across Government to make work pay, we are ensuring better rights at work and that maternity protections are rolled out for workers across our country.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific improvements in maternity pay were not detailed beyond referring the matter to a review body.

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Q4 Wera Hobhouse Lib Dem Bath
Education
Context

Many schools in the constituency have vacancies for governors.

Question

I refer the House to my entry in the Register of Members' Financial Interests, which shows that I am in the 19th year of being a proud primary school governor. The Secretary of State will know that schools are led by teachers but also that many volunteers go towards making our schools the brilliant places of learning that they are. Too many of the schools in my constituency have vacancies for governors. Will the Secretary of State tell us what she is doing to increase the recruitment and retention of school governors?

Answer from Bridget Phillipson

I congratulate the hon. Lady on the important work that she does as a school governor. They are the unsung heroes across our communities in terms of the support they provide to our schools. I recognise the increasing challenge that she sets out around how we can ensure that people come forward to take on those important roles. That is why we have been working with the bodies representing governors to ensure that we attract more people into those important roles to drive forward standards in our schools.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific steps for recruitment and retention of school governors were not detailed beyond general support and recognition.

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