A new study published by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) today and led by Professor Becky Allen from Teacher Tapp, alongside Iain Ford, Professor John Jerrim, Loic Menzies, Dr Sam Sims, Dr Burak Sonmez, and Karen Wespieser, explores what makes teaching jobs more attractive to prospective candidates.
The researchers compared responses to different job adverts and used statistical analysis of teacher preferences to determine which benefits are likely to be most impactful.
The study suggests that specific working conditions can make a big difference. However, many of the most appealing strategies – for example significant additional time protected for marking and lesson planning, or substantially reduced class sizes – are expensive and schools should consider whether better recruitment outcomes could be achieved by directing the same funds into higher salaries.
Some strategies though – for example, childcare subsidies and specific flexible working commitments – stand out as both better value for money and potentially more likely to influence application decisions than increasing salary for many teachers.
More specifically, the study highlights the additional challenges faced in attracting teachers to work in more disadvantaged schools. This is particularly acute at secondary, with analysis suggesting that teachers would need, on average, a 13% higher salary to consider applying for jobs in secondary schools serving the most disadvantaged communities.
The researchers complemented their analysis with focus groups with teachers and headteachers to add further insight into what motivates teachers to apply for roles and the specific benefits they value most. While it is not certain whether teachers would make the same choices in a real-world context, the findings provide valuable insight into what teachers prioritise when considering a new role.
The study forms part of a wider package of new research and resources from the EEF on recruitment and retention. Also published today is an evidence summary for school leaders. Based on robust reviews of research and practice, it outlines the best available evidence on four areas with potential to support recruitment and retention. Key takeaways include:
- Teacher workload. Teachers in schools with multiple workload strategies in place report more manageable workloads, suggesting a multi-pronged approach may work best.
- Flexible working. Flexible working is still uncommon in teaching, but when implemented well, it can improve job satisfaction and wellbeing.
- School leadership, culture, and climate. Leadership practices that build trust, support professional development, and foster a strong school culture could make a meaningful difference to teacher retention.
- Financial incentives. Financial incentives – such as higher salaries – are the best evidenced strategy for attracting teachers to schools.
The EEF has also published findings from the scoping phases of two recruitment and retention research projects, that aim to add to the evidence base on flexible working:
- Nine-Day Working Fortnight: Dixons Academies Trust piloted a nine-day working fortnight (full pay, one day off every other week), evaluated by Ambition Institute and IFF Research. Most staff welcomed the policy, reporting improved flexibility and work-life balance – however, some Early Career Teachers felt they had less access to developmental support from senior leaders. Reflections from the interviews also highlighted the importance of careful timetabling to avoid staff shortages and ensure safe pupil supervision.
- Offsite Planning, Preparation and Assessment (PPA): Research by the Chartered College of Teaching and UCL Institute of Education found that when teachers are offered the opportunity to complete PPA time offsite, they reported improved wellbeing and productivity and experience greater professional trust from leaders. While some leaders were concerned that offsite PPA might reduce collaboration, reflections from those who had successfully implemented the approach supported hybrid collaboration. More broadly, teachers reported valuing PPA time which remained protected and not used for collaboration, mentoring, or emergency cover.
Teacher recruitment and retention remain major challenges in England. Government data shows that:
- More than 1 in 10 teachers leave within a year of qualifying.
- Over a quarter (27%) leave within three years. (1)
- Recruitment to Initial Teacher Training has consistently fallen short of government targets. (2)
Commenting on these new findings and the EEF’s new resources, Emily Yeomans, co-Chief Executive at the EEF said: