The number of teacher vacancies in England has reached an all-time high as more educators leave the profession due to poor working conditions, low pay, and rising pupil behaviour issues, a new report has revealed.
According to the National Foundation for Education Research (NFER), over six teaching posts per 1,000 were left unfilled in 2023, double the rate seen before the Covid pandemic and six times higher than in 2010.
The report warns that without urgent government action, the goal of recruiting 6,500 additional teachers in state schools will not be met.
The report highlights that teacher retention is at risk due to worsening pupil behaviour, which has significantly increased teacher workload since the pandemic.
Additionally, stagnant pay and limited flexibility in working conditions have pushed many teachers to abandon the profession, while fewer graduates are choosing to train as teachers.
NFER’s school workforce expert Jack Worth described the situation as “perilous”, stressing that fully funded pay increases are essential to attract and retain teachers. He called on the government to take immediate action to improve working conditions and address rising classroom challenges.
The report also revealed that teachers are increasingly struggling to manage disruptive behaviour in classrooms, which is often linked to pupils’ mental health struggles and a lack of support for children with special educational needs.
NFER urged the government to introduce new strategies to improve pupil behaviour and provide additional funding for support services in schools.
Patrick Roach, General Secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, said the report reflects the urgent need for a national workforce plan. He stressed that improvements in pay, workload management, and working conditions are crucial to stop teachers from leaving and attract new talent to the profession.
The Department for Education (DfE) acknowledged the issue and reiterated its plan to recruit 6,500 expert teachers. It announced £233 million in funding for 2025 to attract teachers in subjects like maths, physics, chemistry, and computing.
The government also pointed to last year’s 5.5% pay rise and efforts to support teacher wellbeing and ease workload pressures, including encouraging more flexible working options.
However, the NFER argued that the proposed 2.8% pay rise for 2025-26 is insufficient to make teaching salaries competitive with other graduate professions.
The report also highlighted that schools are increasingly relying on unqualified or non-specialist staff to cover subjects like physics, while class sizes are growing due to staff shortages.
The NFER suggested that school leaders could improve retention rates by adopting more flexible working practices, such as allowing part-time work and permitting teachers to complete planning and assessment tasks from home.
With the education system at breaking point, experts warn that the upcoming government spending review is the last opportunity to prevent further damage to the teaching workforce and protect the quality of education for future generations.
