Last week, the postgraduate trainee teacher recruitment targets for 2026/27 were reduced by 28% for primary and 21% for secondary. Our Education Workforce Lead, @jackworth.bsky.social, discusses what this means for teacher supply. Read the blog 👉 bit.ly/48AeqA1

The DfE hitting its 6,500 new teacher target is one thing, but it must also ensure to attract teachers in the areas they are most needed, explains @thenfer.bsky.social’s @jackworth.bsky.social

Thread summarising today's NFER webinar on the education workforce. Thanks to the panel and attendees for joining us!

We're hosting a free webinar which will discuss some of the key findings from five reports that focus on the full scope of the education workforce in England, from early years through to further education & incorporating school support staff & the school teacher workforces. 👉 bit.ly/4r2OCmG [1/2]

We’re hosting a webinar on all our new Education Workforce findings, featuring a key insights presentation from @jackworth.bsky.social, plus reactions from panellists @leoracruddas.bsky.social, @sarahronan.bsky.social & @hughesdavid.bsky.social. 📅 19 March ⏰ 14:00 - 15:15 Register 👉 bit.ly/4r2OCmG

NEW: What helps to improve teacher retention? Today we have published a new study on teacher retention, looking at the association between a wide range of factors relating to teacher's' working lives and their retention decisions www.nfer.ac.uk/publications...

✍️ | In a new blog, @jackworth.bsky.social uses insights from our redeveloped teacher supply forecast and simulation model to look at what the implications of different STRB recommendations might be for teacher recruitment and retention trends. Read more 👉 www.nfer.ac.uk/blogs/what-s...

With the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) currently developing its recommendations for teachers’ pay for the next two years, our Education Workforce Lead, @jackworth.bsky.social, has written a new blog post looking at what he thinks should happen from 2026. Read the post 👉 bit.ly/3KMbSWU

Today's ITT Census data is positive, showing a sizeable increase in trainee numbers vs last year, alongside lower targets due to other supply improvements like retention. But there's still more to do as secondary recruitment is still below target at 88 per cent

🗣️ "Improved recruitment to postgraduate teacher training in England is welcome after years of severe under-recruitment." Our Education Workforce Lead, @jackworth.bsky.social, has given his reaction to the latest DfE initial teacher training census data. 👇

First 2025/26 cycle ITT data out today. Too early to tell much and it's quite contradictory! - Applications up, but offers and acceptances flat or down - Acceptances especially down for secondary and in bursary-cut subjects Will be interesting to see if extra apps translate into offers later on

NEW EPISODE This week, we're joined by @JackWorthNFER, an economist studying the teacher labour market, to explore the history and future or recruitment and retention. It's MEGA nerdy, and super fascinating. Tune in and share here 👇👇 open.spotify.com/episode/20PH...

In a brand new feature length blog post, our Education Workforce Lead, @jackworth.bsky.social, discusses new analysis, commissioned by the @instituteofphysics.bsky.social, highlighting how the under-supply of specialist teachers is affecting secondary schools. Read the post 👉 bit.ly/4m8dSWt

Our Education Workforce Lead, @jackworth.bsky.social, has has given his reaction to the House of Commons Public Committee report on teacher numbers in secondary and further education, published today. Read the full quote 👉 bit.ly/3TuIHIB

Sat down with Tom and James earlier this week to discuss 6,500 teachers. Do have a listen! 👇

Retention payments for early career teachers may help, but the evidence is mixed. This is the conclusion of our new analysis funded by @nuffieldfoundation.org Read @jackworth.bsky.social's blog on the new findings 👇 bit.ly/4liHKQ5

Do extra payments to in-service teachers in shortage subjects improve retention? We thought our analysis might back up the fairly strong 'yes' from UK literature so far, but our findings were not as conclusive. In this blog I assess the findings and what they might mean for policy: bit.ly/4liHKQ5

Yesterday, our School Workforce Lead and co-author of the research, @jackworth.bsky.social, spoke to LBC News's Vanessa Baffoe about the findings. [2/2] 👇 www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcO6...

🔬 'Teaching does not reflect diversity in the working-age or school-age populations - but the diversity of training applicants is high' Jack Worth presents new research from @thenfer.bsky.social and @mission44.bsky.social schoolsweek.co.uk/why-we-must-...

🗣️ Our School Workforce Lead @jackworth.bsky.social has given his reaction to the announcement of a 4% pay rise for teachers and leaders for the 2025/26 academic year, as well as additional funding for schools and colleges. Read the full quote 👉 bit.ly/4jcuomo

DfE published some hefty changes to the ITT recruitment targets this morning - down overall and across phases by around 20% - some subjects like physics/ MFL down by more than a third

There are some real positive signs in the latest ITT recruitment data of improvement vs last year, especially in secondary. I will hold off updating the forecast until tomorrow, when targets are published. But it's interesting to see where the growth is and isn't coming from...🧵

There are some real positive signs in the latest ITT recruitment data of improvement vs last year, especially in secondary. I will hold off updating the forecast until tomorrow, when targets are published. But it's interesting to see where the growth is and isn't coming from...🧵

The DfE's pay recommendation of 2.8% staying the same after an increase in the OBR's forecast for average annual earnings growth is "unimaginable", the NFER has said www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Buried in OBR's Economic and Fiscal Outlook Annex A Table A.3 (🤓) is an important number for teachers... OBR now forecasts that average wage growth in FY 25/26 will be 3.7%, up from 3.0% in October. This puts additional upward pressure on DfE's part-funded 2.8% teacher pay proposal for AY 25/26

According to the OBR, average earnings will rise by 3.7% next year. @jackworth.bsky.social: 'In light of this, it seems unimaginable that the DfE's teacher pay proposal of 2.8 per cent for the next academic year could remain unchanged' schoolsweek.co.uk/union-anger-...

Our School Workforce Lead @jackworth.bsky.social has given his reaction to the government's #SpringStatement 👇 You can read the full quote at bit.ly/4kZMmL7

Latest ITT statistics are somewhat positive, with most secondary subjects - especially shortage ones - recruiting better than last year. Primary down a smidge, English down due to bursary cut But majority still likely to be below target (this is last year's targets: new actuals out next month)

Latest ITT statistics are somewhat positive, with most secondary subjects - especially shortage ones - recruiting better than last year. Primary down a smidge, English down due to bursary cut But majority still likely to be below target (this is last year's targets: new actuals out next month)

If you missed the launch webinar for the Teacher Labour Market in England Annual Report 2025, you can now watch it back in-full on our website. 👇 www.nfer.ac.uk/events/teach...

The Government will need a joined-up policy approach to have a hope of delivering 6,500 more teachers. ✍️ @jackworth.bsky.social blogs on the findings from our latest Teacher Labour Market in England Annual report. 👇 www.nfer.ac.uk/blogs/govern... #TLM2025

🧵 Our 7th annual review of the Teacher Labour Market in England, published today, reveals that a combination of high teacher leaving rates and poor recruitment into initial teacher training (ITT) is leading to shortages of teachers and increasing class sizes. #TLM2025 [1/11]

NFER's 2025 annual report on the teacher labour market is out today - Postgrad ITT recruitment remains persistently poor - Teacher leaving rates have not improved since pre-Covid - Teacher shortages are having impacts on pupils Read here 👇 www.nfer.ac.uk/publications...

Oof. This makes for grim reading and should be a huge wake up call on the need to rethink education, making it work for today’s children and teachers. Teaching should be one of the best jobs in the world, but too many things aren’t working for long term recruitment and retention.

This is always such an important report. Well done and thank you to @jackworth.bsky.social and the NFER team.

This is grim reading, although not surprising. Teaching has the potential to be, and can be, the best job. We need to make sure this is facilitated.

And linked to this report @jackworth.bsky.social has written this for @tesmagazine.bsky.social on the challenge facing govt in meeting its target for recruiting 6,500 more teachers. "Does it have a plan for delivering the pledge? If it does, it is keeping it very quiet." www.tes.com/magazine/ana...

Me in Tes today, reflecting on the choices facing the Government ahead of the Spending Review and with so much other policy action in motion: how can it all square with delivering the 6,500 teachers pledge? www.tes.com/magazine/ana...

Act now or never to stem the teacher supply crisis, NFER warns the government www.thetimes.com/uk/education...

NFER's 2025 annual report on the teacher labour market is out today - Postgrad ITT recruitment remains persistently poor - Teacher leaving rates have not improved since pre-Covid - Teacher shortages are having impacts on pupils Read here 👇 www.nfer.ac.uk/publications...

Make sure you are signed up for tomorrow morning's NFER teacher labour market report launch webinar, featuring: @jonsevers.bsky.social, @annacmcshane.bsky.social, @mannybotwe.bsky.social, @emilytanner.bsky.social, me and some charts 📈📉📊

Yesterday we published the second part of our mini-series on the special school workforce in England. This one is about workforce dynamics and planning Currently special school workforce planning is left largely to chance: Government should make it more deliberate www.nfer.ac.uk/blogs/specia...

A key thing our new data dashboard highlights is the teacher supply plight of schools with the most pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. And the gaps have grown wider as the supply challenge has deepened. Read my colleague Michael Scott's blog on the key findings: www.nfer.ac.uk/blogs/nfer-d...

A key thing our new data dashboard highlights is the teacher supply plight of schools with the most pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. And the gaps have grown wider as the supply challenge has deepened. Read my colleague Michael Scott's blog on the key findings: www.nfer.ac.uk/blogs/nfer-d...

Today we have published an updated teacher data dashboard, summarising key metrics by area (including new Teaching School Hub areas), subject and school type. It now contains data up to 2023/24, the most recent available. Explore the data yourself here: www.nfer.ac.uk/teacher-recr...

ICYMI - yesterday we published the first part of new research on the workforce in special schools in England. Part 2 featuring further insights will be out next week bit.ly/3EUvXXF

Today we have published new research on the special schools workforce in England: an under-researched sector that can get neglected and misunderstood in policymaking. Part 1 looks at staffing, and part 2 next week will have even more insights 👀 www.nfer.ac.uk/blogs/explor... Thread 🧵👇

Really important work here by @thenfer.bsky.social

Simon is a passionate and relentless champion for the specialist sector and his 'What about Special Schools in this?' questioning was part of the inspiration for us pursuing this work. Keep it up 👏

Government data appears to under-state the extent of teacher vacancies in alternative provision because it combines data with that of special schools, a new report has warned