High-quality teaching is the biggest driver of pupil outcomes, which is why we’re committed to turning the tide on the challenges facing the profession. We want to continue attracting the best into teaching – and to support those who are already making a difference in classrooms across the country.
Our Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is designed to help get more qualified, passionate teachers into schools. We want to make sure teaching continues to be an attractive profession which is why we’re investing £233 million in teacher recruitment for 2025–26.
Here’s everything you need to know about the measures we are taking to attract and retain the very best talent in the teaching profession.
Progress on teacher recruitment and retention
This government inherited significant challenges in teacher recruitment, but we're already seeing positive progress with 44,000 new teachers joining state-funded schools last year, including 17,388 returners – up from 16,719 the year before.
We have also just lowered our Postgraduate Initial Teacher Training targets and data shows that more teachers are training to teach and more as choosing to stay in the profession.
Over two thousand more people are training to become secondary school teachers this year, compared to last year, alongside a 25% boost in the proportion set to begin training in shortage STEM subjects.
Teacher retention has also improved with over 2,500 more teachers expected to stay in the profession over the next three years.
However, challenges remain, and there is still work to do. That’s why we are taking steps to bring in new teachers while working to keep experienced ones in the profession too.
Improving teacher retention
We’re offering financial support to help keep teachers in the job – including up to £6,000 after tax for maths, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in their first five years, if they’re working in disadvantaged schools.
To help improve work-life balance and wellbeing, over 4,100 schools have already signed up to the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter, a statement of support and a set of commitments to promote the wellbeing and mental health of all those working in education. And we’re providing tools to reduce workload, like the Improve workload and wellbeing for school staff service, which is advice made by school leaders for school leaders that help with staff wellbeing.
We're also helping schools offer different ways of working that fit with teachers' lives. This could be as simple as letting teachers plan lessons from home, making teaching a job that can be flexible as teachers' lives change and develop.
We've created a toolkit with practical tips to help school leaders set up flexible working options and guide staff through asking for these arrangements. In addition we are also delivering a funded programme which offers free supportive webinars and peer support provided by flexible working ambassador schools and trusts.
To support all this work, the Improving Education Together board brings together unions and employer groups to help shape policies that make it easier for teachers to stay and thrive in the profession.
Enhancing teacher quality
Ongoing professional development is essential, and we’re committed to making sure every teacher receives high-quality training. We have pledged to recruit an extra 6,500 expert teachers, as well as having plans to get more specialist teachers into shortage areas.
As part of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill all new teachers will either hold or be working towards Qualified Teacher Status, and we’re developing a Teacher Training Entitlement to support continuous learning and development.
We’re also updating the Early Career Framework to keep it rooted in the latest research and evidence.
We know that support staff play a vital role in driving high and rising standards in our schools. That’s why we’re establishing the School Support Staff Negotiating Body – to recognise the role these staff play and help tackle the recruitment and retention challenges that schools are facing for these roles.
We're working together to build a stronger teaching workforce that gives every child a great education. There's still work to do, but our focused plans for bringing in new teachers, keeping experienced ones, will help boost high and rising standards across the country.
To find out more about teaching jobs, our Get Into Teaching service provides a central hub for opportunities, training routes, and advice.