Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to provide (a) clear routes for progression and (b) development in different subject areas to encourage recruitment and retention of teachers.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The within school factor that makes the biggest difference to a young person’s educational outcome is high-quality teaching. Recruiting and retaining more qualified, expert teachers is therefore critical to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost the life chances for every child. Our measures will include getting more teachers into shortage subjects, supporting areas that face recruitment challenges and tackling retention issues.

The department wants to ensure all teachers have access to and stay up to date with best practice in continuing professional development at every stage of their career, giving them the expertise and support needed to deliver high-quality teaching.

Through the revised initial teacher training and early career framework (ITTECF), new teachers will benefit from at least three years of evidence-based training, across initial teacher training (ITT) and into their induction.

Beyond the first few years of teaching, our priority is to help all teachers and school leaders to continuously develop their expertise throughout their careers so every child in every classroom in every school gets the best start in life.

The department has launched a new and updated suite of national professional qualifications (NPQs) for teachers and school leaders at all levels, from those who want to lead the development of staff to those leading multiple schools across trusts.

The department has established a network of 87 Teaching School Hubs serving schools across the country. The Hubs provide approved high-quality professional development to teachers at all stages of their careers and play a significant role in delivering ITT, the early career framework and NPQs. These measures will ensure teacher and leader training and development are rooted in the best available evidence. ​

The department currently offers Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) support in five secondary subjects: chemistry, computing, mathematics, modern languages and physics. The department will continue to explore its options for delivery of SKE training in future academic years to ensure that its funding supports courses in the subjects where these courses are most needed

The department has also expanded the department’s ‘School Teacher Recruitment’ marketing campaign which inspires and attracts candidates to consider a career in teaching, including shortage subjects. It promotes the profession and directs people to the ‘Get Into Teaching’ service, which exists to make teaching a career of choice and supports candidates to apply for teacher training in the most effective and efficient way possible.

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Chair); Mr Calvin Bailey; Alex Baker;

Submit Evidence (by 30 Apr 2025)

This inquiry will examine the AUKUS partnership, a trilateral security agreement between Australia, the US and the UK which was announced in 2021. AUKUS will see the US and UK support Australia in acquiring a nuclear-powered submarine fleet alongside a deepening of co-operation between the three countries on other advanced military technologies. The Committee’s inquiry will consider how AUKUS is progressing against existing milestones and what challenges may need to be addressed to give it the greatest chance of success. It will consider how changes in the geopolitical situation since 2021 may impact the programme, and whether governance and accountability mechanisms across Whitehall are adequate. The full terms of reference can be found in the call for evidence.