Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of offering guaranteed interviews to black, Asian and minority ethnic applicants with relevant qualifications who apply for teaching positions.

The Department wants teaching to be profession where teachers from all backgrounds are supported throughout their career.

Schools are responsible for their own recruitment and staffing decisions. The Department expects them to adhere to their statutory requirements under the Equality Act 2010, and to their responsibilities under the Public Sector Equality Duty. The Department has published guidance for schools on how to comply with their duties under the Equality Act 2010. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-2010-advice-for-schools.

Schools and trusts are free to introduce measures into their recruitment processes if those measures comply with the Equality Act 2010.

The Department has also issued guidance for recruiting head teachers, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/recruiting-a-headteacher. The guidance reminds governors and trustees that diverse workforces benefit everyone, and the importance of avoiding discrimination in recruitment.