Workforce

The latest news and analysis on the school workforce in the UK and at international schools, including teacher recruitment, retention and shortage subjects

Friday

15th May 2026

The 4 fundamentals that drive great schools, anywhere in the world
Robert Tarn reflects on his time as a trust CEO and now working for an international schools group on what great education looks like, whatever the context
Swimmer on start line

Wednesday

13th May 2026

Teachers abandon pension scheme as cost of living bites
Annual withdrawals from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme have nearly doubled since 2020, official figures show
60,000 teachers opt out of pension scheme
Exclusive

Monday

11th May 2026

Early career teachers learning ‘a lot more’ from new framework
Verdict on initial teacher training and early career frameworks provided by first major poll since they were combined in 2025
Teacher in classroom
Exclusive

Thursday

7th May 2026

Nearly a quarter of new teachers not entering profession, study reveals
Administration tasks and workload provide ‘reality shock’ as new teachers discover what the role is really like, UCL researchers find
Nearly quarter of new teachers not entering profession, study reveals

Friday

1st May 2026

Can ‘radical transparency’ boost international school recruitment?
To address the challenge of recruitment and retention in international schools, leaders are now adopting a policy of ‘honest’ discussions with candidates even before the interview, finds Emma Seith
Cleaning windows

Thursday

30th Apr 2026

Flexible-working scheme fails to reach schools most in need of help
Only 3 per cent of school leaders were even aware of the government’s programme to increase flexible working after its first year, says DfE report
Concerns have been raised that the Department for Education’s (DfE) flexible working scheme did not reach the schools “most in need” of flexible working support.

Wednesday

29th Apr 2026

How falling rolls are reshaping England’s schools
The downward trend in pupil numbers is dramatically affecting schools’ funding. So what impact is this having on staffing and classes, and are there any silver linings to the crisis? Ellen Peirson-Hagger investigates
Taps with running water

Monday

27th Apr 2026

Supply agency fee capped at £55 per day under DfE ‘mandate’
New policy aimed at saving schools money is welcomed, but heads’ union points out that fewer supply staff would be needed if teacher recruitment and retention were improved
Supply agency fee capped at £55 per day under DfE ‘mandate’

Friday

24th Apr 2026

Growing number of new teachers quitting the profession in Scotland
Lib Dems voice fears of a ‘mismatch’ between the number of early career teachers and the availability of jobs
Growing number of new teachers quit profession in Scotland
Exclusive

Thursday

23rd Apr 2026

Big drop in DfE target for new teacher trainees
Music, physics and RE among the subjects that will see the biggest reductions in trainee ‘need’ for 2026-27, while there is also a large fall for the primary sector, DfE figures show
No vacancy sign
Teaching assistants are leaving - here’s how to make them stay
Support staff, including TAs, are leaving the profession in record numbers. So what can schools do to make them want to stay? Nancy Gedge offers her advice
Woman walking down train tracks

Friday

17th Apr 2026

NEU members willing to take industrial action over pay and funding
Overwhelming majority of teacher members who voted in indicative ballot reject three-year pay recommendation and indicate support for taking action, but turnout was less than 50 per cent
Strike protest