Schools for children with special educational needs employ teachers without qualified teacher status more often than mainstream schools, research suggests.
Special schools in England face “more severe” teacher shortages than the average state school, with the worst shortages concentrated in alternative provision (AP) settings, according to a blog published today by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER).
The research also shows that special schools in England face workforce challenges because they need a higher staff-to-pupil ratio, and they are likely to be “particularly affected” by teaching assistant shortages.
The research, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, concludes that teachers in special schools are less likely to have qualified teacher status (QTS).
“This may suggest special schools are more willing to use a wider pool of candidates when recruiting teachers,” the blog says.
Teachers without QTS in special schools
Under changes in the government’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, teachers in academies will be required to have, or be in the process of achieving, QTS.
The use of staff without QTS in special schools is highest in the East of England and London - areas where special schools appear to have greater teacher shortages, according to the research.
“It is unclear to what extent, if any, these differences represent a problem, although it stands to reason that unqualified teachers, on average, may provide lower quality teaching,” the blog says.
The NFER calls for work to be done to understand why 10 per cent of teachers in special schools do not have QTS, compared with the national average of 3 per cent.
It also wants the Department for Education to start measuring vacancy rates for teaching assistants in schools as part of the annual school workforce census.
Special schools have around 41 TAs on average, which is considerably more than both the average primary (11) and secondary school (14), the NFER says.
On average, special schools have one member of staff for every two children, compared with the average ratios of 1:11 and 1:12 in primary and secondary schools respectively.
Michael Scott, senior economist at the NFER and the blog’s author, said: “Special schools are a vital part of the education landscape in England, but relatively little work has been done to understand the issues facing teachers and staff in these schools.
“Our findings emphasise how important teaching assistants are to providing education to children with a wide range of needs in all types of schools, but particularly special schools.
“Surveys tell us special schools face acute teaching assistant shortages, but DfE doesn’t collect regular data about this. It should do so.
“Without that information we cannot fully assess the workforce challenge facing special schools.”
Margaret Mulholland, SEND and inclusion specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, said there are serious recruitment and retention pressures in all types of school, but the impact is “particularly severe” in special schools and alternative provision settings.
“These schools not only need to meet higher staff-to-pupil ratios than other schools, but they also require staff with the knowledge and experience to support highly vulnerable children with complex needs.
“Special schools may recruit teachers with strong backgrounds in special educational needs therapies but who do not have qualified teacher status.
“This is one of the reasons why the government has to be careful about how it implements planned legislation over requiring all teachers to have QTS, so it does not worsen existing pressures.”
Rob Williams, senior policy adviser at the NAHT school leaders’ union, said: “Support staff play a vital and rewarding role in helping children in special schools - but these findings echo what we hear from school leaders in these settings about the difficulties they face in affording, recruiting and keeping hold of teaching assistants.”
He said the “unpalatable truth” is that in some areas “teaching assistants can earn more working in a cafe or supermarket, and we need the government to do more to improve their pay”.
For the latest education news and analysis delivered every weekday morning, sign up for the Tes Daily newsletter
