Morning, Wednesday, 10th December 2025
Online
This conference will examine next steps for teacher recruitment and retention in England. Areas for discussion include national workforce targets, the impact of workload and wellbeing on staffing levels, and options for improving entry routes, career development, and long-term workforce planning.
Key stakeholders and policymakers will assess the outlook for teacher numbers, looking at what will be required to enable schools to sustain adequate numbers of qualified staff and effectively meet educational demands and student needs. It comes with the Government’s pledge to recruit 6,500 additional teachers by the end of this Parliament.
Recruitment strategies & widening access to training routes
Delegates will look at ways to address subject and regional shortages, and widen access and revised training routes, as well as implications of proposed reforms for schools, colleges, and training providers. Recruitment strategies - including the use of targeted incentives, apprenticeship pathways, and national campaigns - will also be assessed.
Teacher standards, initial teacher training & professional development
Sessions will consider the extension of Qualified Teacher Status requirements under the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, alongside the refreshed Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework being introduced this month, looking at the potential impact on recruitment, retention, and professional standards.
Attendees will also examine the ongoing National Professional Qualification Framework Review and priorities for leadership development.
Support for staff & new technology
Further discussion will focus on strategies to support retention, including flexible working arrangements, workload reduction, and the use of artificial intelligence and digital tools, as well as the impact of wider factors on retention and working conditions, including pupil behaviour, inspection frameworks, and staff wellbeing.
Delegates will also assess pay and funding arrangements, including implications for long-term workforce stability and future teacher supply.
Overall planned areas for discussion
- teacher recruitment target: assessing progress and prospects for the 6,500 teacher pledge - scope and measurement - projected demand in secondary, special, and further education settings
- subject and regional gaps:
- teacher supply in subjects where vacancy rates remain high - recruitment strategies for science, technology, engineering and maths, computing, and languages
- shortages across rural, coastal, and disadvantaged areas - potential implications for curriculum delivery and pupil access
- postgraduate apprenticeships: implementation of the nine-month model - participation and leadership training for underrepresented and mid-career candidates - support requirements for delivery and supervision
- further education workforce: recruitment through Taking Teaching Further and related initiatives - staffing needs in technical and vocational subjects - implications of rising learner numbers for workforce planning
- Qualified Teacher Status requirements: implications of extending to all state-funded schools - staffing patterns in specialist and alternative provision - planning for transition and compliance
- teacher development frameworks:
- rollout of the Early Career Teacher Entitlement - retention, early career workload, and provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities
- application across different training settings and provider type
- workforce pressures:
- use of artificial intelligence, digital tools, and planning platforms to support workload reduction
- flexible working models including remote planning, preparation and assessment and job-share roles - wider working environment factors, including pupil behaviour and staff wellbeing
- pay and incentives: implementation of the 4% award and targeted retention payments - funding available to support schools and colleges - comparisons in pay progression across sectors and subjects
