13 Accepted

Department previously worked in silos, hindering understanding of inter-sector teacher competition

Conclusion
We questioned the Department on what it was doing to better understand the competition between schools and colleges when recruiting teachers.31 The Department has identified that around 60% of workers who leave an education occupation move into another education occupation. However, until recently, departmental teams for schools and further 25 Committee of Public Accounts, Training new teachers, Third Report of Session 2016–17, HC 73, 10 June 2016; HM Treasury, Treasury Minutes – Government responses to the Committee of Public Accounts, November 2016 (page 23) 26 Qq 56-57; C&AG’s Report, paras 2.32-2.33 27 Qq 55 28 C&AG’s Report, paras 1.10-1.11, Figure 3 29 Qq 22, 55 30 ITN0009, Written evidence submitted by Education Support 31 Q 42 13 education worked in silos, and the Department’s only recruitment strategy, from 2019, applied just to schools.32 The Department has now started to think in a more joined-up way, to help better understand what works and the trade-offs of its decisions.33 Focus on recruitment and retention within further education colleges
Government Response Summary
The department has published some evidence of variations in schools and works with schools and colleges to inform understanding of why the variations exist.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government Accepted
3.3 The department has published some evidence of these variations in schools and works with schools and colleges to inform understanding of why the variations exist.
Addressee Bodies
HM Treasury
Timeline
Recommendation age 0.9 yr
Report published 09 Jul 2025