EC Meeting Papers March 2018

Rt Hon Damian Hinds MP Secretary of State for Education

Sanctuary Buildings Great Smith Street London WC1P 3BT

7 February 2018

Dear Damian

Programme of Talks: Teacher recruitment and retention

It was very good of you to take time out in your second day in post to come to meet the teacher unions at the January Programme of Talks meeting. In the course of our discussions it will have been clear to you the major concerns that all the associations have about the current difficulties in teacher supply, both recruitment and retention. Teacher shortage undoubtedly poses the greatest threat to the quality of education in this country. Unless concerted actions are taken to address the current difficulties, particularly with the known increase in pupil numbers, the situation will quickly worsen. As we indicated in the meeting we very much wish to work with your department to ensure strategies are developed and implemented to address this critical issue. In the meeting we were able to continue the discussions with your Director General of Educational Standards, Paul Kett, and we encouraged him to share with us the current activities around teacher supply and to actively engage with the unions in developing an overarching strategy. This would build on the discussions that took place with School Standards Minister, Nick Gibb, at the Programme of Talks meeting in December. We are therefore writing to you with ten key, interrelated, proposals that we believe need to be included in an overarching strategy and would be very pleased to discuss these in detail with you and your department as a matter of some urgency. 1. Simplify the routes into teaching: The routes into teaching are confusing to potential teachers and the application processes too complex. An immediate review and simplification of both the routes and the application system are required. 2. Enhance developments on ways of reducing teacher workload: More needs to be done to build on the reports that followed the 2015 workload challenge outcomes. Teacher workload is driven by external factors such as the numerous accountability measures, major curriculum and qualifications reform and funding pressures which have reduced staffing numbers and consequentially increased workload on remaining staff.