Teachers in disadvantaged schools less experienced, report finds

A new report by the Education Policy Institute (EPI), funded by The Sequoia Trust, has found a substantial gap in teacher experience in schools with the most and least disadvantaged pupils. 

The report, Closing the Workplace Quality Gap, has found that teachers in disadvantaged schools are less experienced, with those teaching in disadvantaged secondary schools having approximately three years less experience than those in more affluent schools.

This gap extends to leadership, with teachers in the most disadvantaged schools having on average three years less experience than those in affluent schools.

Teachers in disadvantaged schools are less likely to have a relevant degree, especially when teaching STEM subjects. The proportion of lessons taught by teachers with a relevant degree in disadvantaged schools has declined by 11 percentage points since 2016-17.

Disadvantaged schools also receive more teacher turnover, and struggle with greater teacher absence, compared annually to those in affluent schools.

Thus, the report makes several recommendations. The report advises that the government should increase retention incentives to retain experience subject specialists in disadvantaged settings, as well as boost professional development by enhancing existing support structures like the Early Career Framework and National Professional Qualifications.

The government should also put greater focus on the quality of leadership, which is the key to reducing teacher turnover and absence to improve the stability of the teacher workforce, as well as improve the measurement of teaching quality to help determine the context to which the observable differences outlined above translate into differences in educational experiences for pupils.