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Further Education in England

The evidence found on this page relates to teacher supply in Further Education in England and Wales. It is a resource for professional and research communities concerned with the recruitment and retention of teachers and support for their professional development. As such it is relevant for policy-makers, leaders, professional bodies, providers of professional learning, researchers and practitioners undertaking studies of teacher retention and strategic development to enhance teachers’ wellbeing.

The majority of the evidence provided is open access. It includes policy documents, reports, academic journal articles, books and chapters, briefings and blogs, and news and commentary published since 2019.

Each summary is labelled with its resource type and tagged with one or more themes. You can use the filters below to show only the evidence of a particular resource type or on a particular theme, and selecting a tag on any summary will take you to all resources sharing that theme. The search bar covers the full library, so results may include evidence relating to Further Education as well as schools; the sector is shown on each result. Each summary links to the original source where it is available.

Teacher Recruitment, Training and Retention: Evidence to Education Committee

Summary:

Highlights the impact of funding constraints and pay gaps on recruitment and retention. Argues financial investment is key to sustaining the workforce....
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FE Teacher Recruitment and the Landscape of FE

Summary:

The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) report highlights a critical recruitment and retention crisis in the further education sector, particularly for technical and vocational roles. It advocates for a national workforce strategy that supports "dual professionals" by scaling successful initiatives and enhancing career-long support to ensure a resilient, future-ready education...
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Further Education Workforce Shortages

Summary:

This report highlights critical recruitment and retention challenges within the further education construction sector, with nearly all the colleges surveyed reporting difficulties in hiring qualified staff. High industry pay and a lack of qualified applicants are identified as primary drivers of these shortages, which threaten the delivery of essential technical...
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College Staff Vacancies

Summary:

This report details a significant increase in staff vacancies across the further education sector, identifying over 6,000 openings and a high reliance on agency staff. It highlights that competitive private sector pay and heavy workloads are the primary barriers to recruiting and retaining qualified college personnel....
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College Workforce Survey

Summary:

The 2019-20 report analyses the English further education workforce, highlighting critical recruitment difficulties in technical disciplines and ongoing challenges with staff turnover. It also provides an assessment of the initial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on college operations and staffing levels....
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(Re)Conceptualising Effective Teaching in Further Edcuation: An Exploratory Study

Summary:

This article examines how teachers and leaders in further education define “effective teaching,” revealing that it extends beyond subject expertise to include adaptability, learner relationships, and reflective practice. It argues that recognising these broader dimensions is vital for improving teacher recruitment, training, and retention in the FE sector....
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College Workforce Summary

Summary:

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the further education workforce in England, detailing key trends in staff demographics, pay, and qualifications during the 2018-19 academic year. It identifies persistent recruitment challenges in high-demand subjects like construction and engineering, while highlighting a growing reliance on agency staff to fill critical...
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Further Education Workforce Data Collection

Summary:

The UK government's plan to introduce a new, mandatory data collection for the further education (FE) workforce in England, starting voluntarily in the 2020/21 academic year and becoming compulsory in 2021/22. This initiative aims to improve policy-making and benchmarking by providing a comprehensive evidence base on staff recruitment, retention, and...
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The Principle: Power and Professionalism in Further Education

Summary:

Uses multi-site ethnographic case studies to show that overly hierarchical leadership erodes teacher autonomy and spurs turnover. Recommends distribute-leadership and mentoring cultures as cost-effective retention strategies....
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