The Teacher Recruitment and Retention Crisis in England: Implications for Science Education and the Growing Need for Support Structures

🕒 Read time: 6 mins

By Colin Lightfoot

In England today, secondary science education finds itself under considerable strain. The combined challenges of recruiting and retaining teachers compromise teaching quality, impact pupil outcomes in STEM subjects, and lead families and schools to seek alternative solutions. The position is particularly acute in the sciences, where shortages force non-specialists into the classroom and limit pupils’ access to the expertise they need. Addressing these pressures requires not only urgent attention to recruitment but also a robust effort to improve support, mentorship, and access to high-quality resources for new teachers. Here, at Learn Science Together, we are stepping in to fill this void, offering the support required to prepare pupils for a promising future in the STEM industry.

Current state of teacher recruitment and retention in England

According to the National Foundation for Educational Research’s 2025 annual report, the unfilled vacancy rate for teachers is now around six times higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023/24, more than six teaching posts in every thousand were left unfilled, roughly double the rate recorded in 2020. Official figures also show that 40,813 full-time equivalent teachers left the state-funded sector in 2023, highlighting the scale of teacher turnover.

Recruitment into initial teacher training (ITT) remains persistently below target. The latest Parliamentary briefing on recruitment and retention reported that for 2023/24, entrants into postgraduate ITT were only 62% of the target. For secondary subjects in particular, performance has been consistently poor, with some subjects falling far short. For example, physics recruitment was 83% below target. Retention is equally concerning, with fewer than 60% of teachers still in the profession after ten years.

Multiple factors drive this crisis, with excessively high workload a major contributor. The NFER found that 90% of teachers considering leaving in 2023/24 cited workload as a key factor. Pay and progression also lag behind many other graduate professions. Although recent pay awards have restored starting salaries to roughly their 2010/11 real-terms levels, recruitment and retention remain serious challenges. As a result, the workforce is under pressure, and schools are increasingly reliant on non-specialist or unqualified staff, particularly in schools serving disadvantaged communities.

Impact on science education

A recent study by the Institute of Physics found that around a quarter of state secondary schools in England lack a dedicated physics teacher, with more than half of pupils studying GCSE science being taught the physics component by a non-specialist. Far fewer physics lessons are taught by subject specialists compared with biology and chemistry, limiting pupils’ exposure to high-quality physics teaching.

The consequences are significant. Pupils taught by non-specialists are less likely to progress to A-level physics, which in turn reduces the pipeline into STEM careers. The issue is most severe in deprived areas, where pupils are already less likely to have access to experienced science teachers. The Institute of Physics (IoP) has highlighted that students from lower-income backgrounds are markedly under-represented in A-level physics compared with their more affluent peers, deepening inequalities in STEM participation.

Shortages in specialist teachers also lead to larger class sizes, reduced curriculum options, and heavier workloads for remaining staff, all of which research shows can negatively affect pupil attainment. The teacher supply crisis is therefore not simply a staffing issue; it has direct consequences for the quality and consistency of science education. In a future economy increasingly driven by innovation, it risks undermining the UK’s capacity to nurture the next generation of scientists, engineers, and technologists.

Private science tuition: a symptom of systemic strain

Due to teacher shortages and the knock-on effects, some families are seeking private tuition. When specialist teachers are unavailable, or when internal provision lacks depth, private tuition becomes an attractive workaround. However, this shift has equality implications. Families in a favourable socioeconomic position may secure additional support, mitigating the impact of weaker provisions. Meanwhile, those in an adverse socioeconomic position may be unable to seek private tuition and may be further disadvantaged. In more deprived areas, specialist teacher shortages are more prevalent, meaning that these pupils may be at a double disadvantage; firstly, in school, then by a lack of access to supplementary support.

While no direct statistics compare the increase of private tuition in response to teacher shortages in England, the figures speak for themselves: as school provisions weaken, the private tuition market grows. If schools were fully staffed with specialist teachers and supported with continuous professional development (CPD) and mentoring, the need for private tuition would likely reduce.

Support for trainee and early-career teachers

Research consistently shows that the early years of teaching are the most precarious for retention; around a quarter of teachers leave within three years of qualification, and fewer than 60% remain in the profession after ten. Effective mentoring and CPD play a crucial role in retention. Specialist subjects such as physics are subject to the dual pressure of subject knowledge demands and heavy workloads. As the IoP states, retention of specialist science teachers involves “reducing workload and improving wellbeing”, “reconsidering support and incentives for early- and mid-career teachers”, and “treating the sciences as separate disciplines”.

Support and training must also be sustained and targeted. Specialist teachers benefit from ongoing CPD, access to peer networks, and subject-specific coaching. Workload reduction, flexible working options, and recognition of the competing career opportunities available to science graduates are equally vital. Studies supported by the Gatsby Foundation have shown that targeted financial incentives can improve retention among shortage-subject teachers.

The Role of Learn Science Together

By providing free, high-quality teaching and learning resources, Learn Science Together helps relieve the pressure on early-career teachers who often face heavy workloads and limited preparation time. Its resource libraries, lesson sequences, and peer-led networks lower barriers to effective science teaching. The organisation also promotes mentoring and CPD opportunities, recognising that early-career support is crucial for keeping teachers in the profession. By connecting schools and teachers across regions, Learn Science Together helps address inequalities in access to specialist provision and builds stronger foundations for science education nationwide.

Conclusion

England’s teacher recruitment and retention crisis is, at its core, a science education crisis with lasting implications for pupil achievement and the STEM talent pipeline. Recruiting too few specialists, losing too many experienced teachers, and relying on non-specialists weakens science teaching quality and consistency. While private tuition may plug short-term gaps, the real solution lies in strengthening the supply and professional experience of specialist teachers, through better pay, reduced workload, and improved early-career mentoring and CPD. Organisations such as Learn Science Together are crucial in this effort, offering resources and peer networks that help science teachers, particularly in shortage areas like physics, stay in the profession. Only by supporting and valuing these teachers can England build a resilient, high-quality science education system that prepares every pupil for a technology-driven future.

References

Dawson McLean, & Worth, J. (2025). Teacher labour market in England: Annual report 2025. National Foundation for Educational Research. https://www.nfer.ac.uk/media/afsn0rmb/teacher_labour_market_in_england_annual_report_2025.pdf

Department for Education. (2024, June 6). School workforce in England: November 2023. https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england/2023

Department for Education. (2023, December 13). Initial teacher training: 2023 to 2024 trainee number census – England. https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/initial-teacher-training-trainee-number-census

House of Commons Library. (2023). Teacher recruitment and retention in England (Research Briefing CBP-7222).

https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7222/CBP-7222.pdf

Institute of Physics. (2025). The physics teacher shortage and addressing it through the 3Rs: Retention, recruitment and retraining. https://www.iop.org/sites/default/files/2025-09/The-physics-teacher-shortage-and-addressing-it-through-the-3Rs-Retention-Recruitment-and-Retraining-England.pdf

National Audit Office. (2025, April 30). Teacher workforce: Secondary and further education. https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/teacher-workforce-secondary-and-further-education-summary.pdf

The Guardian. (2025, March 13). Teacher vacancy rates at record high in England, report finds. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/mar/13/teacher-vacancy-rates-record-high-england-report

Colin Lightfoot is a content writer for Learn Science Together. He is a medical and science writer with a BSc in Biomedical Science and an MSc in Infection and Immunity. With several years of experience producing evidence-based content across medical and educational fields, he brings both analytical insight and a deep commitment to improving science communication. Currently preparing to begin teacher training, Colin offers a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities within science education in England.