NFER report – ethnic disparities in teacher recruitment, retention and promotion

A report by the National Foundation for Education Research (NFER) has found that

teachers from a Black ethnic background were more likely than their White counterparts to report experiencing bullying and harassment, feeling undervalued by their school and cite lack of support from superiors as an important reason for considering leaving.

The teaching workforce in England does not reflect the ethnic diversity of the UK working-age population or of the pupil population that schools serve. Removing any bias in teacher recruitment, retention and promotion is essential to ensuring we have the most capable and qualified teachers.

NFER makes the following recommendations for boards:

• School and trust leaders and trustees/ governors should provide on-going support, such as mentoring, coaching and external supervision, for ethnically diverse leaders to retain them and facilitate continued growth.
• School and trust leaders should proactively engage with inclusivity training and professional development to improve representation and retention of ethnic minority staff.
• School and trust leaders and trustees/ governors should ensure that their schools have clear, accessible and fair policies and processes for reporting and acting on bullying and harassment. Leaders should promote work cultures that are inclusive and supportive for all staff.