Disadvantaged students hit hardest by shortage of maths teachers in England, report finds

Secondary school pupils in the most disadvantaged schools are being hit hardest by England’s maths teacher shortages, according to research.

Students from all year groups in the most disadvantaged schools are much more likely to be taught by an inexperienced teacher, a report from the Nuffield Foundation has found.

At A-level, maths students in the most disadvantaged schools are almost twice as likely to have an inexperienced teacher as in the least disadvantaged schools - 9.5 per cent versus 5.3 per cent.

Teachers who are inexperienced, or do not have a degree in maths, are more likely to teach Year 7 to Year 9 pupils than older year groups, especially in schools with more disadvantaged pupils.

There is a shortage of maths teachers in England as a result of departments losing 40 per cent of teachers during their first six years in the profession, moves to increase participation in maths for 16-18 year olds, and higher private sector wages for maths graduates, the report states.

The foundation commissioned researchers from FFT Education Datalab to examine how secondary schools have responded to this shortage of maths teachers, and the impact it has on students.

Using data from England's School Workforce Census, researchers found that schools are deploying their most well-qualified maths teachers for students taking GCSEs and A-levels.

This is partly because only 44 per cent of practising maths teachers have a degree in maths, compared with 65 per cent of English teachers with an English degree.

Almost a fifth (19 per cent) of Key Stage 3 maths teachers are inexperienced compared with 7 per cent at Key Stage 5 – and this exposure to inexperienced maths teachers earlier on risks switching pupils off maths at an age when they are forming attitudes to subjects and future choices.

Sam Sims, research fellow at FFT Education Datalab, said: "Ofsted have questioned whether the first half of secondary school are 'wasted years' for pupils. Our research shows that teacher shortages mean schools are increasingly saving their experienced, appropriately qualified maths teachers for the crucial GCSE years.

"This leaves pupils in Year 7, 8 and 9 to be taught by whoever is left. The problem is particularly stark in disadvantaged areas."

Josh Hillman, director of education at the Nuffield Foundation, said: "This research shows that many schools are struggling to allocate specialist or experienced maths teachers to younger pupils, particularly in disadvantaged areas, which could have an adverse effect on their progression in the subject and their attitudes to it.

"This is a systemic problem and not one that can be solved by individual schools where they are trying to increase the amount of maths teaching in a time of a critical shortage of maths teachers.”

He added: "The Nuffield Foundation welcomes new financial incentives to both schools and trainee teachers, but the government should also consider other aspects of teacher recruitment and retention, such as workload, working hours, and the lack of options for flexible and part-time working."

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), said: “Despite four years of warnings by NAHT the recruitment crisis continues unabated. The government is still failing to provide enough teachers for our growing school population.

“The recruitment pipeline is leaking at both ends, with insufficient numbers of newly qualified teachers coming into the system and too many experienced teachers leaving prematurely.”

Mr Whiteman called for teachers to be paid more and for school funding to be increased. “This should be the focus of all our attention, to attract and retain teachers, pay them properly, treat them well and respect their need for a proper work-life balance,” he said

A Department for Education spokesman said: "The education secretary has been clear that there are no great schools without great teachers and his top priority to make sure teaching remains an attractive and fulfilling profession.

"We are taking action to recruit talented teachers across the country - including a £30 million investment in tailored support for those schools that have greater issues with recruitment and retention than others."