We are saddened to hear of the National Education Union’s (‘NEU’) decision to strike this February and March. The decision makes clear the seriousness of the challenges facing the teaching workforce, challenges resulting from underinvestment in the English education system over a decade. The issues driving this action – pay and workload – are the same issues driving the national teacher recruitment and retention crisis. Teacher shortages are most acute for schools serving the disadvantaged populations of pupils, including poorer communities and those in geographies that struggle to attract and retain talent. We know that high-quality teaching is critically linked to academic outcomes, and at a time when we see the disadvantage gap at the highest point in a decade, it’s more important than ever that we do all in our power to secure excellent teachers for every child.

We urge government to come to a fair pay agreement with the NEU, and also to get serious in tacking teacher workload, so we can attract and retain enough great teachers to serve all children and young people. Alongside this, we must do all we can to create an inclusive environment where all teachers feel able to do their best. That includes supporting parents through flexible working and support to balance work and family, and racial inclusion so our teacher population reflects the children they serve. We look forward to working with our members and others across the sector to do what’s in our power to improve conditions for teachers.