Tackling the STEM teacher shortage
Schools in England continue to face a longstanding shortage of STEM teachers. Initial teacher training courses in maths and physics consistently fall short of recruitment targets, and science and maths teachers leave the profession at higher rates than their peers. This results in many pupils being taught by non-specialists, affecting the quality of their education.
Gatsby has worked for over 20 years to address this challenge – particularly in physics – by funding research, supporting Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) courses, and advocating for subject-specific mentoring. Our goal is to improve the supply of specialist teachers in schools through practical, sustainable interventions.
Driving evidence-based policy
Gatsby builds a robust evidence base to support meaningful education policy change. We commission research designed to inform policymakers and senior leaders, exploring the impact of incentives, working conditions, and targeted professional development on STEM school teacher recruitment and retention. Our recommendations are grounded in rigorous analysis and real-world application.
Supporting the STEM school teacher workforce
While school teacher attrition is driven by many factors – such as workload and lack of autonomy – maths and physics teachers often face stronger financial competition from other sectors. This means that financial incentives play an important role.
Following a Gatsby report modelling early-career pay uplifts, the Department for Education piloted the Teacher Retention Payment in 2018/19 and 2019/20, offering £2,000 after-tax payments to eligible maths and physics teachers in secondary schools. Gatsby’s evaluation, led by Dr. Sam Sims and Dr. Asma Benhenda (UCL), found recipients were 23% less likely to leave the profession compared to similar teachers who didn’t receive the payment. This helped inform the government’s broader rollout of Early Career Retention payments.
To further understand and improve recruitment policies, Gatsby has worked with the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) to create statistical models that explore the relationships between subject-specific teacher pay, alternative career options, training incentives like bursaries, and the wider labour market. These models are regularly updated and provide vital cost-benefit analysis tools for policymakers.
Case Studies
Effective professional development is essential for keeping teachers in the classroom.
Gatsby has supported STEM Learning from the start, working with partners like the Association for Science Education (ASE) and Institute of Physics (IOP), to deliver subject-specific CPD – especially for early career teachers or those teaching outside their subject area.
Our 2024 survey with Teacher Tapp exposed limitations in current CPD provision, showing the need for more tailored, subject-specific support. This aligns with findings from our collaboration with the Teacher Development Trust, which explored how to strengthen the Early Career Framework.
Case Studies
Gatsby helps build a clearer picture of England’s teacher labour market by combining national datasets with real-time insights. For example, our annual report with SchoolDash and Teacher Tapp offers evidence to inform national policy, and practical tools for schools facing staffing challenges.
Our additional work with SchoolDash has explored the impact of disadvantage on teacher supply.
Case Studies
Hands-on science is vital for sparking student curiosity and preparing them for technical careers. Gatsby supports schools in delivering high-quality practical science, despite limited current projects in this area.
Our flagship report, Good Practical Science by Professor Sir John Holman, provides a clear framework for schools and policymakers to enhance practical provision and raise standards.
Case Studies
Reports & publications
What happens when you pay shortage-subject teachers more?
This report examines how a salary supplement for shortage-subject teachers in the early-years of their careers would effect retention of these teachers in secondary schools in England.
Author(s)
Sam Sims
The impact of training bursaries on teacher recruitment and retention
One of a series of reports commissioned by Gatsby to inform policy on teacher training and recruitment, looking at the impact of bursaries on teacher supply and retention.
Author(s)
Dawson McLean, Sarah Tang , Jack Worth
Teacher Recruitment and Retention 2024: An exploration of recruitment challenges in disadvantaged schools
Gatsby's annual report by Teacher Tapp and SchoolDash into the current state of the teaching profession in England.
Author(s)
Becky Allen, Iain Ford, Grainne Hallahan, Timo Hannay
Increasing the quality and quantity of science teachers in schools - eight evidence-based principles
This paper outlines eight evidence-based interventions secondary schools can use to improve their recruitment and retainment of high quality science teachers.
Author(s)
Sams Sims
Good Practical Science
The report provides recommendations for schools, policymakers, and teacher trainers to enhance practical science education.
Author(s)
The Gatsby Foundation
