A parliamentary committee has put out a call for evidence as it launched a new inquiry into recruitment, training and retention in English state schools, Schools Week reports.
The education committee investigation comes as schools across the country are struggling to recruit, with vacancies in 2021 at the highest rate recorded.
Recruitment of trainees is also proving difficult with the Government missing its secondary teacher targets by 41 per cent last year.
A poor recruitment picture in state schools can be reflected in the independent sector, as there are fewer staff to go around, even though independent schools can often offer better working conditions and sometimes higher pay.
Helen Pike, master of Magdalen College School in Oxford recently suggested that independent schools could help boost recruitment and retention in both sectors by becoming training schools.
Robin Walker, chair of the committee, said: “It is imperative that we take a comprehensive and nuanced look at the difficulties in recruiting and retaining qualified teachers.
“We must urgently identify solutions to ensure pupils receive consistent and quality teaching, and that teachers feel supported in their roles.”
In an effort to boost teacher supply, the Department for Education (DfE) last year raised bursaries and scholarships for those training in worse-hit subjects.
But current recruitment figures for the latest 2023/24 cohort of trainee teachers show little sign of improvement.
A report from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) later this week is set to underline the scale of ongoing challenges.
The call for written evidence on teacher recruitment, training and retention is now live.