[UK] Plans for £2,400 new teacher retention bonus to halt exodus

New teachers will be offered financial incentives to prevent an exodus from classrooms in England, under plans from the Labour Party set to be unveiled this week, Mirror reports.

Keir Starmer and Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson will pledge “world-class teaching for every child” in a major speech on education.

Labour will reportedly introduce a retention payment worth around £2,400 per teacher for those new to the profession.

The £50 million bonus scheme will be put in place while the existing system of incentives for teachers is simplified.

According to the party's analysis, 32 per cent or almost a third of teachers qualified in the last 11 years have since left the profession.

In June it was reported that Tory ministers had started an overseas recruitment drive in an attempt to shore up the vacancies gap and were offering £10,000 relocation fees.

The education sector is currently dealing with widespread strikes over pay and working conditions. Teachers are set to walk out of classrooms in England on Wednesday and Friday (July 5 and 7) this week.

In the speech, Ms Phillipson will reportedly say that a Labour government would reform the way teachers and schools access incentive payments. And she will pledge to simplify a messy network of payments - aimed at those in shortage subject areas such as physics and different regions of the country - into one system.

The plan will be cost-free, however, there will be a new retention payment made available for teachers completing the two-year Early Career Framework.

Labour is understood to have plans to fund the £50 million scheme through its plans to abolish tax breaks for private schools in England if it wins power at the next general election.

The party reportedly hopes that the payment provision will combat the trend of early leavers in the profession.

In addition, Labour said it will reinstate the requirement for new teachers to have or be working towards qualified teacher status.

Ms Phillipson said, "Labour's mission to break down barriers to opportunity rests on driving high and rising standards in our schools.

"To deliver a broad curriculum that's rich in knowledge and schools, we need world-class teaching for every child."

"Only Labour has the vision to re-establish teaching as a profession that is respected and valued as a skilled job which delivers for our country,” she added.

"A good retention plan is the best recruitment plan: that is why Labour will bring in qualified teacher status, simplify the complex incentive payments system and reform the early career framework to ensure every classroom has a world-class teacher".

Source: Mirror

(Quotes via original reporting)

New teachers will be offered financial incentives to prevent an exodus from classrooms in England, under plans from the Labour Party set to be unveiled this week, Mirror reports.

Keir Starmer and Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson will pledge “world-class teaching for every child” in a major speech on education.

Labour will reportedly introduce a retention payment worth around £2,400 per teacher for those new to the profession.

The £50 million bonus scheme will be put in place while the existing system of incentives for teachers is simplified.

According to the party's analysis, 32 per cent or almost a third of teachers qualified in the last 11 years have since left the profession.

In June it was reported that Tory ministers had started an overseas recruitment drive in an attempt to shore up the vacancies gap and were offering £10,000 relocation fees.

The education sector is currently dealing with widespread strikes over pay and working conditions. Teachers are set to walk out of classrooms in England on Wednesday and Friday (July 5 and 7) this week.

In the speech, Ms Phillipson will reportedly say that a Labour government would reform the way teachers and schools access incentive payments. And she will pledge to simplify a messy network of payments - aimed at those in shortage subject areas such as physics and different regions of the country - into one system.

The plan will be cost-free, however, there will be a new retention payment made available for teachers completing the two-year Early Career Framework.

Labour is understood to have plans to fund the £50 million scheme through its plans to abolish tax breaks for private schools in England if it wins power at the next general election.

The party reportedly hopes that the payment provision will combat the trend of early leavers in the profession.

In addition, Labour said it will reinstate the requirement for new teachers to have or be working towards qualified teacher status.

Ms Phillipson said, "Labour's mission to break down barriers to opportunity rests on driving high and rising standards in our schools.

"To deliver a broad curriculum that's rich in knowledge and schools, we need world-class teaching for every child."

"Only Labour has the vision to re-establish teaching as a profession that is respected and valued as a skilled job which delivers for our country,” she added.

"A good retention plan is the best recruitment plan: that is why Labour will bring in qualified teacher status, simplify the complex incentive payments system and reform the early career framework to ensure every classroom has a world-class teacher".

Source: Mirror

(Quotes via original reporting)