Inner city schools losing teachers
Inner city and challenging schools are disproportionably losing teachers according to a new Government funded study.
The study by Alan Smithers and Pamela Robinson, of Buckingham University’s Centre for Education and Employment Research reveals that there is a growing trend for teachers to leave under-performing schools for places in more prestigious ones with better exam results.
There is concerns that this staff loss extenuates difficult schools’ problems as the schools with the lowest grades and worst discipline struggle to keep a stable workforce.
New Education Secretary Ruth Kelly has urged schools to adopt a zero tolerance approach to school discipline.
The Department for Education also stressed that teacher numbers overall continue to rise and vacancies fall.
Liberal Democrat education spokesman Ed Davey said that the figures were evidence Government policy was failing.
Mr Davey, said: “High turnover of staff is a classic sign of failure. If you were turning around a struggling business, the first thing you would do is fix the staff problem.
“Ministers are failing to tackle the basics. Pupils need good teachers who stay long enough to get to know them. These figures show the Government has been failing our neediest children.”
