National Foundation for Educational Research

Why HTQs have a strong foundation to build on Learners on pre-reform level 4/5 courses now report a real career impact. The pressure's on for HTQs to deliver

📢 New article in FE Week highlights why Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) have real potential, following research by NatCen's and @thenfer.bsky.social

Read the article: feweek.co.uk/why-htqs-hav...

Research link: natcen.ac.uk/publications...

Analysis of the latest initial teacher training (ITT) recruitment data suggests that numbers have returned to re-pandemic levels thanks to a 10 per cent increase in total applications compared to the year before.

Find out more in the article below 👇

www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Why Higher Technical Qualifications have a strong foundation to build on Research Director Suzanne Straw discusses the findings of a survey which asked learners about their level 4/5 courses, and what this means for the new Higher Technical Qualifications.

✍️ In our latest blog post, first published in @feweek.bsky.social, Suzanne Straw discusses the positive outcomes from pre-reform Level 4/5 courses, and the implications for the new Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs).

Read the post 👉 bit.ly/458e6Wy

Subscribe to NFER Direct for the latest news and research updates, direct to your inbox.

📩 The next edition of our NFER Direct e-newsletter will be published on Monday.

For a summary of the latest news and commentary from our research experts, visit bit.ly/2MyAIsP to subscribe.

New publication - The Teaching Workforce: Summary of Research

We have just published a new research summary highlighting our key teacher workforce research findings and policy recommendations from the past year.

Learn more 👉 bit.ly/4lHBzoC

New blog post - A widespread lack of specialist physics teachers persists due to recruitment and retention challenges

In a brand new feature length blog post, our Education Workforce Lead, @jackworth.bsky.social, discusses new analysis, commissioned by the @instituteofphysics.bsky.social, highlighting how the under-supply of specialist teachers is affecting secondary schools.

Read the post 👉 bit.ly/4m8dSWt

NFER response to DfE's pupil number projections data NFER Senior Economist Michael Scott has responded to the latest DfE pupil projections data, which forecast a substantial decline in the number of pupils in state funded schools.

🗣️“The latest projections suggest a larger decline in state-funded pupil numbers than expected last year, with 85,000 fewer pupils expected by 2028.”

Our Senior Economist Michael Scott responds to the latest annual pupil projections from the Department for Education 👇

www.nfer.ac.uk/press-releas...

"NFER is a great choice" - Mr Tullett, Deputy Head at Long Ridings Primary.

Read how NFER Tests transformed their assessment approach, since 2016, by building teacher confidence, improving outcomes, and embedding rigour across the school 👉 www.nfer.ac.uk/for-schools/...

Fifteen years of free schools – and better outcomes for pupils? Andrew Smith discusses new research with the Manchester Metropolitan University on the effectiveness of free schools.

📝 *NEW BLOG POST*

Senior Evaluation Analyst, Andrew Smith, discusses our latest research with @manmetuni.bsky.social, which examined the impact of secondary free schools on pupil outcomes over the past decade and a half.

Read the blog 👉 bit.ly/3GOrdnI

15 years of free schools: do they deliver better outcomes? With the government having paused the opening of any more free schools, a new study shows that they have a positive impact on attainment, says report author Andrew Smith

The government has paused the opening of any more free schools, but do they improve student attainment? @thenfer.bsky.social’s Andrew Smith shares the findings of his latest research

New research report - Do free schools increase opportunities and reduce disparities in economic and social outcomes?

Graph highlighting the impact of free schools on absence at KS3.

Graph highlighting the impact of free schools on absence at KS4.

Our latest research, conducted in partnership with
@manmetuni.bsky.social, has suggested that secondary free schools have had a positive impact on pupil absence, particularly at Key Stage 4.

Learn more 👉 bit.ly/44txlJO

New research report - Do free schools increase opportunities and reduce disparities in economic and social outcomes?

🆕 Our latest research, in partnership with @manmetuni.bsky.social, and funded by @ukri.org, suggests that secondary free schools in England have had a positive impact on pupil outcomes.

Find out more 👉 bit.ly/44txlJO

We have recently been working with @manmetuni.bsky.social on @ukri.org funded research exploring the impact of secondary free schools on pupil outcomes.

The findings from this research will be published first thing tomorrow. Look out for updates on our website and social media channels.

“Addressing the teacher supply challenges in secondary and further education requires a strategic and targeted approach to improving the attractiveness of the teaching profession in key subjects and particularly in disadvantaged areas. NFER’s research echoes the importance of building a strategy around the key factors for recruitment and retention raised in this report, including teacher workload, pupil behaviour, a lack of access to flexible working arrangements and teacher pay and incentives.” Jack Worth, Education Workforce Lead

Our Education Workforce Lead, @jackworth.bsky.social, has has given his reaction to the House of Commons Public Committee report on teacher numbers in secondary and further education, published today.

Read the full quote 👉 bit.ly/3TuIHIB

Education and employment trajectories into the tech workforce NFER is undertaking research to investigate education and employment trajectories into the tech workforce on behalf of the Hg Foundation.

🗣️ Get involved with NFER Research 🗣️

We're currently looking for tech employers and those who recruit for tech roles to complete a brief survey on recent hiring trends, as part of research looking into employment and education trajectories with The HG Foundation.

More info 👉 bit.ly/4l5J9sS

New NFER study to explore early years workforce challenges A new study will explore the key challenges facing the early years workforce in England.

We are conducting new analysis which will explore the key challenges facing the early years workforce in England.

The analysis will provide a detailed overview of the state of early years workforce supply, recruitment and retention.

Find out more 👇

www.nfer.ac.uk/press-releas...

Hello from a very sunny Festival of Education! ☀️

We’re a part of three sessions over the next couple of days, further information is available at bit.ly/4k9lnev

Our @nferclassroom.bsky.social team will also be available for all your questions on both days at Stand D17, opposite the chapel.

An education for the future: a blueprint for a different curriculum Thursday 3 July | 12.45pm | Venue 2 Hosted by the National Education Union, and featuring our Co-head of Policy and Practice, Jude Hillary Professional learning and teacher agency to improve recruitment and retention Thursday 3 July | 12.45pm | Venue 3 Hosted by the Chartered College of Teaching, and featuring our School Workforce Lead, Jack Worth Barriers to progression and retention for ethnic minority teachers Friday 4 July | 12.45pm | Venue 11 Hosted by NFER Research Managers, Katherine Aston and Juliet Kyoshabire Kotonya

We are pleased to be a part of three sessions at this year's
@educationfest.bsky.social - Details in the image below 👇

Our @nferclassroom.bsky.social team will also be at Stall D17. Come and say hello! 👋

More info 👉 bit.ly/4k9lnev #EducationFest

Do retention payments for early career teachers work? Jack Worth discusses new analysis of the impact early career retention payments (ECRPs) on teacher retention.

Retention payments for early career teachers may help, but the evidence is mixed.

This is the conclusion of our new analysis funded by
@nuffieldfoundation.org

Read @jackworth.bsky.social's blog on the new findings 👇

bit.ly/4liHKQ5

In the latest edition of NFER Direct: • Do retention payments for early career teachers work? • How can we begin to address pupil absence? • Details of our recent international work

📩 The latest edition of NFER Direct should now be in your inbox, and it features:

🟣 New research on tackling ethnic disparities in teaching
🟣 Details of our sessions at next week's
@educationfest.bsky.social

and much more...

Subscribe to future editions 👉 bit.ly/2MyAIsP

Earlier today, @theeef.bsky.social published our evaluation of 1stClass@Number 1, a small group intervention developed by
the Every Child Counts (ECC) team at Edge Hill University, targeted at Year 2 children experiencing moderate difficulties in maths.

More info 👇

bit.ly/3FWI73n

Impact of teacher retention payments ‘far from conclusive’ Financial incentives aimed at keeping teachers in the job have less impact than previously thought, according to NFER research

The evidence that teacher retention payments keep staff in the job is ‘far from conclusive', according to @thenfer.bsky.social‬ research

“This useful research suggests that while there may be some benefits to these payments, the evidence is far from conclusive. We agree with NFER that the government needs to develop wider recruitment & retention strategies."

@thenfer.bsky.social analysis of ECT retention payments: ow.ly/3eBc50WfoZi

The impact of early career retention payments on teacher retention This evaluation, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, explores the impact of five early career retention payment schemes, piloted since 2018, on teacher retention in England.

Read the full report 👇

bit.ly/45HSqTk

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New blog post - Do retention payments for early career teachers work?

✍️ Do retention payments for early career teachers work?

In our latest blog, @jackworth.bsky.social discusses the findings of a new report that explores the effectiveness of five different government schemes.

Read the post 👉 bit.ly/4liHKQ5

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🚨 We will be publishing new analysis, funded by @nuffieldfoundation.org, exploring the effectiveness of five different early career retention payment schemes tomorrow.

Keep an eye on our website and social media channels for the latest updates.

📅 A number of our research experts will be involved with sessions at this year's Festival of Education, which takes place at Wellington College next Thursday & Friday.

Our @nferclassroom.bsky.social team will also be in attendance at Stall D17.

More info 👉 bit.ly/4k9lnev #EducationFest

Making sense of education in your constituency Director of Communications Maddie Wheeler outlines how our updated teacher recruitment and retention in England data dashboard helps you to make sense of education in your constituency.

A new blog from our Director of Communications @madswheeler.bsky.social outlines how our newly-updated teacher recruitment and retention in England data dashboard can help you to make sense of education in your constituency. ✍️

www.nfer.ac.uk/blogs/making...

💛 It’s Thank a Teacher Day – and we’re taking a moment to say thank you.

To every teacher making a difference: your work matters.

📽️ We’re resharing our animation today as a small reminder of the impact you make.

www.nfer.ac.uk/for-schools/...

#ThankATeacherDay #NFERClassroom #TeachersMatter

Voices from the Classroom - Understanding how secondary schools support pupils returning from absence This study looks at the increasingly complex challenge of maintaining high levels of pupil attendance, particularly in mainstream secondary schools. It aimed to understand what schools with good or im...

To learn more about this research project, visit bit.ly/4c0rq2g

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