Hiring in the UK education sector in 2025 is more complex than ever. From retention struggles to changing policy, schools and institutions must adapt to stand out. Below are key trends and actionable advice.
Where Things Stand: Recent Data & Trends
- According to the NFER Teacher Labour Market 2025 report, little progress has been made in reducing teacher workload or improving retention since 2019.
- The Teacher Tapp / SchoolDash 2025 report shows a sharp drop in teacher recruitment, particularly for secondary roles.
- Across recruitment generally, the UK job market remains active: the ONS reports the total workforce jobs (WFJ) in December 2024 at 36.9 million, up from prior quarters.
- On the education side, digital transformation and EdTech adoption are accelerating, pushing demand for staff with hybrid teaching, technology, and data skills.
- With the creation of Skills England (2025) replacing the Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education (IfATE), there’s renewed focus on aligning skills, bridging regional divides, and supporting employer-led training.
Key Hiring Challenges in UK Education
- Retention over recruitment: Teachers leave due to workload, stress, pay stagnation, and career path confusion. Simply posting more ads is not enough.
- Recruitment in “hard to fill” areas: STEM, SEN, leadership, and rural schools often struggle.
- Competition with other sectors: Professionals with similar qualifications (e.g. data, project management) may opt for private or tech roles with higher pay.
- Slow hiring cycles and bureaucracy: School boards, committees, and budgets complicate rapid hiring.
- Geographical and regional disparity: Some areas (London, southeast) attract more applicants; others (deprived, rural) suffer chronic shortages.
Best Practices & Strategies for Schools & Recruiters
- Promote value beyond salary
- Emphasize professional development, supportive culture, hybrid flexibility, and mission-driven impact.
- Streamline hiring process
- Reduce administrative delays, make decisions faster, and eliminate unnecessary steps.
- Leverage data & candidate intelligence
- Use data to anticipate turnover, identify candidate propensity, and refine sourcing channels.
- Partner with educational job boards / niche platforms
- Use platforms that understand the sector’s quirks, can vet candidates, and offer tailored advertising.
- Flexible and blended roles
- Promote partially remote roles (e.g. digital curriculum planning), flexible timetables, or job shares to broaden the candidate pool.
- Train internally and build succession pipelines
- Identify promising staff, support them in leadership or specialist training, and reduce reliance on external hires.
- Differentiate your employer brand
- Showcase culture, impact, successes, and community — especially in a crowded hiring market.