Investigating the recruitment and retention of ethnic minority teachers, and its relationship to school outcomes
Lead Research Organisation:
Durham University
Department Name: Education
Abstract
England has the most ethnically diverse population in the United Kingdom, and the schools are no different. While it is estimated that 31% of the student population is from ethnic minority background, the majority of school leaders (93%), teachers and teaching assistants (86%), and other staff (87%) are White British by ethnic background. Addressing this mismatch between the teacher workforce and student populations matters for several reasons:
It can help address the low attainment of ethnic minority pupils, and second to create a more inclusive and diverse school community that reflects the wider society. In national exams, such as the GCSE in England, the lowest attaining pupils are the Gypsy/Roma and Irish travellers, followed by those from Black Carribbean background (DfE 2021). International evidence suggests that exposure to teachers from a similar race/ethnicity provides minority ethnic students with a role model that can help raise their aspiration and close the achievement gap. There is also evidence that increasing the proportion of minority teachers in schools also leads to increased representation of ethnic minority students in gifted programmes, reduced exclusion and lower drop-out rates.
Minority ethnic teachers bring different perspectives and life experiences, exposing our children to cultural diversity, which reflects the languages, cultures and ethnic background of the local community and society at large. To foster a diverse and inclusive society, it is imperative that staff of ethnic minority heritage should be represented across our schools, regardless of the demography of the school population, as this brings a rich cultural diversity to the school community, and fosters better understanding and tolerance among different groups of children.
There is currently no robust comprehensive research into understanding how we could raise the number of ethnic minority teachers in schools. Previous research tended to be small-scale or based on case studies, which are reliant on the evidence of a self-selected group of individuals. Such findings can be biased as they are based on the voices of volunteers. This new study will:
1. Map the demographic trends of recruitment and retention of minority ethnic teachers and pupils in England (for which good quality data is available) over the past 10 years. This will give us a clearer picture of the growth of minority ethnic student population vis-a-vis that of teaching staff
2. Establish the relationship between the ethnic composition of the teaching staff and the attainment of ethnic minority pupils at KS2 and KS4,
3. Examine the factors that influence the supply and attrition of ethnic minority teachers from international research that is relevant to England
4. Identify the barriers to recruiting and retaining ethnic minority teachers in schools in England
5. Identify those factors that facilitate the recruitment and retention of ethnic minority teachers in schools in England
6. Determine promising approaches from international evidence to attracting and recruiting ethnic minority teachers, relevant to England
7. Make recommendations for policy and practice on best practice and effective programmes to adopt
The study will analyse official government data from the School Workforce Census. UCAS and the NPD. It will systematically review and synthesise international evidence on effective measures to attract and retain teachers. It will also conduct a nationwide survey on barriers and facilitators faced by schools in recruiting and retaining teachers. This will be supplemented by in-depth case studies of schools that have been known to be effective in recruiting and retaining ethnic minority staff.
The research themes together will provide a more complete and holistic understanding of the issue relating to the supply and retention of ethnic minority teachers in England.
It can help address the low attainment of ethnic minority pupils, and second to create a more inclusive and diverse school community that reflects the wider society. In national exams, such as the GCSE in England, the lowest attaining pupils are the Gypsy/Roma and Irish travellers, followed by those from Black Carribbean background (DfE 2021). International evidence suggests that exposure to teachers from a similar race/ethnicity provides minority ethnic students with a role model that can help raise their aspiration and close the achievement gap. There is also evidence that increasing the proportion of minority teachers in schools also leads to increased representation of ethnic minority students in gifted programmes, reduced exclusion and lower drop-out rates.
Minority ethnic teachers bring different perspectives and life experiences, exposing our children to cultural diversity, which reflects the languages, cultures and ethnic background of the local community and society at large. To foster a diverse and inclusive society, it is imperative that staff of ethnic minority heritage should be represented across our schools, regardless of the demography of the school population, as this brings a rich cultural diversity to the school community, and fosters better understanding and tolerance among different groups of children.
There is currently no robust comprehensive research into understanding how we could raise the number of ethnic minority teachers in schools. Previous research tended to be small-scale or based on case studies, which are reliant on the evidence of a self-selected group of individuals. Such findings can be biased as they are based on the voices of volunteers. This new study will:
1. Map the demographic trends of recruitment and retention of minority ethnic teachers and pupils in England (for which good quality data is available) over the past 10 years. This will give us a clearer picture of the growth of minority ethnic student population vis-a-vis that of teaching staff
2. Establish the relationship between the ethnic composition of the teaching staff and the attainment of ethnic minority pupils at KS2 and KS4,
3. Examine the factors that influence the supply and attrition of ethnic minority teachers from international research that is relevant to England
4. Identify the barriers to recruiting and retaining ethnic minority teachers in schools in England
5. Identify those factors that facilitate the recruitment and retention of ethnic minority teachers in schools in England
6. Determine promising approaches from international evidence to attracting and recruiting ethnic minority teachers, relevant to England
7. Make recommendations for policy and practice on best practice and effective programmes to adopt
The study will analyse official government data from the School Workforce Census. UCAS and the NPD. It will systematically review and synthesise international evidence on effective measures to attract and retain teachers. It will also conduct a nationwide survey on barriers and facilitators faced by schools in recruiting and retaining teachers. This will be supplemented by in-depth case studies of schools that have been known to be effective in recruiting and retaining ethnic minority staff.
The research themes together will provide a more complete and holistic understanding of the issue relating to the supply and retention of ethnic minority teachers in England.
Organisations
Publications
Gorard S
(2024)
Why are Ethnic Minority Teacher Paid Differently in England: A Preliminary Analysis of the School Workforce Census
in International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science
Gorard S
(2023)
The Ethnic Proportionality of Teachers and Students and the Link to School-Level Outcomes
in Education Sciences
Gorard S
(2023)
The disproportionality of ethnic minority teachers in England: trends, patterns, and problems
in Routledge Open Research
Gorard S
(2023)
The disproportionality of ethnic minority teachers in England: trends, patterns, and problems
in Routledge Open Research
| Description | The link between the ethnicity of teachers and students in England: what is the evidence so far? Outline methods We have conducted three structured reviews of existing worldwide evidence - on the impact of ethnic disproportionality between staff and students (on attainment and wider outcomes), the barriers to hiring and retaining minority ethnic staff, and the most promising policies and interventions to improve the situation. We have analysed 11 years of the School Workforce Census (SWC) looking at the status, distribution, retention, promotion, and pay of teachers in each ethnic group. We also linked SWC to the National Pupil Database, to use the ethnic congruence of staff and students in models of attainment and exclusions from school. We conducted a national survey of serving teachers, looking at the factors influencing retention at school, and in the profession, to see how important ethnicity was as a factor. We also interviewed teachers as a follow up, where their responses were interesting. We are currently conducting case studies of schools with differing retention rates for minority ethnic staff, and interviewing a range of stakeholders. We are completing the final review, and cleaning HESA/UCAS data to look more carefully at differential success in ITT. Summary of findings In general, the existing and prior evidence on this topic has tended to be weak and partial. Very little of the prior work offers evidence of a causal, or even correlational in nature. Much of it is simply descriptive (even anecdotal), and tends to focus on the US, where the situation is very different. Level of disproportion in England Overall, there are fewer minority ethnic teachers in England, as a proportion, than minority ethnic pupils. This is especially so in London, where minority ethnic pupils are actually in a majority overall. Across England, all ethnic groups other than White British and Black Caribbean have many fewer teachers than might be expected. The situation for school leaders is even more extreme. Likely impacts of disproportion Overall, the disproportion means that many minority ethnic students will never encounter a teacher, much less a leader, of the same ethnic origin. This is especially true in the North East of England, and less so in London where there are so many more minority ethnic teachers (just not as many as there are students). This lack of congruence might influence student (and staff) enjoyment of school and aspirations. The main predictors of attainment at Key Stage 2 (KS2) and Key Stage 4 (KS4) are prior attainment, SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) and FSM status. There is no clear relationship between the ethnic congruence of teacher and students, and differential attainment, after accounting for other factors. If any impact is noted, it is chiefly for disadvantaged students, some ethnicities (Black in the US), and in some subjects. In England, there is even some evidence of a negative impact from ethnic congruence on attainment. Perhaps having staff and students with matching first languages is more important. On the other hand, there are small but consistent links in the US between staff:student ethnic congruence and some school processes and wider outcomes. This may be linked to staff diversity, more so than precise congruence. Where exact matching or proportionality is not feasible, training teachers in multicultural, inclusive, and special education may have similar benefits. There is a clear link between congruence and student attendance at school, especially for US Black and Latinx students. Similarly, there is a link between teacher expectations/attitudes towards minority ethnic students and ethnic congruence. Ethnic matching is associated with a higher likelihood of enrolment in advanced courses and gifted programmes. There is no clear link between ethnic matching and improved staff:student relationships. There is no clear link between congruence and disciplinary outcomes like exclusions (although are some indications of differences in type of punishment in some studies). In England, there may even be a small negative link. At both KS2 and KS4, permanent exclusion from school is primarily associated with pupils' special educational needs or disabilities. There is no obvious racial element. The pipeline of supply Admissions to ITT In the US especially, entry qualifications and admissions criteria for teacher training programmes can be barriers for ethnic minority candidates, who tend to score lower on standardised tests and admissions requirements. Alternative certification pathways show mixed results, but some specific programmes with targeted support have been effective in recruiting and retaining ethnic minority teachers. Financial factors, like the cost of training, can be a deterrent for ethnic minority candidates. But financial incentives are not a major determinant specific to ethnic minority teacher recruitment compared to other teachers. In England, for whatever reason, acceptance to ITT is markedly lower for minority ethnic applicants. There is an obvious shortage of applicants. [In progress] Recruitment to schools In the US, minority ethnic candidates tend to have lower academic entry qualifications and perform worse on teacher certification tests. Principals are more likely to hire teachers of the same race/ethnicity. And this is also linked to the diversity of the student body (schools in areas with high minority ethnic students are more likely to have minority ethnic leaders). In England, serving minority ethnic teachers are somewhat attracted to schools with a student mix and school leaders of the same ethnicity, or diversity. But this is a relatively minor issue compared to convenience, student discipline, and other "hygiene" factors. Pay Black African and Black Caribbean teachers in England tend to be paid more than average. Chinese and Pakistani teachers tend to be paid less than average. However, these salary variations between ethnic groups of classroom teachers can largely be explained by other factors (age, region, qualifications). The reasons why teachers of different ethnicities teach in particular phases and regions may be part of the explanation for overall disparities. Promotion Classroom teachers were more likely to want to leave than teachers in promoted positions, regardless of ethnicity. There is some evidence of greater turnover among minority ethnic teachers. [In progress] Retention Working conditions and administrative support are important for the retention of all teachers, but there is no clear evidence that these factors affect minority ethnic teachers differently. Financial incentives are not a major factor specific to ethnic minority teacher retention compared to other teachers. Their impact is temporary anyway. Professional development, mentoring, and induction support can improve retention, though evidence is mixed on whether effects are stronger for minority ethnic teachers. The biggest and most important factor across all groups is work-related stress. This is linked by respondents to a good school leadership team that values staff and avoids unreasonable demands. In England. teachers generally report that their schools are welcoming and inclusive places, with very little experience of overt racism. Arab, Bangladeshi, Black African, Black Caribbean, Pakistani, Indian and Chinese teachers are more likely to report plans to leave teaching compared to White British teachers, when controlling for other factors. Ethnic minority teachers are more likely to stay in schools with higher proportions of ethnic minority students. Principal congruence also has some relevance. There are some suggestions that implicit bias and discrimination may affect recruitment and retention, but strong causal evidence is lacking. There is evidence from the US that anti-bias training works for school leaders. Studies need to distinguish better between reasons for moving schools, and for leaving the profession altogether. Work-life balance, workload, and workplace stress are more linked to leaving teaching altogether. Factors that are easier to alter by merely changing school include wanting a school with ethnic diversity students/staff, not in a deprived area, or having high attainment. What are the most promising approaches to recruiting/retaining minority ethnic staff? [In progress] Other findings of interest Bangladeshi and Pakistani students tend to be the most clustered in schools with other ethnic minority students, both in primary and secondary schools. These groups, along with Traveller, Black Caribbean, and Black African students, are also the most clustered in schools in terms of FSM-eligibility. Chinese and Indian students attend the least segregated schools in terms of most indicators of possible disadvantage, except for English as a second or additional language. Implications/suggestions for policy and practice so far Overall, the evidence suggests that disproportion matters, and should be addressed by policy and practice. Having a diverse staff in schools may be more important or relevant than the precise congruence of staff and students. The same would be true for diversity of students. So, anything that can be done to prevent ethnic segregation of staff or students between schools should be done. Where exact matching or proportionality is not feasible, better training of teachers in multicultural, inclusive, and special education may have similar benefits. School leaders can take genuine bias training, which has been found to be effective. New, more detailed, research is needed on why minority ethnic teachers in England are less successful in admission to ITT than others. And once the most promising approaches to unblocking the pipeline have been identified these need to be robustly tested in England, and the successful ones promoted wider. Publications Papers in review Gorard, S., Gao, Y., Tereshchenko, A., Siddiqui, N., See, BH and Demie, F. (2025) Investigating the impact of student:teacher ethnic congruence on school attainment outcomes: an international review of evidence, Cogent Education, sent 15/10/24 Gorard, S. (2025) Why does research evidence have so little impact on education policy?, ERP Policy Briefing Papers published Gorard, S., Gao, Y., See, BH, Tereshchenko, A., Siddiqui, N. and Demie, F. (2025) What helps to attract minority ethnic teachers in England?: Results from a national survey, Review of Education Studies, 5, 1 Gorard, S., Tereshchenko, A., Gao, Y., See, BH, Siddiqui, N. and Demie, F. (2025) The impact of student:teacher ethnic congruence on student treatment and relationships at school: an international review of evidence, Review of Education Studies, 5, 1, https://doi.org/10.71002/res.v5n1p9 Gorard, S., Siddiqui, N., See, BH and Gao, Y. (2025) Do school exclusions and attainment outcomes disproportionately impact pupils from ethnic origins? Analysis of pupil characteristics, segregation, and outcomes in England, Education Sciences, 15, 1, https://t.co/AuMni3GkuL See, BH, Gorard, S., Gao, Y., Hitt, L., Demie, F., Tereshchenko, A., Siddiqui, N. and el Soufi, N. (2024) Factors related to the recruitment and retention of ethnic minority teachers: What are the barriers and facilitators?, Review of Education, https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.70005 Gorard, S., Gao, Y., Siddiqui, N. and See, BH (2024) Why are ethnic minority teacher paid differently in England: a preliminary analysis of the School Workforce Census, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2024.803318S Gorard, S., Siddiqui, N., See, B., Tereschenko, A. and Demie, F. (2023) Ethnic proportionality of teachers and students, and the link to school-level outcomes, Education Sciences, 13, 8, 838, Education Sciences | Free Full-Text | The Ethnic Proportionality of Teachers and Students and the Link to School-Level Outcomes (mdpi.com) Gorard, S., Chen, W., Tan, Y., Gazmuri, C., See, BH, Tereshchenko, A, Demie, F. and Siddiqui, N. (2023) The disproportionality of ethnic minority teachers in England: trends, patterns, and problems, Routledge Open Research, The disproportionality of ethnic minority ... | Routledge Open Research Working papers Gorard, S., Gao, Y., See, B., Tereschenko, A., Siddiqui, N. and Demie, F. (2024) A national survey of teacher views of their jobs and profession: the role of ethnicity, DECE Working Paper, Survey_Descriptive results.pdf - Google Drive See, BH, Gorard, S., Gao, Y., Hitt, L., Demie, F., Tereshchenko, A., Siddiqui, N. and el Soufi, N. (2024) Improving the recruitment and retention of ethnic minority teachers: What is the evidence on the best approach?, Working Paper, Ethnic Minority Review 1 paper 150724.pdf - Google Drive Gorard, S., Gao, Y., Tereshchenko, A., Siddiqui, N., See, BH and Demie, F. (2024) Investigating the impact of student:teacher ethnic congruence on attainment outcomes: an international review of evidence, Working Paper, Review 3 attainment paper.pdf - Google Drive See, BH, Gorard, S., Gao, Y., Hitt, L., Demie, F., Tereshchenko, A., Siddiqui, N. and el Soufi, N. (2024) A review of factors influencing the recruitment and retention of ethnic minority teachers, DECE Working paper, Ethnic Minority Review 1 160424.pdf - Google Drive Gorard, S., Gao, Y., See, B., Tereschenko, A., Siddiqui, N. and Demie, F. (2024) A national survey of teacher views of their jobs and profession: the role of ethnicity, DECE Working Paper, Survey_Descriptive results.pdf - Google Drive Engagement Presentations Gorard, S. (2024) Pulling together the strands of fairness in education, All Saints Group, Cambridge, March 2024 Gorard, S. (2024) Making teaching and leadership more attractive: emerging findings from the ESRC Education Research Programme, BERA 20024 Gorard, S. (2024) Hot Topic - after the election, BERA 2024 Media stories Lack of diversity in teaching in England means minority ethnic pupils miss out, BBC Radio 5 Live, 29/8/23 Lack of diversity in teaching in England means minority ethnic pupils miss out, Guardian, 29/8/23, Lack of diversity in teaching in England means minority ethnic pupils miss out | Schools | The Guardian Ethnic disparity between teachers, pupils in England, Mirage News, 29/923, Ethnic Disparity Between Teachers, Pupils in England: Study | Mirage News Ethnic disparity between teachers, pupils in England, Phys Org, 30/9/23, Ethnic disparity between teachers, pupils in England: Study (phys.org)Black headteachers in UK say pupils crying out for 'people who look like them' | Teaching | The Guardian, The Guardian, 18/10/23 Education not key factor in England school exclusions, The Guardian, 31/1/25, Ethnicity not key factor in England school exclusions, study finds | Race in education | The Guardian |
| Exploitation Route | See above |
| Sectors | Education Government Democracy and Justice |
| Description | More engagement so far. See outcomes. |
| Description | ESRC Festival of Social Science |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of early results at FoSS event for general publci |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Lack of diversity in teaching in England means minority ethnic pupils miss out, BBC Radio 5 Live, 29/8/23 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | BBC5 Live interview |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |