The Government must not lose focus on the need to tackle a national shortage of teachers, experts have warned.
The National Foundation for Educational Research says education secretary Damian Hinds failed to address the crisis in his first Conservative party conference speech this month despite pledging to make it a 'top priority' earlier this year.
A study by the foundation warns that retaining teachers who are already in the profession is all the more important because of rising pupil numbers, shortfalls in the number of trainees and an increasing number leaving the sector.
It says both the rates of teachers leaving the profession and moving between schools have increased since 2010, resulting in school leaders having to deal with more vacancies, increasing staffing uncertainty and higher costs of recruiting replacements.
Carole Willis, chief executive of the NFER said: 'The retention and recruitment of teachers is one of the most important policy issues facing England’s education system today.
'As pupil numbers continue to rise and teacher numbers do not grow sufficiently to meet increased demand, retaining teachers in the profession must remain a top priority, particularly at a time when government recruitment targets are not being met.
'This is an issue the government cannot afford to ignore.'
