Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact on teacher retention of reducing teacher timetables in schools serving disadvantaged communities.

School and trust leaders decide how best to allocate their teacher timetables.

Teacher retention is key to ensuring effective teacher supply and quality, and the department is taking action to support teachers to stay in the profession. The department has published a range of resources to help address teacher workload and wellbeing, and support schools to introduce flexible working practices.

The department is offering a Levelling Up Premium worth up to £3,000 tax-free for mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who choose to work in disadvantaged schools, including in Education Investment Areas. This will support the retention of specialist teachers in these subjects and in the schools and areas that need them most.