There are “significant disparities” in the career progression of non-white teachers and their counterparts, new research released today suggests.
It reveals that the most significant ethnic disparities in teacher career progression happen during early career stages, especially in postgraduate initial teacher training (ITT).
The National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) report highlights how applicants from white ethnic backgrounds have higher acceptance rates to ITT courses than every other ethnic group.
And it found that all ethnic groups except white are under-represented at every stage of the teaching profession, apart from during initial teacher training (ITT) applications.
The study found that acceptance rates onto teacher training courses were 9 percentage points lower for applicants from mixed-ethnicity backgrounds, 13 percentage points lower for applicants from Asian backgrounds and 21 percentage points lower for applicants from black and other minority-ethnic backgrounds compared with acceptance rates for white applicants.
This is despite data suggesting that teacher training applicants from Asian, black and other minority-ethnic backgrounds are “over-represented” when they apply.
The report said this suggests that, while “there is no shortage of interest in joining the profession among these groups”, this is not mirrored in the make-up of trainees on teaching courses.
Teachers from black, Asian and other minority-ethnic backgrounds were found to be under-represented at every stage of the profession onwards, from newly qualified teachers through to headteachers, compared to their representation in the general population in 2021.
The disparity is most pronounced at senior leadership levels and headship levels, with most heads (96 per cent) coming from white backgrounds, compared with 83 per cent of the wider population.
In contrast, minority-ethnic groups other than white are under-represented among headteachers by 60 per cent in the mixed ethnic group, 75 per cent in the black ethnic group, 83 per cent in the Asian ethnic group and 88 per cent in the other ethnic group, compared with their proportions in the wider population.
The report did find, however, that teachers from Asian, black and minority-ethnic backgrounds are “more likely to be promoted to middle leadership positions than their white counterparts”.
But it also found that this was ”largely driven by the fact that teachers from minority-ethnic backgrounds are more concentrated in London and in secondary schools than their white counterparts, where rates of promotion into middle leadership are higher for teachers from all ethnic groups”.
After taking account of differences in their characteristics (especially region and phase), NFER found that “teachers from Asian, black and other ethnic backgrounds are significantly less likely to be promoted to middle leadership than their white counterparts”.
The research also revealed that ethnic disparities in teacher retention rates are smaller in schools with diverse school leadership teams and larger in schools with all-white leadership teams.
The research was commissioned by the working party to advance racial equality in the school workforce, founded by Ambition Institute, The Chartered College of Teaching (CCT), The Confederation of School Trusts (CST) and Teach First.
Djamila Boothman, an assistant headteacher from London who joined Teach First in 2015, said, as a black teacher, she had “definitely noticed a lack of other ethnic-minority teachers” throughout her career.
She believes that the “lack of ethnic representation” in the profession “can be challenged at the initial stages”.
”Teacher training providers need to be very careful to protect characteristics and avoid prejudice. It isn’t always relevant to know an applicant’s name, gender, age or ethnicity before shortlisting trainee teacher applicants - what’s important is their abilities.”
‘ITT providers should review processes’
The report said that ITT providers should review their application and selection processes to pinpoint the causes of lower acceptance rates for applicants from minority-ethnic backgrounds and act to address any inequalities.
It also suggests ITT providers should publish institutional data on diversity and how they are acting to address disparities.
The NFER suggested that the government should collect data not only on representation in the profession but also on progression from one stage of a teaching career to the next.
While there are more teachers from non-white backgrounds in London, the report revealed that “the gaps between the rates of promotion to senior leadership of middle leaders from black ethnic backgrounds and their white counterparts are significantly wider in London than they are nationally”.
The report says this is “particularly important” given demographic differences between regions - 62 per cent of teachers from black ethnic backgrounds work in London, compared to 11 per cent of teachers from white backgrounds.
Impact on pupils
The NFER said that pupils in English state schools have a “high probability” of never being taught by a teacher who is not white.
The report found that six in 10 English state schools have an all-white teaching staff, while in primary schools nearly seven in 10 (69 per cent) have only white teachers.
Ms Boothman said she was aware of how this lack of diversity in the teaching force can affect pupils, explaining that “it’s not uncommon for students of a similar ethnic background to me to say that I remind them of themselves and how much more connected they feel to me”.
Teaching workforce ‘does not reflect wider society’
Co-author and NFER’s school workforce lead, Jack Worth, said the report shows that the current workforce does not reflect the “ethnic makeup of wider society” and “opportunities to enter and progress” within the sector “are not equal”.
Mr Worth added that the evidence in the report “adds detailed and analytical insights into where ethnic disparities in progression within the teacher career pipeline are greatest”. He said this will “support the sector to make improvements and lasting changes in the areas where they are most needed”.
Sufian Sadiq, director of Teaching School, Chiltern Learning Trust, said addressing the “racial disparities” within the profession is “not only a moral imperative, but increasingly necessary if we want to tackle teacher supply problems, and ensure every child has a qualified teacher standing before them”.
Mr Sadiq added that the number of applicants from minority-ethnic communities showed “the issues and challenges” in diversity are “systemic”, and ”not down to a lack of interest or something we can shift onto those from under-represented groups”.
Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU teaching union, said: “At a time when black teachers, especially in senior positions, are so under-represented, it is unacceptable that the pipeline to teaching careers is blighted with racial disparities.”
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “It makes uncomfortable reading to learn that, despite a very clear and obvious interest in becoming teachers from people from Asian, black or other minority-ethnic backgrounds, there is a significant drop in acceptance rates when they apply for postgraduate ITT courses.
“There is obviously something wrong when figures show that acceptance rates for black candidates onto ITT courses are 21 per cent lower than for their white counterparts. There is still clearly more work to be done in making acceptance into teaching a level playing field for all applicants.”
