The majority of primary teachers would not consider teaching in a secondary school at some point in their career, according to a newly published Department for Education report.

Asked in a survey if they would consider teaching in a secondary school at some point, if they were supported to do so, 60 per cent of primary teachers said no.

In the survey of more than 3,000 primary teachers, only 19 per cent said they would consider teaching at a secondary school, while a further 22 per cent said they might.

The findings, from the School and College Panel Survey in 2022, were published by the DfE late last week.

Primary teachers’ concerns about secondary

In interviews conducted with 20 primary teachers from the survey panel, respondents highlighted a perception of an “us and them” culture between primary and secondary settings.

Those who took part in the survey and interviews also raised concerns about secondary settings being “more formal”, with different student attitudes and “relationships and safety concerns”.

The report also concludes that: “Teachers felt that secondary schools were more formal, with different student attitudes, relationships and safety concerns, which all acted as barriers to potential switching.”

The findings come amid falling pupil rolls - pupil numbers in state-funded primary and secondary schools peaked in 2022-23 at 7.57 million but are projected to fall year-on-year until they reach 7.14 million in 2028-29.

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Recent expert estimates revealed that the target for the recruitment of primary trainees could be missed by 12 per cent this year, while the target for secondary recruitment could be missed by 40 per cent.

Primary teachers interviewed as part of the research also said they were worried they would not be respected in a secondary setting, and that students there were less willing to learn.

Their main concerns also included a lack of subject knowledge, concerns about managing more challenging behaviour among students, exam pressures and a change in their relationship with pupils.

Some interviewees proposed that it would be beneficial for secondary job adverts to explicitly reference being open to primary school applicants.

However, some respondents did see positives in a potential switch to secondary.

Some thought it might be easier to achieve a better work-life balance in secondary because “they felt secondary teachers have more non-contact time for lesson planning, marking and other admin”.

The types of roles that primary teachers said they might be interested in if they were to move into a secondary school included pastoral roles, teaching transition years (Years 7- 8) and teaching a subject in which they had a particular interest.