Million Plus

Schools throughout the UK are struggling with an ongoing shortage of teachers – the number of applications to teaching is declining both nationally and in the region, including in areas which were previously guaranteed to recruit well, such as primary education, English and history.

However, innovation funding has been secured from the Department of Education for a new initiative led by Canterbury Christ Church University, in collaboration with five other Initial Teacher Training providers, which aims to promote teaching as a career and boost regional recruitment into the profession.

Known as the Confederation for the Education of South East Teachers (CESET), the project will work towards increased levels of recruitment and retention of teachers in the schools that face the greatest challenges with social inequality and mobility.

CESET will initially focus on designing and running new publicity and advertising campaigns for teaching in the region. The project’s subsequent aim is to collaborate over improved support for newly and recently qualified teachers, including a strong focus on developing teachers’ confidence in teaching and supporting children with special educational needs, as well as developing their subject knowledge for teaching and the quality of mentor support that they can expect to receive in their early careers.

William Stow, Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Education (interim) and project lead, said:

“This new project gives us a unique opportunity to take a long-term and collaborative approach to tackling the huge challenge that we face and invites us to do more of what we most value, which is supporting the schools in our communities that serve those with the greatest need.”