New research from over 1,700 senior leaders in England, commissioned for Teaching Vacancies, shows schools are increasingly adopting fair, transparent and inclusive practices when it comes to teacher recruitment.
These changes are enabled by features built into the service. Two in five (40%) report introducing pay, salary scale or progression details in job adverts over the past two years, while more than one in three (35%) say they have increased the emphasis on wellbeing or workload support, and 21% report using blind or anonymised shortlisting.
Teaching Vacancies, the Department for Education’s official, free job‑listing service for schools, provides a range of practical tools to help schools put these approaches into practice. These include a standardised application form that can support blind review, clear salary fields to promote pay transparency, filterable working‑pattern options to highlight flexible roles, and a free applicant‑tracking system that helps schools manage shortlisting and communication.
This growing focus on transparency aligns with wider government action on fairness in employment, including new national pay‑transparency guidance published in March 2026. It also aligns with the Employment Rights Act 2025, under which employers with 250 or more employees will have the option to produce and publish a voluntary action plan from April 2026, ahead of mandatory requirements coming into force in 2027 (subject to secondary legislation).
The findings also highlight variation across phases. Secondary leaders report greater progress on flexibility (20% vs 9%) and wellbeing messaging (40% vs 32%), while nearly one in four primary leaders (24%) say their school has not yet introduced any changes. This variation reflects the differing starting points across the sector and the potential for continued shared learning.
Expert insights
Five areas where Vivienne Porritt OBE says schools are strengthening recruitment – and where further progress is possible
Vivienne Porritt OBE, Founder of WomenEd and a leading advocate for women’s leadership in education, identifies five key areas where schools are taking practical steps forwards:
1. Greater transparency in job adverts
Schools are increasingly publishing clear pay scales, outlining progression routes and using gender‑neutral language. More structured shortlisting criteria are emerging, making recruitment more consistent and easier for candidates to navigate.
2. Clearer signalling of flexible working
More schools are now highlighting part‑time roles, job‑shares and other flexible options at the point of advertising. This gives candidates greater clarity from the start and supports staff retention. Teaching Vacancies enables candidates to filter roles by working pattern.
3. Reducing barriers for women and returners
Including wellbeing and workload information helps experienced teachers – including women over 30 and those returning after career breaks – feel confident when re‑entering the profession. Clearer signposting to return‑to‑teaching guidance further supports this group.
4. More openness around pay
Transparent salary details help candidates understand what is on offer without relying on negotiation. Removing questions about a candidate’s current or previous salary is increasingly recognised as essential to preventing the perpetuation of historic pay inequalities. Schools adopting this approach assess and remunerate applicants based solely on skills and experience, rather than past earnings. Teaching Vacancies reinforces this approach through clear salary prompts.
5. Building an inclusive culture
Schools are strengthening inclusion by monitoring recruitment and retention patterns, reviewing diversity within leadership teams and ensuring development opportunities are accessible at different career stages.
A Department for Education spokesperson: “Our goal is to support schools in continuing this progress. These findings show a sector strengthening transparency, prioritising wellbeing and opening up opportunities for talented teachers. We will continue to support schools in promoting fair, inclusive and equitable recruitment practices.”
If you are a teacher looking for your next role, or a school looking to recruit excellent staff and reduce recruitment costs, visit: https://teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk
