Schools demonstrate fairer hiring practices

New research commissioned for the DfE's Teaching Vacancies service shows schools are increasingly adopting fair, transparent and inclusive practices. 

Over 1,700 senior leaders in England replied to the survey, which showed that two in five (40%) report introducing pay, salary scale or progression details in job adverts over the past two years.

Meanwhile, 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.

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.”