Schools struggling with teacher recruitment issues are having to use non-specialists for maths, physics and language lessons, a report has found.
The National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) said the use of non-specialist teachers in schools struggling with recruitment could have a negative impact on learning for pupils.
The research, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, found that the use of non-specialists was more prevalent in schools facing teacher supply challenges.
The findings, from a survey of senior leaders with responsibility for staffing in schools in England looking in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 academic years, found that in secondary schools where teacher recruitment was most difficult, 62% reported at least some maths lessons being taught by non-specialists.
