Challenges faced by teachers are amplified in areas of high socio-economic deprivation
A key finding from The Science Teaching Survey 2023
We use Free School Meals (FSM) eligibility as an indicator of deprivation: schools with more than 30% of pupils eligible for FSM are deemed to have high levels of socio-economic deprivation within their student population. Free school meals data is not available in Ireland, so these comparisons apply only to our respondents from the UK.
Responses have been presented for mainstream state secondary schools which includes non-fee paying local authority, community, foundation, Education and Training Board schools (in Ireland), academy, grammar and selective schools.
Challenges in the classroom
Common classroom challenges among all teachers include:
- challenging student behaviour
- limited literacy and numeracy skills of students
- student attendance
- a lack of classroom support (teaching assistants, for example).
These challenges are cited more frequently by teachers in schools within areas of high socio-economic deprivation.
Please detail why you regard your school as being in challenging circumstances:
"Noticeable decline in behaviour of learners (for learning and general conduct) since the pandemic."
Teacher, England
"High levels of deprivation and lack of opportunities for further education nearby ... Many pupils also arrive in school in the first year at a lower level than would be expected: this impacts across literacy and numeracy and all subjects."
Teacher, Scotland
"Significant cohort of students with learning difficulties, poor literacy, poor numeracy, English not first language, social and emotional difficulties, behavioural difficulties. School catchment with poor socioeconomic status"
Teacher, Republic of Ireland
| UK | England only | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30% FSM or above | Less than 30% FSM | 30% FSM or above | Less than 30% FSM | |
| Challenging student behaviour | 75% | 65% | 74% | 65% |
| Limited literacy skills of students | 75% | 50% | 73% | 47% |
| Limited numeracy skills of students | 69% | 48% | 67% | 43% |
| Student attendance | 73% | 47% | 71% | 45% |
| Insufficient classroom support, e.g. no teaching assistants | 57% | 46% | 57% | 46% |
| Insufficient classroom equipment, incl. textbooks | 34% | 33% | 34% | 32% |
| No technician/not enough technicians | 28% | 23% | 28% | 21% |
| Insufficient lab access | 20% | 18% | 21% | 20% |
| Inadequate teaching resources (lesson plans/scheme of work) | 17% | 14% | 14% | 14% |
| Teaching outside of specialism | 14% | 14% | 18% | 15% |
| Lack of confidence in the subject area | 5% | 5% | 5% | 6% |
| Not enough classroom time to cover the curriculum content | 4% | 8% | 0% | 2% |
| Not enough time outside of classroom (for planning/marking and/or assessment) | 1% | 1% | 0% | 1% |
| Other responses | 1% | 4% | 3% | 8% |
| There are no challenges | 0% | 2% | 1% | 4% |
| Don't know/Not sure | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Total | 235 | 1294 | 203 | 1046 |
Filter: Teachers (including Heads of Department); base n = 1593
*The sample sizes for Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland were not large enough to generate statistically reliable results.
Challenges across the school
Teachers across mainstream schools told us that insufficient funding, insufficient non-contact time and understaffing of support staff were challenges that their schools faced.
In areas of high socio-economic deprivation, teachers were more likely to report:
- higher staff turnover
- inadequate support from parents, family, or guardians
- poor pupil attendance
- understaffing of teaching staff
- high staff absence.
| UK | England only | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30% FSM or above | Less than 30% FSM | 30% FSM or above | Less than 30% FSM | |
| Insufficient funding | 55% | 58% | 54% | 59% |
| High staff turnover | 42% | 25% | 42% | 26% |
| Insufficient staff non-contact time (encroachment and reallocation) | 39% | 42% | 37% | 43% |
| Lack of support to students from parent/family/guardian | 63% | 37% | 61% | 37% |
| Poor pupil attendance | 63% | 34% | 60% | 31% |
| Understaffing of teaching staff | 43% | 35% | 45% | 36% |
| Understaffing of classroom support staff | 49% | 47% | 48% | 46% |
| High staff absence | 39% | 22% | 38% | 22% |
| Insufficient support from leadership | 29% | 25% | 26% | 23% |
| Negative working environment | 24% | 18% | 22% | 17% |
| Lack of collaboration/teamwork amongst staff | 17% | 14% | 16% | 13% |
| Not enough support for inexperienced teachers | 20% | 15% | 19% | 14% |
| There are no challenges | 1% | 4% | 1% | 4% |
| Other responses | 5% | 6% | 4% | 5% |
| Don't know/Not sure | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Total | 235 | 1294 | 203 | 1046 |
Filter: Teachers (including Heads of Department); base n = 1593
*The sample sizes for Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland were not large enough to generate statistically reliable results.
When asked why they regard their school as being in challenging circumstances, some teachers said:
"Very deprived area; having to teach multiple levels in same class due to budgetary restriction not allowing separate class for each level; current Scottish government and council policy of how behaviour is managed in schools and instruction not to exclude very disruptive or aggressive pupils causes major behaviour issues which are escalating and resulting in problems for rest of pupils."
Teacher, Scotland
"Very deprived area. Incredibly low attendance of students. Low aspirations for many. Very challenging behaviour from a significant minority. Lack of parental expectations for high attendance, homework, revision, etc."
Teacher, England
Job satisfaction and well-being comparisons
There is, however, a positive narrative that comes through in the survey responses.
Despite the challenges, job satisfaction and well-being among teachers in areas of high socio-economic deprivation are the same as those in schools in less deprived areas. They also have a strong sense of social responsibility and want to impact their community positively. In our survey, half (51%) of this group of teachers cited ‘I want to give back to the community’ as a reason for choosing their school.
| UK | England only | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30% FSM or above | Less than 30% FSM | 30% FSM or above | Less than 30% FSM | |
| Convenient location | 57% | 63% | 57% | 65% |
| I want to give back to the community | 51% | 18% | 54% | 19% |
| Supportive culture | 37% | 32% | 40% | 35% |
| Career opportunities | 20% | 20% | 22% | 21% |
| School leadership | 17% | 17% | 19% | 18% |
| Post-16 provision | 15% | 23% | 17% | 26% |
| Perceived student behaviour | 12% | 32% | 13% | 34% |
| I attended the same /a similar school | 11% | 15% | 12% | 15% |
| Workload policy (marking/afterschool interventions) | 11% | 11% | 12% | 13% |
| Status/reputation of the science department | 10% | 25% | 10% | 26% |
| Lack of options/I didn’t choose/I didn’t have a choice | 10% | 8% | 8% | 5% |
| Pay | 9% | 6% | 10% | 6% |
| Other | 9% | 15% | 9% | 15% |
| Student outcomes | 7% | 17% | 8% | 18% |
| Inspection rating | 5% | 8% | 5% | 10% |
| Don’t know/not sure | 3% | 1% | 3% | 1% |
| Able to teach/work in my native language (e.g. Welsh/Gaelic/Gaidhlig/Gaeilge) | 1% | 1% | 0% | 1% |
| Not applicable | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| No response (Missing data) | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Total | 235 | 1294 | 203 | 1046 |
Filter: Teachers (including Heads of Department); base n = 1593
*The sample sizes for Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland were not large enough to generate statistically reliable results.
Thinking about where you currently work, why did you choose this school to work in?
"I am passionate about the subject and helping students achieve their potential. I wanted a job that made me feel I can make a difference not just in my classroom."
Teacher, England
What we are doing
Supporting teachers in areas of high socio-economic deprivation is a priority because we believe that everyone should have access to an excellent chemistry education. The survey insights and our additional research are helping us to address the specific needs of these teachers. We continue to review and modify the support we offer, developing new areas of support where they are needed.
Our Chemistry for All research revealed the barriers to participation in UK chemistry undergraduate study. This longitudinal study stretched over five years and was targeted at students from less advantaged backgrounds. The findings led us to set up a dedicated fund to help outreach providers modify their delivery approach. For example, we support outreach providers to build relationships with school leaders rather than rely on the enthusiasm of one or two engaged teaching staff.
We support external research, such as ASPIRES, which studies young people’s science and career aspirations.
Creating a more inclusive chemistry education for learners is a core focus of our policy work. All students – regardless of where they live, what school they go to, or their personal circumstances or characteristics – should have access to an excellent chemistry education. We communicate our messages in this area through our education policy positions and campaigns.
Some of the resources that we encourage teachers and technicians to use include:
- curated articles on behaviour management, which are available through our free magazine for teachers, Education in Chemistry
- differentiated teaching resources to maximise the learning of all students
- teacher professional development like our free Sustained Professional Development courses. We offer priority places for schools in areas of high socio-economic deprivation.
- our Leadership Mentoring programme connects teachers (prioritising those working in areas of high socio-economic deprivation) with RSC members who are experienced leaders in other sectors. It’s an invaluable resource for educators with departmental responsibilities.
Explore the full data set behind the Science Teaching Survey 2023
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