Research Digest April 2026

01 April 2026

The fifth issue of our Research Digest summarises recent reports and blogs, highlighting key findings and recommendations for policy makers and classroom practice.

Reports include:

• Investigating job roles in the further education workforce
• The Further Education Teacher Workforce in England Annual Report 2026
• The School Support Staff Workforce in England Annual Report 2026
• Can inclusion bases provide part of the solution to the SEND crisis?
• The Early Years Workforce in England Annual Report 2026
• What helps to improve teacher retention? A pathway analysis of factors affecting retention
• Securing success from start to finish: Investigating factors associated with apprenticeships withdrawal
• What should happen to teachers’ pay from 2026?
• What should STRB recommend for teachers; pay from 2026?
• Tracking attainment without a counterfactual – Lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic: A meta-method review
• Skills Imperative 2035: Creating a system of lifelong learning to provide the essential skills for tomorrow’s workforce
• High-SEND schools: Understanding the uneven distribution of pupils with SEND across England’s mainstream schools
• Pupil numbers and school finances – what do we know about how demographic changes are impacting schools?
• Senior leaders are under pressure as pupil numbers fall
• The state of additional support needs and services in English schools
• Do free schools increase opportunities and reduce disparities in economic and social outcomes
• The impact of early career retention payments on teacher retention
• Ethnic disparities in entry to teacher training, teacher retention and progression to leadership

Note: This Research Digest was updated on 29 September 2026 following an update to The School Support Staff Workforce in England Annual Report 2026.