Teach Cornwall Report Calls for Support to Recruit Trainee Teachers in Rural Areas

Researchers from Plymouth Marjon University are launching the Teach Cornwall Report in Westminster today, Thursday 22nd January, calling for extra support to help recruit trainee teachers to coastal and rural areas.

The launch highlights long standing challenges faced by areas like Cornwall when it comes to attracting people into teacher training, with researchers urging that funding and policy better reflect the realities of place.

A focus on place based inequality

The Teach Cornwall Report examines decades of inequality in Initial Teacher Training recruitment linked to geography. It argues that training to teach in coastal and rural areas comes with additional costs that are not fully recognised in current funding models.

Cornwall’s geography, pressure on affordable housing linked to tourism, and limited year round public transport are all identified as significant barriers for those training to become teachers.

What the researchers are calling for

The research was led by Professor Tanya Ovenden-Hope from Plymouth Marjon University. She said the challenges seen in Cornwall are mirrored in other coastal and rural areas, including Cumbria, Clacton, East Kent, Somerset and the Isle of Wight.

She warned that when schools struggle to recruit trainee teachers, children from persistently disadvantaged backgrounds continue to see outcomes below those of their peers in urban schools.

Professor Ovenden-Hope said:
“This isn’t an isolated issue for Cornwall. The inability to recruit trainee teachers from outside of the area for places like Cumbria, Clacton, East Kent, Somerset, Isle of Wight and more, impact on the schools, and the children from persistently disadvantaged backgrounds sustain outcomes below those of their peers in urban schools when the teacher supply fails”.

She added:
“We are calling for place-sensitive policy making and resourcing for Initial Teacher Training to support areas like Cornwall being able to recruit trainee teachers from anywhere.”

Cost, travel and housing pressures

At the Westminster launch, Professor Ovenden-Hope is outlining the potential savings of investing properly in trainee teachers in coastal and rural areas. The report suggests spending between £8,000 and £9,000 per trainee to help with transport, housing and living costs could deliver a return on investment of 44.7:1 over ten years.

According to the report:

• 78% of trainees need to own a car to reach school placements, with some commuting almost two hours each way, described as unsustainable and damaging to health and wellbeing.

• Salaries in Cornwall are 12% below the national average, and the county ranks 83rd out of 326 in the government’s Index of Multiple Deprivation.

• Housing pressures linked to second homes have forced some trainees into unsuitable accommodation such as caravans, while 68% rely on family support to cover rent and travel costs.

Diversity and isolation

The report also highlights the social challenges faced by some trainees. Cornwall’s population is 93.6% White British, which can lead to feelings of isolation for trainees from ethnically diverse backgrounds.

One trainee said:
“If there is a reason for me to leave Cornwall, it will be because I want to work where I’m not the only different person.”

Limited access to cultural and leisure facilities such as museums, cinemas and leisure centres is also cited as a contributing factor.

Political and sector response

Experts in teacher education including Professor Dame Sonia Blandford, Professor Sam Twiselton OBR and Professor Aimee Quickfall have been invited to comment on how the findings align with the national teacher training landscape.

Also attending the launch is Jayne Kirkham, MP for Truro and Falmouth, who wrote the foreword to the report. She said:
“If we want to tackle teacher shortages everywhere, we must take rural and coastal realities seriously and create pathways that work.

“Here in Cornwall, trainees contend with long commutes, a housing crisis, and limited job opportunities, particularly in the primary sector. The voices in this report remind us that solutions must be shaped by those on the frontline.

“This report offers place-based solutions, from tailored support for underrepresented trainees to collaborative innovations like the OneCornwall ITT Provider Network. These insights matter for all rural and coastal communities across the UK who are facing similar barriers.”

Funding behind the report

The Teach Cornwall Report was funded by OneCornwall, the Teaching School Hub for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, which supports teacher development from training through to headship.

The full report is available to read online, with researchers warning that without action, coastal and rural areas could face decades more difficulty recruiting and retaining teachers.