In October, two teaching positions at Mr Evans' school became available, so he advertised for candidates both locally and nationally. There were only two applicants, only one of which was appointed. Many teachers in the London area cannot afford homes near their schools Struggling to find a teacher for the second post, Mr Evans rang round friends and contacts to try to find someone, eventually managing to appoint a temporary teacher for one term. But he still needs to find a teacher fill the position permanently. But this is a double-edged sword.
Houses here are extremely expensive, so most of our teachers live a long way out and have to travel.
Even so, the cost of buying property in the surrounding areas is not cheap, and 573 a year doesn't really help much. House prices are going up, so to only make 573 available is nonsensical. The average annual salary earned by teachers at his school, which has 320 pupils aged between four and 11, was about 21,000 including the extra fringe payment. Many schools in London are experiencing similar recruitment problems. Teachers employed in inner London receive an extra 2,241 a year, while those working in outer London get an additional annual payment of 1,476.