Training to teach in Cornwall accessible only to those already living in the county

Released: 20.11.25

A new report from Plymouth Marjon University report has found that housing and transport barriers make local family support essential for those wanting to train as teachers in Cornwall.  

The Teach Cornwall Report is the result of a two-year research project conducted by Plymouth Marjon University, led by Professor Tanya Ovenden-Hope. The study has been funded by OneCornwall, the Teaching School Hub for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, which supports teacher development from training to headship. 

The research discovered that Cornwall’s rural and coastal geography, and the impact of tourism on house prices and availability, as well as a lack of year-round public transport, make it difficult to train as a teacher there. 

The study also highlights a challenge for teachers just qualified: once they finish training, permanent teaching jobs are hard to find because experienced teachers rarely leave their jobs in Cornwall. Rural areas have fewer schools within easy commuting distance, so changing jobs often means moving house. This means in turn that despite national teacher shortages, getting a permanent job in Cornwall is a challenge for new teachers. 

Key findings 

Researchers interviewed trainee teachers and training providers and identified three main barriers affecting recruitment: 

1. Geographic Remoteness of Schools

Trainees face major travel challenges, with 78% needing to own a car to get to school placements. Some have "almost two hours each way" commutes, which are "clearly unsustainable" and harmful to "health and wellbeing”. 

2. Socioeconomic Disadvantage in the County

Cornish salaries are 12% below the national average and the area ranks 83rd of 326 for in the government’s Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). Housing pressures from second-home ownership force some trainees into unsatisfactory accommodation, including caravans, and 68% rely on family support to manage rent and travel costs. 

3. Cultural Isolation for Communities

Cornwall’s population is 93.6% White British, which can create 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." More limited access to places like museums, cinemas and leisure centres adds to this. 

Professor Tanya Ovenden-Hope said: “Strong family and community support is crucial for those wanting to train to be a teacher in Cornwall. Problems securing privately rented accommodation all year round, and the necessity for having a car to get to school placements that form part of the teacher training, restricts those from out of the county training to teach in Cornwall. Cornwall’s schools also experience ‘lack of churn’ or low teacher turnover, which means once these aspiring teachers are qualified, they may struggle to find a job, particularly if they are looking for one close to home. 

“But the picture isn’t completely bleak. We also found that Cornwall offers unique advantages to those training to be a teacher. Trainees told us about how much they liked working in countryside and by the coast and felt that it supported their wellbeing. They also told us that learning to teach in school and college placements that in strong Cornish communities made them feel connected to their students. Primary school trainee teachers also liked being in small rural schools, expressing how their professional development was accelerated through the range of tasks they learned.” 

Greg Pankhurst from OneCornwall, which funded the report and works with all the ITT Providers in Cornwall to co-ordinate training opportunities across the county, said: 

"We’re looking forward to reviewing the report findings to help strengthen ITT recruitment and retention across Cornwall. Our schools and pupils deserve highly qualified, excellent teachers. By identifying and understanding the specific barriers to teacher training in Cornwall, we can take meaningful steps to address them and ensure a sustainable pipeline of talent into the profession." 

The research also found that Cornwall lacks centrally held data about its teaching workforce. Without this information, it is difficult to plan how many teachers are needed and where. Researchers describe this as a “shocking absence of data” for local workforce planning.