High house prices hit education

Hertfordshire faces staff shortages in science, maths and English

The area covered by Three Counties Radio - Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire - had the fifth highest average house price in 2006.

The Changing UK survey found the average home cost £252,000.

This has led to some problems in recruiting staff such as teachers in some of these areas, it is claimed.

The area also had a high number of housing completions in 2006, although this is likely to have fallen dramatically in the current downturn.

Katie Kennedy, recruitment and workforce modernisation manager, has the job of helping to recruit and retain teaching staff at Hertfordshire County Council.

We are all involved in improving the lives of children and young people, so we've got to have good teachers Katie Kennedy, of Hertfordshire County Council

The county is one of London's neighbours with the Hertfordshire town of Watford virtually consumed by city.

She said the high price of homes had always made it difficult to recruit teaching staff.

"It is difficult for new teachers we appreciate that," she said.

The council works with the Aldwyck Housing Association to provide homes through the government's key worker scheme.

One part of the team at Hertfordshire County Council handles recruitment of hundreds of newly qualified teachers

The team also promotes a website to help newly recruited teachers.

But despite all the efforts, shortages still exist.

"There are still recruitment problems in particular in the areas of maths and sciences," said Miss Kennedy.

She added the county also faced a shortage of English teachers - an area where there is not a recognised shortage nationally.

Recruitment problems are particularly fierce in areas near London, she said.