Hackney schools could face losing almost 300 teachers this year, according to a research by an education consultancy.

A report by The London Teaching Pool (TLTP) has warned if national trends apply locally, schools across the borough could struggle to fill vacancies in time for September – with Department of Education statistics showing about one in 12 full-time teachers leaving work every year.

Jamie Duff, of the Hackney National Union of Teachers (NUT) said: “It is no surprise at all that there is a teacher shortage looming – teachers are overworked, undermined and undervalued.

“Teachers are fed up with an ever increasing workload, below inflation pay rises and having to work in an environment where bullying and harassment by heads is commonplace. Add to this a housing crisis then you have a perfect storm.”

He added: “Teachers simply cannot afford to live in Hackney anymore. This is a result of the government’s pay freeze combined with ever increasing housing costs.

“We need more genuinely affordable housing for key workers in the borough – even housing providers are pricing teachers out. A system that pegs rents to an affordable percentage of a teacher’s salaries would ensure teachers stay in the borough.”

Mr Duff also blamed “teacher bashing” for the shortage in the borough and called for more teacher training provision to help tackle the crisis and for the community to defend the profession.

He said: “This government has spent the last five years bashing teachers – this undermining of the profession has got to stop if this government want to recruit more teachers. It will be the young people of Hackney who suffer if there are not enough teachers.

“We are seeing schools unable to recruit in certain subject areas and this will only get worse if the government continues and extends its savage and unnecessary cuts.”

A DfE spokesman said teaching remained a “hugely popular” profession with more teachers in classrooms than before.

He added: “The number of teachers joining the profession has risen to 53,000 nationally – and figures show three quarters of recruits are still in the profession five years later. But we are not complacent. We recognise that as the economy improves, we must continue to attract the best candidates. Our teacher recruitment campaign, Your future Their future, is playing a key role and we continue to offer bursaries worth up to £25,000 and prestigious scholarships.”