After years of grappling with teacher shortages, England's education sector is witnessing a notable shift. Recent data indicates a surge in applications for teacher training across most subjects, prompting the Department for Education (DfE) to reduce its recruitment targets by nearly 20% for the upcoming academic year. This development suggests a potential easing of the long-standing teacher supply crisis, though challenges persist in certain areas.
A Surge in Applications Across Most Subjects
The DfE reports a significant increase in accepted applicants for postgraduate initial teacher training (PGITT) courses this year. Notably, STEM subjects such as computing and physics have seen a 50% rise in recruits compared to the previous year. This uptick is attributed to several factors, including a cooling graduate job market, the impact of last year's 5.5% teacher pay rise, and the introduction of subject retention payments.
Education economist Jack Worth from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) highlights that increased bursaries in key subjects have positively influenced recruitment. However, he cautions that subjects like English and classics have experienced declines in applicant numbers, partly due to reduced bursaries.
Adjusted Recruitment Targets Reflect Changing Demographics
In response to the rising number of applicants and projections of declining pupil numbers, the DfE has adjusted its recruitment targets. The target for secondary PGITT recruits has been set at 26,920, a reduction of 6,435 (19.3%) from the current year's target. Similarly, the primary recruitment target has been reduced by 1,750 (19%).
John Howson, director of DataForEducation, interprets these changes as indicative of a potential end to the decade-long teacher supply problem. He notes that factors such as falling school rolls and a tightening graduate job market contribute to this positive trend. However, he emphasises the importance of retaining existing teachers to sustain this progress.
Challenges Persist in Specific Subjects and Demographics
Despite the overall positive trend, challenges remain in recruiting teachers for certain subjects and demographics. English and classics have seen an 18% and 14% drop in accepted applicants, respectively. Additionally, the number of people applying to train as primary school teachers has fallen by almost 10% year-on-year.
The discontinuation of funding for the Now Teach program, which successfully recruited over 1,000 professionals into teaching since 2017, has raised concerns. The program was particularly effective in attracting older career changers into the profession.
Looking Ahead: Sustaining Momentum and Addressing Gaps
While the increase in teacher training applications is encouraging, sustaining this momentum requires continued focus on retention strategies and support for underrepresented subjects and demographics. The government's commitment to recruiting 6,500 new teachers remains a central goal. Achieving this will necessitate addressing ongoing challenges, including workload, pay, and working conditions, to ensure a stable and effective teaching workforce.