Teacher Vacancy Rates in England Reach Record High

A new report from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) has revealed that teacher vacancies in England have reached their highest levels since records began in 2010. With unfilled vacancies doubling since pre-pandemic levels, June’s Government Spending Review is seen as the final opportunity to meet the pledge of recruiting 6,500 new teachers.

The 2025 Teacher Labour Market in England Annual Report, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, highlights a worsening teacher supply crisis driven by persistently low recruitment into initial teacher training and a growing number of teachers leaving the profession.

Key Findings from the Report:

• Teacher vacancies at record highs: Unfilled vacancies reached six per thousand teachers in 2023/24 – six times higher than in 2010/11.
• Retention crisis: Teacher leaving rates remain high, with more departures from working-age teachers rather than retirees.
• Recruitment struggles: The number of trainee teachers recruited in 2024/25 fell below targets in all but five secondary subjects. Forecasts suggest only five subjects will meet recruitment targets in 2025/26.
• Growing reliance on unqualified staff: Due to shortages, schools—particularly those with higher numbers of disadvantaged pupils—are increasingly relying on unqualified or non-specialist teachers.
• Workload concerns: 90% of teachers considering leaving the profession in 2023/24 cited high workload as a key factor. Pupil behaviour has become a significant contributor to workload pressures since the pandemic.
• Pay and working conditions: Last year’s 5.5% pay rise and the introduction of £30,000 starting salaries have brought real-term wages back to 2010/11 levels, but teacher pay remains less competitive compared to other graduate professions.
• Lack of flexible working: Limited flexible working arrangements may be contributing to teacher attrition.

Jack Worth, School Workforce Lead at NFER, warned:

“Teacher recruitment and retention in England remain in a perilous state, posing a substantial risk to the quality of education. The time for half measures is over. Fully funded pay increases that make teacher pay more competitive are essential to keeping teachers in the classroom and attracting new recruits.”

Dr Emily Tanner, Programme Head at the Nuffield Foundation, added:

“It is deeply concerning that teacher shortages continue and that disadvantaged children are most strongly affected. Urgent action on pay, workload reduction, and behaviour strategies is needed to prevent the situation from worsening.”

Recommendations from the Report:

• The School Teachers' Review Body (STRB) should recommend a teacher pay increase above 3% and signal further increases in line with earnings growth.
• The Government Spending Review should allocate funding for pay rises of at least 6.1% from 2026/27 to 2028/29.
• Increased financial incentives to attract trainees in shortage subjects.
• A national teacher workload reduction strategy to improve retention.
• Schools to explore the use of AI tools like ChatGPT to ease teachers’ administrative burdens.
• Expansion of flexible working arrangements to improve retention.
• A renewed approach to improving pupil behaviour, with additional Government funding to support school intervention programs.
• Continued international teacher recruitment, building on the policy that recently added Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Singapore, and Ukraine to the list of recognised teaching qualifications.

With teacher shortages escalating, the report warns that policy action must be taken now to achieve the 6,500 teacher recruitment target by the end of Parliament. The government's response in the upcoming Spending Review could determine whether England's schools will have enough teachers in the years ahead.

You can read the full report on the NFER website.