Teacher vacancies in England more than double over three years, figures show
The ‘alarming’ data is evidence of the recruitment and retention crisis facing state schools, a union said.
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Your support makes all the difference.Teacher vacancies in state schools in England have more than doubled in the past three years, Government figures show.
The number of teacher vacancies increased from 1,100 in November 2020 to 2,800 in November 2023, according to Department for Education (DfE) data.
The number of temporarily filled classroom teacher posts also increased over the same period, from 1,800 in November 2020 to 3,400 in November 2023.
We need a comprehensive plan to address the recruitment and retention crisis and ensure schools and colleges can attract and retain the teachers they need to maintain a high standard of education for all pupils
The data, which only looks at state schools in England, showed the school workforce has increased “marginally” by around 300 teachers to 468,700.
Around 44,000 teachers joined the state school sector, down 3,900 since last year.
Meanwhile, 43,500 teachers left the state school sector, which is a similar level to last year (43,900), the figures suggest.
The DfE said: “The number of teachers entering and leaving service both fell though the number of entrants continues to be higher than for leavers.
“This, combined with changes in working patterns and an increase in unqualified teachers, resulted in a marginal increase to the number of teachers in England.”
The data, which is largely based on the School Workforce Census which runs each November, also shows that pupil-teacher ratios are up slightly in nurseries and primary schools, with 20.8 pupils for every one nursery and primary school teacher (compared with 20.7 the year before).
These alarming figures are stark evidence of the recruitment and retention crisis facing our schools and the need for whoever forms the next government to commit to urgent action to address this
There were 16.8 pupils for every one secondary school teacher, which is the same as last year.
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: “What these figures show, and what all school and colleges leaders know only too well, is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to fill teacher vacancies.
“Often this requires advertising roles several times and making use of supply staff in the intervening period, all of which has a financial cost attached.”
He added: “Teachers are the education system’s most precious resource and the next government cannot afford to be so complacent.
“We need a comprehensive plan to address the recruitment and retention crisis and ensure schools and colleges can attract and retain the teachers they need to maintain a high standard of education for all pupils.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “These alarming figures are stark evidence of the recruitment and retention crisis facing our schools and the need for whoever forms the next government to commit to urgent action to address this.
“We have 18,000 more pupils in our schools this year, but the number of new teachers has fallen by almost 4,000, and nearly as many are leaving the profession as are starting out in it.
Unfilled vacancies and temporarily filled posts are at the highest since 2010 when comparable records began
“Teacher vacancies inevitably mean difficulties delivering the full curriculum, and subjects being taught by non-specialists and supply teachers.”
Jack Worth, school workforce lead at the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), said: “There is a crisis in teacher recruitment and retention facing whoever is the next education secretary.
“The new data shows more than 40,000 teachers leaving the state sector in 2023, which is nearly 10% of the teaching workforce and slightly higher than the year before the pandemic.
“Unfilled vacancies and temporarily filled posts are at the highest since 2010 when comparable records began.”