Record number of teachers as 9,000 join schools in England
New statistics show that the number of teachers in England is rising as teaching increasingly becomes the career choice for top graduates.
The Department for Education figures reveal that, as of November 2013, there were 451,100 full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers in England, 9,100 up on the previous year. This is the highest number of teachers ever recorded.
The quality of the teaching workforce is also rising. A record 96% of teachers now have degrees or above, meaning there are an extra 43,000 teachers with degree level qualifications in classrooms since 2010. Previously released figures show that 74% of current teacher trainees now hold at least a 2.1 degree, up from 61% in 2010.
Today’s statistics also show that the teacher vacancy rate remains very low at just 0.2% of the overall workforce, with just 750 vacancies across the country.
The government is reforming teacher training to attract more top performers. The Department for Education is reforming initial teacher training to improve quality and expand school-based training. It is also offering bursaries and scholarships worth up to £25,000 in priority subjects including maths, physics and modern languages.
A Department for Education spokesman said:
There has never been a better time to be a teacher and today’s figures show there have never been more people teaching in England’s classrooms. More top graduates are coming into teaching than ever before and a record 96% of teachers now hold a degree.
Our reforms are putting teachers in the driving seat. Through academies and free schools, we are giving heads and teachers more power over what happens in the classroom and freeing them from interference by politicians.
That’s good news for teachers, who can get on with their jobs, and good news for parents, who can be confident that teachers are solely focused on ensuring the best possible outcomes for their children.
Notes to editors:
- The statistical first release ‘School workforce in England: November 2013’ provides a snapshot of the teacher workforce from November 2013.
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