Targeted retention incentive for FE teachers: final data for academic year 2024 to 2025
Updated 17 December 2025
Applies to England
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Overview of policy
Eligible further education (FE) teachers working in colleges and 16 to 19 schools and academies can claim a targeted retention incentive payment of up to £6,000 after tax annually. This is for teaching specific courses in the following subject areas:
- building and construction
- computing, including digital and information and communications technology
- early years
- engineering and manufacturing, including transport engineering and electronics
- maths
- physics
- chemistry
Targeted retention incentive payments for FE teachers has more information on eligibility.
Data
This data is an update to an interim publication released in May 2025 and represents final figures for academic year 2024 to 2025.
Table 1: Individual teacher claims for academic year 2024 to 2025
| Application status | Number of claims |
|---|---|
| Approved | 5,974 |
| Rejected | 1,381 |
| Total | 7,355 |
The claim window for FE teachers to apply for a targeted retention incentive payment for academic year 2024 to 2025 opened on 14 October 2024 and closed on 31 March 2025.
7,355 individual teacher applications were received for the FE targeted retention incentive scheme.
5,974 claims were approved and 1,381 were rejected.
Table 2: Approved claims by subject taught
| Subjects taught | Number of approved claims |
|---|---|
| Building and construction | 1,715 |
| Chemistry | 172 |
| Computing (including digital and ICT) | 626 |
| Early years | 518 |
| Engineering and manufacturing (including transport engineering and electronics) | 1,195 |
| Maths | 1,369 |
| Physics | 93 |
| Applicants teaching two or more of the seven eligible subject areas | 286 |
| Total | 5,974 |
The majority of approved claims were from teachers of:
- building and construction: 1,715
- maths: 1,369
- engineering and manufacturing: 1,195
Table 3: Approved claims by proportion of students attracting disadvantage funding
| % of students attracting disadvantage funding for 16 to 19 education in academic year 2022 to 2023 | Number of approved claims |
|---|---|
| Below 25% | 160 |
| Between 25-50% | 535 |
| 50% and above | 5,279 |
| Total | 5,974 |
The majority of approved claims (5,279) were from teachers in an FE provider where at least 50% of students attracted 16 to 19 disadvantage funding.
Teachers at an FE provider that had the highest proportion of disadvantaged students, received a higher payment. This was based on the proportion of 16 to 19 students enrolled at the FE provider attracting disadvantage funding in academic year 2022 to 2023, on the basis of either:
- students’ economic deprivation
- low prior attainment in English and maths
Eligible teachers employed at an FE provider with:
- 50 to 100% of students attracting disadvantage funding received a £3,000 or £6,000 payment depending on the number of hours a week they taught
- 25 to 50% of students attracting disadvantage funding received £2,500 or £5,000 depending on the number of hours a week they taught
- below 25% of students attracting disadvantage funding received £2,000 or £4,000 depending on the number of hours a week they taught
Table 4: Total number of approved claims by teaching hours per week
| Teaching hours per week | Number of approved claims |
|---|---|
| Between 2.5 and 12 | 368 |
| More than 12 | 5,606 |
| Total | 5,974 |
The majority of approved claims were from teachers who taught 12 or more hours per week in the autumn or spring term of academic year 2024 to 2025.
To be eligible, teachers must have taught at least 2.5 hours per week and satisfy the rest of the eligibility criteria outlined in the guidance on targeted retention incentive payments for FE teachers
If teachers taught between 2.5 hours and 12 hours per week, they received £2,000 to £3,000 depending on the proportion of disadvantaged students taught at their provider.
If they taught 12 hours or more, they received £4,000 to £6,000 depending on the proportion of disadvantaged students taught at their provider.
Table 5: Average approved claim amount rounded to nearest £50
| Payment | Average (£) |
|---|---|
| Award amount | £5,700 |
| Gross amount | £8,300 |
The average claim amount for approved claims was £5,700.
DfE also pays National Insurance and basic rate Income Tax on behalf of each applicant, in addition to the claim amount.
The average for the gross amount was £8,300.
Table 6: Total number of approved claims by provider type
| Provider type | Number of approved claims |
|---|---|
| 16 to 19 only Schools and Academies | 317 |
| General FE College incl. Tertiary | 5,411 |
| Sixth Form College | 246 |
| Total | 5,974 |
The majority were from teachers in a general FE College, with 5,411 approved claims.
Table 7: Total number of approved claims by main site region
| Provider region | Number of approved claims |
|---|---|
| East Midlands | 459 |
| East of England | 632 |
| London | 461 |
| North East | 444 |
| North West | 1,028 |
| South East | 869 |
| South West | 676 |
| West Midlands | 593 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 812 |
| Total | 5,974 |
The largest number of approved claims were from teachers at a provider with a main site or head office in the:
- North West: 1,028
- South East: 869
- Yorkshire and the Humber: 812
The location that a provider is based in has been determined from the main site or head office recorded in Get Information about Schools using the UK provider reference number.
This records the main site only and may not cover all locations or regions in which a provider operates.
Methodology
From 14th October 2024 to 31st March 2025, teachers could submit an application through Targeted retention incentive payments for FE teachers.
Teachers submitted their application and their employer verified the details. DfE carried out further checks and, if eligible, the money was paid directly into the teacher’s bank account.
This is an update to an interim publication released in May 2025. We checked the payments to claimants and cleansed the data to ensure that numbers reflect individual teachers, including removing duplicate claims.
All data is stored in line with the DfE’s privacy notice.