Unfilled teacher training places ‘could leave shortages’

It suggests that the flagship School Direct programme is struggling to recruit, with almost half of places – about 5,000 in total – empty as of last week.

Under the scheme, primaries and secondaries can apply to recruit and train their own teachers as part of a major move aimed at taking teacher training out of universities and into schools.

There are two different pathways, one for top new graduates and another salaried route for individuals who have at least three years work experience and want to change career. The Government has said that around 10,000 training places will be available through School Direct from this September.

But new research by Professor John Howson of dataforeducation.info indicates that there are shortages, particularly in subjects such as physics, chemistry, maths and computer science.

The study analysed data on a government teacher training website to predict how many places will remain empty for individual subjects. The findings suggest that only around one in four of the places available for physics teachers on the new graduates route will be filled, along with 38 per cent of those for computer science and 43 per cent for maths.

On the salaried route – which allows individuals to be paid as they train – around 24 per cent of RE places are likely to be filled, along with 28 per cent for chemistry, and 40 per cent for maths.

Schools are finding it easier to recruit good trainees who want to teach subjects such as art, music and history as well as general primary teachers, the study suggests.

Prof Howson said: “In the last several years we have done quite well in recruiting teachers. The transfer to School Direct doesn’t seem to have worked that well, and schools are facing a shortfall.”

A Department for Education spokeswoman said that School Direct had been set up in response to schools asking for a greater role in recruiting would-be teachers, and that the programme was proving popular. “By May around 22,500 people had applied for 10,000 places,” she said.