Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of former teachers who responded to the Government's appeal for support on 16 December 2021 had left the profession (a) after 16 June 2021, (b) between 16 December 2020 and 15 June 2021, (c) between 16 December 2015 and 15 December 2020, (d) between 16 December 2010 and 15 December 2020 and (e) before 16 December 2010.

On 12 January 2022, the department published initial data from a sample of supply agencies gathered between 20 December 2021 and 7 January 2022. This showed that 485 former teachers have signed up with supply agencies, and over 100 Teach First alumni have also expressed interest in returning to the classroom.

Given the size of the sample, the true number of sign-ups since the call was launched will be larger. Full details of the data release can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/number-of-ex-teachers-joining-the-school-workforce-2021-to-2022.

The department directed the call for ex teachers through employment agencies as they are best placed to match the supply that is coming forward with the demand that is there from schools. Using employment agencies also reduces the administrative burden of temporary recruitment from our schools.

We need to balance the need for data with the burden we place on those collating it. Therefore, we have not asked agencies to collect data such as how long ago people worked in schools.