Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the speech made by the Prime Minister on 4 January 2023, what estimate she has made of the number of additional maths teachers required to enable all children to study mathematics until the age of 18.

My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, has set out a new mission to ensure all pupils study some form of mathematics until they are 18 and leave school better equipped for the jobs of the future.

The Department does not envisage making a mathematics A level compulsory for all 16 year olds. The Department is exploring a range of options, including existing routes, such as the Core Mathematics qualifications, T Levels, as well as other options. Further detail will be set out in due course. Workforce impacts in schools and further education colleges will be considered as part of this work.

The Department has significant recruitment and retention investments in place for maths teachers. The Department provides a £27,000 tax free bursary or £29,000 tax free scholarship for maths Initial Teacher Training trainees starting in 2023/24, and a Levelling Up Premium worth up to £3,000 tax free, annually, for teachers in their first five years working in disadvantaged schools.

Maths teachers will also benefit from the Department’s pay offer. The Department has accepted the 2022/23 recommendations of the independent School Teachers’ Review Body and is awarding teachers the highest pay awards in a generation. These awards mean up to 8.9% for new teachers and a 5% award for experienced teachers and leaders. This brings starting salaries to £28,000 outside London and keeps the Department on track to meet the manifesto commitment of a £30,000 starting salary.