Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase the recruitment of classics teachers in state sector schools.

Recent data shows that there are now over 468,000 full time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state funded schools in England, which is an increase of 27,000 (6%) since 2010. This makes it the highest number of FTE teachers on record since the School Workforce Census began in 2010.

The Department’s teacher recruitment and retention reforms are aimed at supporting teacher recruitment and retention across all subjects, including classics.

The Department accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendations for the 2023/24 pay award for teachers and leaders. This means that teachers and leaders in maintained schools will receive a pay award of 6.5%. This is the highest pay award for teachers in over thirty years. The award also delivers the manifesto commitment of a minimum £30,000 starting salary for school teachers in all regions in England, with a pay award of up to 7.1% for new teachers outside London.

The Department has created an entitlement to at least three years of structured training, support and professional development for all new teachers, underpinned by Initial Teacher Training (ITT), the Core Content Framework (CCF) and the Early Career Framework (ECF). Together, these ensure that new teachers will benefit from at least three years of evidence based training, across ITT and into their induction.

The Department reviews bursaries each year before deciding the offer for trainees starting ITT the following academic year. The bursaries are focused on subjects experiencing teacher shortages where schools are likely to devote the most teaching time. This ensures the Department is spending money where it is needed most. For 2022/23, classics exceeded its postgraduate initial teacher training (PGITT) target, reaching 193% of the target, compared to 150% of the target the previous year.

While classics does not attract a bursary, the Department offers a £25,000 tax free bursary for languages, including ancient languages. Additionally, all trainees on a tuition fee funded course (including classics trainees) will be able to apply for a tuition fee loan and maintenance loan to support their living costs.