Asked by: Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Scottish Labour - Glasgow)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the reported fall in the number of secondary school teachers in (a) computing studies, (b) ASN: behavioural support, (c) maths, (d) technical education, (e) religious education, (f) geography, (g) German, (h) physics, (i) home economics and (j) English between 2008 and 2023.
Answered by Gilruth, Jenny - Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills
Since 2019 the number of teachers in Scottish schools has increased from 52,247 to 54,033 and the pupil teacher ratio has improved from 13.6 to 13.2.
Local authorities are responsible for the recruitment and deployment of teaching staff, and the Scottish Government continues to provide local authorities with £145.5 million in this year’s budget to protect teacher numbers more widely.
Our Teaching Bursary Scheme is offering a £20,000 payment to career changers who are looking to undertake teacher training in hard to fill STEM subjects – physics, maths, technical education, computing science, chemistry and home economics.
The Strategic Board for Teacher Education is also considering issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland in detail, together with work to improving the promotion of teaching as a valued career.
Apr. 24 2024
Source Page: Computing science teaching path in Scotland: FOI releaseFound: d) What plans are there to give computing science teachers dedicated training time each year in order
Mentions:
1: Fleur Anderson (Lab - Putney) Does the Secretary of State understand why teachers, pupils and parents are so disappointed that those - Speech Link
2: Jonathan Gullis (Con - Stoke-on-Trent North) thoughts and prayers to Lord Field’s family, friends and colleagues and particularly to students and teachers - Speech Link
3: John Baron (Con - Basildon and Billericay) Friend do what he can to ensure that some of that increased money is spent on additional recruitment—including - Speech Link
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for her policies of the proportion of time spent by secondary school teachers spending teaching subjects they are not trained in.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
There is currently the highest number of teachers on record. There are now over 468,000 full-time equivalent teachers in state-funded schools in England, which is an increase of 27,000 (6%) since the School Workforce Census began in 2010.
The most recent School Workforce Census shows that almost 9 in 10 (87.4%) hours taught in English Baccalaureate subjects were taught by a teacher with a specialism in that subject. Overall, teachers spent a total of 3 in 5 teaching hours (63.7%) teaching the English Baccalaureate subjects of mathematics, English, sciences (including computer science), history, geography and modern languages. The School Workforce Census is available online at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.
Further information on the numbers and proportions of hours taught by teachers with relevant specialism in state-funded secondary schools in England in November 2022 can be found in the census publication at the following link: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/f8c83028-7cce-463b-4c97-08dc5d297e6b.
The department recognises that there is further to go to improve recruitment in some subjects and to ensure that more teaching is done by teachers with a specialism in the relevant subject. That is why the department has put in place a range of measures, including increased bursaries worth up to £28,000 tax-free and scholarships worth up to £30,000 tax-free, to encourage talented trainees to key subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing, and the department’s financial incentives package for the 2024/25 initial teacher training recruitment cycle is worth up to £196 million, which is a £15 million increase on the last cycle.
Additionally, the department is offering a Levelling Up Premium worth up to £3,000 after tax for mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who choose to work in disadvantaged schools, including in Education Investment Areas. For 2024/25 and 2025/26, the department will be doubling the rates of the Levelling Up Premium to up to £6,000 after tax. This will support recruitment and retention of specialist teachers in these subjects and in the schools and areas that need them most.
Last year 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 received a pay award of 6.5%, which is the highest pay award for teachers in over thirty years. The 2023/24 award also delivered the manifesto commitment of a minimum £30,000 starting salary for school teachers in all regions of the country.
The department also funds a number of subject-specific curriculum hubs, in subjects such as mathematics, sciences and languages, where schools can access more targeted training and development for their teachers, including those teaching out of specialism.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's Postgraduate initial teacher training targets for the 2024/25 academic year, for what reason the target number of secondary trainees teachers of Religious Education has been reduced to 580.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Postgraduate initial teacher training is only one of many routes into the teacher workforce, all of which are considered when calculating targets. Other routes include Undergraduate higher education institution (HEI) courses, Assessment Only (AO), the upcoming teacher degree apprenticeship, returners, new to the state-funded sector entrants and newly qualified entrants that defer entry into the profession (deferrers).
The 2024/25 postgraduate initial teacher training recruitment target of 580 for Religious Education (RE) is the highest since 2018/19 (if we exclude the 655 in 2023/24). Therefore, the current target is quite high compared to the recent historical time series. The target fell by 11.5% this year, which is in line with the fall of 9.1% for the overall secondary target.
These targets were calculated by the Teacher Workforce Model, and the fall was driven by two key factors. Firstly, recruitment forecasts for both returners and teachers that are new to the state-funded sector (including deferrer NQEs, newly qualified entrants) are more favourable this year. If we expect to recruit more teachers from these sources, all else being equal, we require fewer newly qualified entrants, and thus teacher trainees.
Secondly, whilst secondary pupil numbers are still growing, they are now growing more slowly; in advance of peaking around 2025/26. This acts to reduce the rate at which the workforce needs to grow and has helped lead to this year’s lower overall secondary target.
Finally, it is important to note that teacher training recruitment is unlimited this year; a lower recruitment target does not necessarily mean lower levels of recruitment.
Further information may be found in the following publication: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/postgraduate-initial-teacher-training-targets.
Apr. 23 2024
Source Page: 2020 Valuation - NHS Pension Scheme (England and Wales)Found: valuations Factor Potential impact Age profile Any change in the age profile of the scheme, e.g. a recruitment
Apr. 23 2024
Source Page: 2020 Valuation - Judicial Pension SchemesFound: affecting future valuations Factor Potential impact Any change in the age profile of the scheme, e.g. a recruitment
Apr. 23 2024
Source Page: Teachers to get up to £6000 extra to teach vital subjectsFound: Teachers to get up to £6000 extra to teach vital subjects
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to (a) support the (i) recruitment, (ii) retention and (iii) professional development of (A) teachers and (B) educational staff in crisis-affected countries and (b) invest in their (1) safety and (2) working conditions.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The FCDO supports the education workforce in crises-affected countries through our support to multilateral partners; our bilateral programmes; and our wider policy work on strengthening education systems and foundational learning. The UK is the second largest donor to Education Cannot Wait, which has funded the recruitment and/or financial support for nearly 170,000 teachers between 2016 and 2022. The UK is also the second largest donor to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), which spends over 60 percent of its funds in fragile and conflict affected states and directly supports teacher recruitment, training and safer school environments.
Apr. 22 2024
Source Page: FE Commissioner intervention: Strode College 2024Found: Recommendations Recommendation 1: To progress board recruitment and achieve an appropriate skill