Number of new teachers fall while vacancies rise

The number of new teachers entering the profession has dropped to its lowest in five years, Department for Education (DfE) figures show.

School vacancies are also continuing to rise.

School Workforce Census figures published by the DfE reveal that the number of full-time equivalent entrants to teaching has decreased from 45,120 (10.4 per cent) in 2015, to 43,830 (10.1 per cent) last year.

This is at its lowest since 2011, which saw a 9.3 per cent decline in new teachers.

The number of schools with at least one advertised teaching position has risen.

However, the number of teachers leaving the profession has dropped slightly – from 10.4 per cent in 2015, to 9.9 per cent in 2016.

The DfE has also highlighted that between 2011 and 2016, the rate of entry into teaching has remained higher than the number of qualified teachers leaving the profession.

However, the falling new teacher rate comes as the figures show there was a 0.3 per cent rise in the number of vacancies for full-time permanent teachers in state schools.

The number of secondary schools with at least one advertised vacancy or temporarily-filled post rose from 23 per cent in 2015, to 27 per cent last year.

In primaries, the figure rose from 6.9 per cent in 2015, to 8.9 per cent last year.