Teacher training applications drop nine per cent

UCAS, the admissions organisation that handles teacher training applications, released figures showing that by 20 July there were 119,170 teacher training applications in England compared to 131,120 at the same time last year.

The school led training option School Direct only managed to fill 61 per cent of its 15,254 allocated spaces in 2014. This year they were allocated 15 per cent more places, but only managed to increase uptake by 13 per cent.

John Howson, a teacher workforce expert and honorary research fellow at the University of Oxford, said: “We are running out of time. We are unlikely to get back to where we were last year because there is not enough time left to recruit people.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "These figures show an improving recruitment picture, with two per cent more people due to start postgraduate teacher training than this time last year. We have already exceeded our primary target and are making sustained progress in secondary – including in key subjects like English, maths, physics and chemistry, where we are ahead of last year’s performance.

“We recognise, however, that recruitment is a challenge as the economy improves and competition for new graduates intensifies, which is why we are focused on attracting more top graduates into the profession, particularly in the core academic subjects that help children reach their potential.”

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