Staff shortfalls

Record 40,000 teachers left English state schools last year alone

Teachers in England are abandoning their profession in record numbers, according to official figures, with Labour claiming that “incompetent” government policies are to blame.

The latest workforce survey by the Department for Education (DfE) found that 40,000 teachers left state schools last year – almost 9% of the teaching workforce, and the highest number since it began publishing the data in 2011. A further 4,000 retired.

The survey found unfilled teaching vacancies were also at a record high, with more than 2,300 empty posts, against 530 a decade earlier. A further 3,300 posts were filled by supply teachers, 1,000 more than in 2021.

Many teachers were missing owing to illness, with more than 3m working days of sick leave taken last year, a rise of more than 50% compared with pre-pandemic levels in 2018-19.

Jack Worth, of the National Foundation for Educational Research, said it was “hugely concerning” to see so many working-age teachers leaving, adding: “Addressing retention should be at the heart of dealing with the supply challenge, with further action needed to reduce workload and raise the competitiveness of pay.”

Teaching unions blamed poor working conditions and the longterm erosion in pay for the exodus, while Bridget Phillipson, the shadow secretary for education, said: “This is yet more evidence that this incompetent Conservative government has created the perfect storm in recruitment and retention of teachers.

“The endless merry-go-round of prime ministers and education ministers have neglected our schools and our teaching workforce – and it is children who will pay the price.”

However, the DfE said almost 48,000 teachers joined the profession in 2022, up 2,800 from the previous year. Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, said: “In today’s competitive job market, it is fantastic to see so many people choosing a rewarding teaching career, with a record number of teachers now working in our schools.”

The number of teachers working in state schools in England reached 468,000, reflecting the continued rise in pupil numbers to 8.45 million this year. In secondary schools, there are now 3.6 million students, an increase of 300,000 over four years.