PRESS RELEASE : Record number of teachers in England’s schools [June 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 8 June 2023.

Nearly 48,000 full time equivalent teachers joined English schools in the 2022/2023 academic year, with 2,800 more teachers now in classrooms than last year.

Schools in England now have more teachers than ever before, as new data reveals there are 468,371 teachers in the workforce, as part of the Government’s ongoing work to attract the brightest and the best to the profession.

The School Workforce Census published today (8 June) shows that nearly 48,000 teachers entered classrooms in the 2022-2023 academic year. This means there are over 27,000 more teachers in classrooms since 2010 and 2,800 more than last year.

The Government has also put in place a range of measures to boost recruitment and retention. In October 2022, the department announced a further increase to the teacher training financial incentives package – with an additional £52m more invested on the previous year. This includes bursaries worth £27,000 tax-free and scholarships worth £29,000 tax-free, which encourage talented trainees to teach key subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing.

On top of this, the Levelling Up Premium worth up to £3,000 tax-free annually is available for maths, physics, chemistry and computing teachers who choose to work in disadvantaged schools in the first five years of their careers. This is helping to support the recruitment and retention of specialist in areas that need them most.

More great teachers in classrooms helps build a world class education system for our children and young people to learn and develop in, and builds on the Government’s work to drive up school standards including the Prime Minister’s ambitions, set out in January, to boost Maths to 18. England’s recent performance in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), where it placed 4th in the world for reading among primary school children, demonstrate the progress made in attainment and teachers are central to this success.

Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, said:

A great education does not happen by chance, and brilliant teachers shape children’s lives every day.

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.

We know there is more to do, which is why we have generous bursaries to attract new trainees to teach priority subjects and focusing on supporting new teachers from the very start of their journey with free, high-quality, ongoing professional development.

Today’s data shows the majority of subjects continued to be taught by specialist teachers, with 87.4% of EBacc teaching hours in secondary schools (English, maths, all sciences, history geography and modern foreign languages) taught by a teacher with a relevant post-A level qualification. In Maths 87.2% of hours were taught by a specialist, helping drive the Government’s priority of boosting Maths attainment.

In addition to the number of teachers, the number of support staff has continued to grow for a third year in a row and, at 281,094, there are now a record number of teaching assistants, having risen by 5,300 since last year. This ensures pupils get the support they need to help them learn.

The Department is continuing to deliver major reforms to teacher training, including the Early Career Framework and delivery of National Professional Qualifications. The Government is delivering teacher training and development opportunities for every teacher that wants one, giving all teachers and school leaders access to world-class, evidence-based training and professional development at every stage of their career.

Over 16,700 teachers chose to re-join state schools this year, showing that teaching remains an attractive career.

Teacher retention is also key to ensuring effective teacher supply and quality. The Department has published a range of resources to help address teacher workload, improve wellbeing and support schools to introduce flexible working practices.