Teacher Trainee Recruitment Falls Short of Government Targets in England

New figures reveal worsening shortages in primary school teacher trainees and persistent gaps in secondary subject recruitment.

The Department for Education achieved only 88% of its primary teacher training recruitment target for 2024/25, down from 94% the previous year.
Primary school teacher trainee numbers fell from 8,633 last year to 8,258, despite an increased target of 9,400.
Secondary teacher recruitment saw modest improvement, reaching 62% of its target, but 12 out of 17 subjects remain under-recruited.
Overall, teacher training recruitment across primary and secondary levels stands at 69% of the target, up from 60% last year but still below pre-pandemic levels.
Education experts warn that without a comprehensive strategy, the Labour Government's pledge to recruit 6,500 new teachers will be difficult to achieve.