The number of teachers in England’s state schools has dropped for the second consecutive year, falling by nearly 2,000 to 466,300, according to the latest school workforce census. This decline comes despite the government’s promise to recruit 6,500 additional teachers over the current parliament.
The Department for Education (DfE) maintains it is on track to meet its manifesto pledge, citing an increase of 4,600 teachers compared to a 2023 baseline, excluding primary teachers. This includes a net rise of 1,000 secondary teachers and around 2,000 teachers in special needs and pupil referral units. However, critics note that the DfE’s figures include 2,300 teachers recorded just months after Labour took office, making it unlikely that new policies had a significant impact.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the government is “making real progress where it’s needed most,” pointing to record-low teacher attrition and more educators choosing long-term careers. Yet the census reveals the fewest entrants to the profession in at least 15 years, with only 41,000 new and returning teachers joining state schools this year, compared to 51,000 a decade ago.
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, described the overall fall as “making a mockery” of the government’s promise. He urged the government to seize the opportunity presented by falling pupil numbers to increase staffing and reduce class sizes, as was done 25 years ago. The census also showed a rise in pupils eligible for free school meals, now over 2.2 million (26.5% of all pupils), with the north-east of England worst affected at one in three.
