The Labour government has failed to meet its own target for recruiting new secondary school teachers this year, despite introducing a controversial VAT charge on private school fees specifically to fund the initiative.
Recruitment Shortfall in Key Subjects
Official statistics for the 2025/26 recruitment cycle show that the Department for Education secured just 88 per cent of the required 19,270 new secondary school teachers. This represents a significant shortfall, with the target itself having been reduced by 20 per cent from the previous year.
The situation is particularly acute in specialist subjects. Around half of all secondary subjects, including music, physics, and modern languages, did not recruit enough new trainees to meet demand. This ongoing failure to replace teachers leaving the profession is causing major concerns for school leaders across the country.
Union Leaders Condemn "Missed Target"
The recruitment data has drawn sharp criticism from teaching unions. Pepe Di'Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, stated that school leaders are "struggling with staff shortages in many subject areas" and warned the Government "cannot afford to rest on their laurels."
Daniel Kebede of the National Education Union echoed this, arguing the Department for Education should not believe the "recruitment and retention crisis is solved." He highlighted the damaging real-world impact, noting that "teachers are having to deliver lessons in subjects outside their specialism" due to staffing gaps.
Broader Context and Ministerial Response
The missed target comes after ministers justified January's VAT imposition on private school fees by claiming the revenue would pay for 6,500 new teachers in the state sector. This pledge was later called into question when Prime Minister Keir Starmer suggested the funds might be diverted to housing projects.
Historically, the DfE has struggled with secondary teacher recruitment, having failed to meet its annual target every year bar one since 2012/13. While this year's 88 per cent figure is an improvement on last year's 61 per cent, it still falls short.
In a contrasting development, primary teacher recruitment exceeded its target by 126 per cent. Furthermore, the total number of new recruits across all education levels was 32,175, which is 11 per cent higher than the previous year.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson struck a positive tone, stating: "Today's figures are further evidence of the strong progress in teacher recruitment after years of crisis. It means more young people getting the expert teaching they deserve."
