The first “welcome back” bonuses for teachers returning to the profession will be paid this month. As of last November, more than 2,500 teachers had applied for a bonus of either pound;2,000 or pound;4,000, the latter for those in shortage subjects.
The Department for Education and Skills is spending pound;117,280 this financial year developing and publicising the scheme, school standards minister Stephen Timms told Lib Dem spokesman Phil Willis, in a written answer.