Exclusive: Recruitment crisis leaves millions for initial teacher training incentives unspent

Cost of programmes run by the National College for Teaching and Leadership falls by £95 million
27th February 2018, 2:30pm

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Exclusive: Recruitment crisis leaves millions for initial teacher training incentives unspent

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The teacher recruitment crisis has left millions of pounds earmarked for initial teacher training unspent this year, a new DfE document reveals. 

The news provides more evidence of the extent of the teacher recruitment crisis.

Last month, Ucas figures revealed that the number of applicants for teacher training courses was 29 per cent lower than at the same time in 2017. Last week, a senior Department for Education official described the teacher supply challenge as “very severe”.

Now, a new DfE document has revealed the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) is expected to spend £95 million less than planned on programmes this year, with much of this blamed on a shortfall in teacher training applicants.

‘Fewer applicants than projected’

The DfE’s Supplementary Estimate Memorandum 2017-18 says the NCTL had a £468 million budget for programmes in 2017-18, but the DfE now estimates it will actually spend £374 million - a 20 per cent difference.

The document says that £47 million of the reduction is because of a “decrease in the initial teacher training incentives programme costs primarily related to fewer applicants than projected, along with refined assumptions to take account of potential dropout rates”.

The remaining £48 million decrease is attributed to a range of factors, including an “overall reduction to the Teach First expansion programme costs, related to lower than anticipated participant numbers”, as well as changes to the treatment of VAT.

Teacher recruitment challenges

Teach First told Tes that it is funded by the number of participants it recruits, up to a maximum of 1,750, with the number of participants falling from 1,441 in 2016 to 1,396 in 2017.

Its chief executive Russell Hobby said: “There are challenges in teacher recruitment that we are not immune from, but we will continue to promote that teaching is a life-changing opportunity and one of the best jobs in the world.”

Teach First added that a new contract that started in 2017 delivered cost savings of 15 per cent more than previous contracts, because of cutting the length of its summer institute from six weeks to five, streamlining university partners and lower overheads.

The DfE memorandum also says there has also been a reduction in spending on the subject knowledge enhancements programme “due to refined assumptions about anticipated take-up of SKE courses”.

Further reductions in spending by the NCTL were explained by fewer teaching schools being designated - and lower than expected costs with the delivery of Teaching School Council regional activity.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “There are now a record number of teachers in our schools - 15,500 more than in 2010. Retention rates have been broadly stable for the past 20 years and the teaching profession continues to be an attractive career.

“We want to continue to help schools and colleges recruit and retain the best teachers. We are consulting on proposals to improve development opportunities for teachers across the country and have a range of generous bursaries to recruit teachers into subjects like maths and physics. Alongside this, we have introduced bursaries of up to £25,000 to attract new graduates to teach maths and English in the FE sector.”

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