Concerns about a looming teacher shortage have intensified after a new poll revealed two-thirds of secondary headteachers have struggled to find maths teachers in the past year.

The survey, released by the Association for School and College Leaders, also found that half of the 777 headteachers polled had experience difficulties in recruiting enough science or English teachers.

Headteachers told TES they were concerned that the current climate of “teacher bashing” was putting people off entering the profession. 

Last year, the government brought in performance-related pay, saying that the freedoms would support headteachers to attract staff in specific subjects and help schools to recruit and retain excellent teachers.

But Mark Jackson, headteacher of Haslingden High School in Lancashire, said: “The changes to pay have not changed things very much. If there are not enough English teachers, one school paying more is not going to solve the problem of there not being enough to go around.”

Read the full article with all the stats in the 19 December edition of TES on your tablet or phone or by downloading the TES Reader app for Android or iOS. Or pick it up at all good newsagents