Walk into any staffroom in England today and the conversation rarely stays away from one pressing theme: not enough teachers. Across primary and secondary schools, supply lists are stretched, classes are being covered by teaching assistants, and some specialist lessons simply aren't happening at all. The teacher shortage in England has grown from a background worry into a full-blown crisis — and in 2026, the data makes for uncomfortable reading.
This article breaks down which subjects are hardest hit, why experienced teachers are leaving the profession, and what parents and policymakers can realistically expect in the years ahead.
In 2024–25, England missed its secondary teacher training targets in physics, maths, and computing for the fifth consecutive year. The shortfall in physics alone exceeded 70% of the funded target.
How Big Is the Teacher Shortage in England?
The Department for Education (DfE) tracks teacher recruitment through its Initial Teacher Training (ITT) census each year. While the headline numbers vary by subject and phase, the overall picture is one of sustained underfilling. Between 2020 and 2025, the total secondary ITT intake fell short of target by an average of 14% annually.
At the same time, the number of teachers leaving the profession has been rising. The teacher retention rate — the percentage who remain in state-funded schools five years after qualifying — has dropped to around 57%, meaning nearly half of all newly qualified teachers leave within five years.
If your child's school regularly uses supply teachers for a particular subject, ask the headteacher at parents' evening how they are managing specialist continuity. You are entitled to raise this concern formally through the school's complaints procedure.
Which Subjects Are Most Affected?
Not all subject areas are equally short-staffed. The crisis is most severe in secondary schools, particularly in STEM and some arts subjects. Here is a breakdown based on the latest available ITT and workforce census data:
| Subject | ITT Target Met (%) | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Physics | ≈ 29% | 🔴 Critical |
| Computing / ICT | ≈ 40% | 🔴 Critical |
| Maths | ≈ 56% | 🟠 Severe |
| Design & Technology | ≈ 42% | 🔴 Critical |
| Modern Foreign Languages | ≈ 53% | 🟠 Severe |
| Chemistry | ≈ 65% | 🟡 Moderate |
| Music | ≈ 60% | 🟡 Moderate |
| English | ≈ 76% | 🟡 Moderate |
| History / Geography | ≈ 80–85% | 🟢 Lower pressure |
| Primary (all subjects) | ≈ 88% | 🟢 Lower pressure |
Physics stands out as the most chronic shortage. The root issue is pipeline: relatively few undergraduates study physics, and those who do are highly attractive to employers in engineering, finance, and technology sectors — all of which typically offer higher salaries than teaching.
Why Are Teachers Leaving?
Several interconnected factors drive teacher attrition in England. Understanding them matters because they point toward which solutions are most likely to work.
1. Pay and Cost of Living
The government has raised starting teacher salaries in recent years, bringing the minimum to £30,000 nationally. However, in London and the South East, this figure cannot compete with the cost of housing. Experienced mid-career teachers in expensive areas often find their real-terms purchasing power has declined relative to comparable graduate professions over the past decade.
2. Workload and Bureaucracy
Multiple surveys by teacher unions — particularly the NASUWT and the NEU — consistently rank workload as the top reason teachers consider leaving. Marking, lesson planning, data entry, Ofsted preparation, and pastoral demands outside contracted hours all contribute to an unsustainable load, particularly for those with young families.
3. Behaviour and Wellbeing
Post-pandemic classrooms have seen a rise in low-level disruption, exclusions, and mental health difficulties among pupils. Teachers in under-resourced schools, without adequate SEMH (Social, Emotional and Mental Health) support, often bear the brunt of these challenges without adequate backing.
4. Leadership and Culture
A school's senior leadership team has an outsized effect on morale. Where headteachers are perceived as unsupportive or where there is a blame culture around Ofsted inspection outcomes, attrition tends to be higher. Conversely, schools rated highly for staff wellbeing often retain staff even when salaries are modest.
Teacher attrition is driven not just by pay but by workload, culture, and perceived respect for the profession. Retention policies that address all three elements have shown the most promising results.
What Is the Government Doing About It?
The Labour government, in office since July 2024, has outlined several measures to address the teacher supply crisis:
- Bursaries and scholarships — Tax-free bursaries of up to £29,000 for physics and maths trainees, £26,000 for chemistry and computing.
- International recruitment — Targeted campaigns in countries such as Australia, Canada, India, and South Africa, supported by streamlined visa pathways.
- Early Career Framework (ECF) — Two-year structured support programme for newly qualified teachers aimed at reducing drop-off in the first three years.
- National Education Union (NEU) pay negotiations — Multi-year pay deal discussions seeking to narrow the gap with comparable graduate professions.
- Teacher retention payments — Targeted incentives worth up to £6,000 for experienced STEM teachers who remain in hard-to-recruit areas.
Critics argue that these measures, while positive, are insufficient in scale. The bursary amounts have remained broadly static in real terms over several years, and international recruitment, though growing, raises ethical questions about depleting teacher pipelines in source countries.
The Impact on Pupils
Teacher shortages do not stay in the staffroom — they reach into classrooms with measurable consequences:
- Less specialist teaching — Pupils in shortage subjects may be taught by non-specialists, particularly in smaller schools or those in rural areas.
- Higher supply teacher turnover — Frequent changes in the face at the front of the room disrupt learning continuity and relationship-based classroom management.
- Reduced GCSE and A-level options — Some schools are quietly dropping subjects such as physics, music, or languages from their option blocks because they cannot staff them reliably.
- Widening disadvantage gap — Schools in disadvantaged areas typically find it harder to attract and retain experienced staff, meaning the shortage disproportionately affects pupils who most need expert teaching.
Schools rated "Inadequate" by Ofsted experience teacher turnover rates up to three times higher than those rated "Outstanding". The shortage and school quality are therefore deeply interlinked.
What Can Schools Do Right Now?
While systemic change requires government action, school leaders are not powerless. The most effective short-term strategies include:
- Building strong subject-specialist networks through Teaching School Hubs to share teachers across local schools.
- Using remote/online lesson delivery for specialist subjects in rural or under-staffed settings.
- Investing in career development and clear promotion pathways to retain mid-career teachers.
- Restructuring timetables to reduce non-contact time demands on teachers most at risk of burnout.
- Joining or forming Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs), which can pool staffing resources more efficiently.
Looking Ahead: Is There Light at the End of the Tunnel?
The honest answer is: possibly, but slowly. Demographic factors are working in one direction — a growing school-age population means demand for teachers will not shrink. Economic factors are partially working in the profession's favour: high inflation has made the security and pension benefits of teaching more attractive than during the boom years.
However, unless workload burdens are addressed substantively — not just rhetorically — highly qualified graduates will continue to look elsewhere. The teacher shortage in England is ultimately a workforce satisfaction problem as much as a recruitment one. England cannot train and recruit its way out of a retention crisis.
Want to know if your child's current school is retaining its staff well? Ask at open evenings for the staff turnover rate, or check the school's Ofsted report — they often reference staff morale and leadership culture directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which subject is the most short-staffed in England?
Physics consistently records the largest shortfall against ITT recruitment targets, often filling less than 30% of funded places in recent years.
Is the teacher shortage affecting primary schools?
Primary school recruitment is significantly healthier than secondary. However, certain primary specialisms — such as music and PE — do face shortages, and inner-city and rural schools face greater challenges across all phases.
What is the government's bursary for teacher training?
In 2025–26, tax-free training bursaries range from £10,000 (for subjects with lower demand) up to £29,000 for physics trainees. Scholarships worth slightly more are available through subject associations for the most in-demand disciplines.
What can I do if my child's school keeps using supply teachers?
Raise the matter directly with the headteacher or write to the school governors. You can also contact your local authority's school improvement team if you believe the situation is seriously affecting your child's progress.
