Commenting on new government data published today - which shows a fall in the total number of teachers, new entrants to teaching and newly qualified teachers in England, sustained falls in the number of teachers aged under 25 and 25-29, and recorded vacancies remaining persistently high - Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“These figures lay bare the scale of the challenge the government faces if it is to meet its target of recruiting 6,500 additional teachers by the end of the Parliament and tackle the really severe recruitment and retention crisis facing schools.

“Almost as many teachers are leaving the profession as are starting out in it, and vacancies make it challenging for schools to deliver the full curriculum, with subjects being taught by non-specialists and supply teachers.

“It is clear the government needs a sharp and sustained focus on restoring teaching as an attractive and sustainable long term professional graduate career – something the previous administration failed miserably to achieve.

“The government must focus on delivering real terms pay restoration to 2010 levels by the end of this parliament, achieving tangible and lasting workload reduction, and realising full system reform of discredited and dangerous Ofsted inspections which do so much damage to the health and wellbeing of teachers and leaders.

“Ultimately, despite the best efforts of schools and their leaders, it is children’s education which suffers if schools do not have the teachers they need.”

The data shows:

The total number of teachers fell to 468,258 from 468,690 last year

The total number of new entrants to teaching fell to 41,736 from 43,114 last year

The number of newly qualified teachers fell to 16,999 from 17,517 last year