Recruitment targets for chemistry teachers exceeded      

More than seven out of 10 new trainee teachers now have a high-quality degree, the highest proportion ever recorded, according to latest figures from the Teaching Agency.
These reveal that 71% of graduates choosing to train for a career in the classroom now have a 2:1 or higher. This is a record rise of six percentage points compared to last year.

The quality of trainee teachers has improved in all the key English Baccalaureate subjects – including maths, physics, chemistry and modern foreign languages, which have been traditionally hard to recruit to.

Overall 66 per cent of those entering teacher training in these shortage subjects now have a 2:1 or higher degree classification – up from 55% last year.

The data also shows that 900 graduates are expected to start training this academic year as physics teachers – the highest total since records were first kept by the Institute of Physics in 1979.

This demonstrates that the Government’s strategy to attract and train the best graduates as teachers is working.

Under the Coalition Government, many of the brightest and best graduates now receive a tax-free bursary of up to £20,000. The Government has also launched prestigious training scholarships with highly-regarded bodies such as the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Chemistry and the BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT.

Matthew Fox from Cheshire who holds a 1st honours degree in Biochemistry said:

“During university I gained experience teaching in a school and thoroughly enjoyed myself, so this profession seemed a natural step to take after I completed my PhD. I love sharing my knowledge of science and helping pupils to broaden the appeal of the subject.
The career opportunities are fantastic. I have progressed incredibly quickly since starting out, and after three years of being a head of year, I now manage the transition of pupils from primary to high school in our catchment area.
Teaching is a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding career and I haven’t looked back since starting out.”

Education Secretary Michael Gove said:
“Raising standards in our schools is at the heart of the Coalition Government’s education reforms. Having a high-quality teacher in each and every classroom is key to achieving this. Nothing matters more if we are to equip our young people to succeed in today’s competitive world.
These figures show we are on the right track to achieving this, especially in those key EBacc subjects. These subjects give young people the knowledge and skills they need to progress to further study or to rewarding employment.”

Charlie Taylor, chief executive at the Teaching Agency, said:

Teaching has changed – it is now a career of choice for our top graduates. It offers a rewarding career for people with talent and ambition.
Parents can also be confident that we have the best teachers coming into our classrooms – vital if we are to help every child achieve their full potential.”

The figures from the Teaching Agency’s annual census also show that this academic year:

• 2,920 graduates are expected to train in science, meaning that the hoped-for number of 2,835 has been exceeded by 3%.

• 1,170 graduates are expected to train in chemistry, exceeding the recruitment target by nearly 10 %.

• 1,630 graduates are expected to start modern foreign languages teacher training courses, meaning that the hoped-for number of 1,575 has been exceeded by over 3%.

• A record number and proportion of men are due to enter primary teacher training – 20% – up from 18 % in 2010.