Teach First, the government’s flagship provider for attracting high-flying graduates into teaching, has recruited the lowest number of trainees in four years, missing its target by a fifth.
It comes after a post-pandemic employment bounce for top graduates, with some of the UK’s leading employers offering starting salaries of £50,000.
Teach First, which admitted to “significant recruitment challenges”, is calling on the government to offer a £5,000 recruitment bonus for teachers who work in the most deprived areas “to ensure the profession remains competitive”.
Estimates suggest the government will miss its trainee teacher target by a third this year.
