“While there are certainly some positive signs here, the fact remains that the target for ITT recruitment in secondary subjects has once again been missed. With one exception, this has happened every year since 2012/13. The target has been missed in around half of all secondary subjects, despite targets being substantially reduced in many cases. While improvements in subjects such as music and design and technology are to be celebrated, the actual increase in the number of new teachers is very small.
“The reality on the ground is that school leaders are struggling with staff shortages in many subject areas. The government cannot afford to rest on their laurels and think that one year of slightly better recruitment can fix such a widespread problem. We need to see sustained growth over many years. This will require improvements to pay and conditions in order to attract greater numbers of people into teaching, and to keep them there in the long term.”