More than 1,000 extra teachers could be recruited by boosting opportunities for trainees to study part time, according to analysis shared with Tes.
Despite applications to part-time teacher training courses tripling in recent years, the number of people starting a part-time teacher training course in England is falling, indicating that provision may not be meeting demand, according to charity Now Teach.
The figures, shared exclusively with Tes, also showed that there are “regional deserts” of part-time teacher training courses.
Few part-time applicants become trainees
In 2023-24, more than 5,000 candidates applied to study teacher training part-time, but only 345 of these (7 per cent) actually started a course.
In comparison, more than four in 10 applicants (42 per cent) on the full-time route started a training course.
If the recruitment rates were equal, it could mean an extra 1,182 trainee teachers, according to Now Teach analysis.
The charity, which runs a teacher recruitment programme for career changers, said that this could help the government reach its target of 6,500 teachers by the end of this Parliament.
MPs have recently criticised the Department for Education (DfE) for lacking a “coherent plan” and “suitable targets” in its efforts to improve teacher recruitment and retention.
Earlier this year, the School Teachers’ Review Body said that to push flexible working practice forward, and suggested a mandatory duty for all schools to have a published flexible working policy.
Dropout rate signals need for more support
Applications from those over 30 - which comprises over half of part-time teacher trainees - have more than doubled since 2021, whereas the number of entrants aged under 30 has fallen by 14 per cent in the past two years.
The conversion rate for part-time teacher trainees - which is the rate of applicants who start the course versus those who apply - has fallen from 23 per cent to 7 per cent in the past four years.
This is despite little change in how many are applying, Now Teach said.
Now Teach believes the rising dropout rate for part-time teacher training shows the need for a dedicated support service to help people, especially career changers, through the application process.
The charity also suggested that the lower starting rate for part-time applicants may also be due to the “reality” of taking part in the course.
Often trainees “take a lot longer to establish routines and relationships”, meaning many opt to “take a full-time course with the intention of subsequently applying for part-time jobs”.
Providers struggle with part-time curriculum
“The data clearly reflects the reality on the ground for many providers,” said James Coleman, head of operations at the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers.
“Running a two-year programme means doubling placement arrangements, additional mentoring time and managing the logistics of curriculum delivery.”
Other challenges include curriculum scheduling, which can add “significant pressure” for School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (often referred to as SCITT), Mr Coleman added.
Henry Sauntson, director of Teach East SCITT in Peterborough, agreed that coverage of the curriculum can be difficult for those taking a part-time course: “Anyone studying part-time is hindered in their access to the curriculum, as they would not be attending all the necessary training and education sessions across a calendar year.”
He added: “Providers would find it very difficult to run a part-time version of their main curriculum; they’d have to design and deliver an entirely separate pathway away from the full-time course, and work very closely with partner schools to ensure trainee timetables offer sufficient teaching.”
Shortage subjects
Certain regions do not offer the same number of part-time training courses, despite applications more than doubling in most areas.
Now Teach examined availability in the three biggest shortage subjects - maths, physics and modern foreign languages - in a 20-mile radius of major regional cities.
In the Newcastle area, there just two courses, with low provision in Liverpool, Leicester, Peterborough, Brighton and Plymouth.
However, in London and Birmingham, there is a multitude of course choices.
Mr Coleman added: “If teaching is to stay competitive in a changing labour market, we must continue to explore ways to offer meaningful flexibility to attract diverse applicants - including career changers, graduates and those with families.
“This isn’t just a logistical issue - it is a strategic imperative for the future of the profession.”
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