How to get ahead in teaching: shortage subjects
Following a surge in teachers training for primary school, the primary sector is now somewhat oversubscribed. This doesn’t mean you should abandon plans to be a primary teacher if you are sure that it’s the right route for you, but you do need to be aware that you will be up against stiff competition and you may not be able to be quite so choosy about what school you can teach in, at least initially. Nevertheless, if you have leadership ambitions it is a time of opportunity: a shortage of deputy heads and head teachers is predicted over the next few years as many of them are approaching retirement age.
Subject shortages in secondary schools
The government is now offering tax-free grants of up to £9,000 for graduates in some shortage subjects to move into teaching. subjects These currently include physics, chemistry, engineering and mathematics. In addition, they are offering £6,000 for graduates with Biology, Combined or General Sciences, and Modern Foreign Languages.
If you choose to teach any of these subjects you will be entitled to enhanced financial support while training as well as a ‘golden hello’ or teaching grant once you have accepted a permanent post and successfully completed your induction period – the first year of teaching after completing training. (To get the golden hello you need to have attained qualified teacher status via a postgraduate rather than a work-based teacher training route.) As you might expect, the priority subjects attract a larger share of funding and financial incentives, including a £5,000 ‘golden hello’ for mathematics and science teachers. Further details are available from from the Training and Development Agency for Schools.
Maths and science teachers: in demand, up for promotion
If you are hungry for career progression, then teaching maths or physics will certainly give you that opportunity. Because of the short supply of teachers in these areas, you will be up against far less competition when it comes to applying for more senior posts. It’s not unusual for teachers in these subjects with fairly limited experience to be offered ‘teacher and learning responsibility’ (TLR) payments – you could be earning as much as £10,000 above the initial starting salary within just a couple of years.
The shortage of maths and science teachers at secondary schools reflects the low numbers studying these subjects at university – apparently even if all maths graduates trained to be school teachers there still wouldn’t be enough of them! Of the sciences, physics is the subject facing the biggest crisis in teacher supply, and it is not uncommon for a biologist or chemist to teach physics up to key stage 4 (GCSE level).
In practical terms, this means that a career teaching maths or physics could be open to you even if you do not have a straight mathematics or physics degree. To find out whether you would be eligible to teach these subjects as a graduate with a related degree (eg engineering, computer science or chemistry), talk to individual course providers about their entry requirements. Alternatively, get in touch with the recruitment team in your local area if you are considering doing the Graduate Teacher Programme, the main employment-based route into teaching.
Be aware of the north/south divide in teaching
Within London and the South East there is a real shortage of trained secondary school teachers but this is balanced by an oversupply of teachers in the North and West. Although you may be put off by the cost of living in the South East, you should be aware that there are government-led schemes to help teachers to move to the area. These include subsidised rented housing and the opportunity to purchase key worker housing.
Tony Bartlett is a secondary school recruitment consultant for Hertfordshire Local Authority. Tony has been working in the education sector for over 40 years, including as a geography teacher, deputy head teacher and head teacher.
