Schools

Poorer pupils ‘locked out’ of key subjects due to teacher shortages

Teacher shortages ‘block poorest pupils from some of the best-paid careers in AI-driven economy’

Teacher shortages ‘block poorest pupils from some of the best-paid careers in AI-driven economy’

Assistive technology admissions

Almost a third of schools in the poorest areas do not offer computer science A-level, leaving pupils “shut out of one of the best paid career paths” because of teacher shortages.

Research by Teacher Tapp found 31 per cent of schools in the most disadvantaged areas did not offer computer science A-levels. The figure for the wealthiest areas was just 11 per cent. 

The schools in the poorest areas were also much more likely to shun French (23 vs 3 per cent), Spanish (17 vs 6 per cent), music (17 vs 5 per cent) and physics (9 vs 1 per cent). 

The government has repeatedly failed to meet its teacher recruitment targets in all five subjects. Last year, just 37 per cent of the necessary computing teachers and 31 per cent of the necessary physics teachers were recruited.

The poll found 17 per cent of respondents reported not having a computer science teacher at all, equating to around 600 schools nationally.

‘Best paid career path’

Ahead of the spending review, the teacher training charity Teach First is calling for an increase in starting teacher salaries to £40,000 by 2030, to put the profession in the top third of graduate earnings.

It also wants ministers expand pay premiums for teachers in shortage subjects working in poorer communities.

Teach First warned that as a result, poorer pupils are being “shut out of one of the best paid career paths.

Russell Hobby, CEO of Teach First, said the country risks being “held back” and failing young people “because there simply aren’t enough trained teachers.”

“The government must act in the spending review: raise teacher pay, support those teaching in the schools and subjects that need them most, and make sure every pupil has access to the opportunities they deserve.”

Belinda Chapple, headteacher of Caterham High School, in Ilford, said she had made “difficult choices” because of national staffing shortages in subjects. 

“We’ve struggled to recruit computer science teachers, like many other schools, removing a key career pathway for our A-level students. 

This year, Labour launched its AI opportunities action plan to help “give teachers their Sunday evenings back”. 

The plan proposed efforts to increase the numbers of “AI graduates” from higher education and “expand education pathways into AI”. But it did not mention computer science.

Figures released last week show 2,000 more people are training to become secondary school teachers compared to last year, and the DfE has cut its recruitment targets due to “more favourable forecasts” for teacher retention.

Its target for computing, missed by 63 per cent this year, has been slashed from 1,330 to 895 in 2025-26.

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One comment

  1. Caroline Wilkes

    It’s a shame these students don’t have access to Computer Science A levels. However, CS is not an essential requirement for a degree in the subject. Mathematics is crucial, however.