The government is set to miss its manifesto pledge of recruiting 6,500 new teachers as staff shortages reach unprecedented levels, unions have claimed. The warnings follow the release of a new report from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), which reveals that teacher vacancies in England have surged. Unfilled positions rose by over 20 per cent in 2023/24, reaching six vacancies per 1,000 teachers, double the pre-pandemic rate and six times higher than in 2010/11. The NFER also found that the proportion of pupils in large class sizes continues to rise, often signalling a shortage of high-quality teachers. Commenting on the findings, National Education Union general secretary Daniel Kebede said: "The government was elected in the hope it would value education. [It] has a limited window if it hopes to solve the teacher recruitment and retention crisis within this Parliament. The clock is ticking." The Telegraph notes that Labour pledged to invest £450 million in attracting new teachers, funded by its VAT on fees policy. By Poppy Wood. 

BBC News looks at the experiences of teachers struggling with the growing pressures in schools amid staff shortages. Several teachers interviewed describe overwhelming workloads, larger class sizes, and a lack of support, leading many to consider leaving the profession. Some highlight the emotional toll of balancing pupil needs with staff shortages, while others stress the urgent need for better pay and working conditions to retain educators. By Vanessa Clarke.

In a written question in the House of Commons, Conservative MP Sir John Hayes asked what estimate has been made of the number of children that have moved from independent to state schools as a result of applying VAT to independent schools in (a) Lincolnshire and (b) the East Midlands. Responding, schools minister Stephen Morgan said: "The department has made no separate estimate of the number of pupils in individual local authority areas who have left the independent school system as a result of VAT on school fees." Mr Morgan added that ministers expect 37,000 pupils to move out of independent schools to the state sector following the VAT policy, with a net increase of 35,000 in state schools. This, he said, represents less than 0.5 per cent of the total state school population, stating that it will be managed by local authorities with support and capital funding for new school places, especially in regions like the East Midlands, which has been allocated £177.1 million to provide additional places by 2026. Hansard.

Darren Millar, Welsh Conservative MS and leader of the opposition, submitted a question to the Welsh Parliament in which he asked: "Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on the Welsh government's consultation on charitable non-domestic rates relief for private schools?" Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language Mark Drakeford responded, stating that the consultation outcome and the draft Non-Domestic Rating (Withdrawal of Charitable Relief for Independent Schools) (Wales) Regulations 2025 were announced before the Senedd in January. He confirmed that the Regulations, approved on 4 March, will come into effect on 1 April. The Welsh Parliament. 

Helen Hayes, chair of the Education Select Committee, has reportedly told the Department for Education (DfE) to set out its plans and timescales for major special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms amid reports a white paper is being prepared. In a letter to schools minister Catherine McKinnell, published yesterday, Ms Hayes said the committee’s SEND inquiry had an "unprecedented" number of contributions, including from parents of children with additional needs. By Rhi Storer, Schools Week. 

The Times reports nurseries are getting ready to scale back the number of government-funded places they offer to working parents amid growing concerns that the scheme is financially unsustainable. Up to 60 per cent of nurseries now plan to limit the number of places they provide under the government's scheme, which pledged to offer 30 hours of free childcare for all pre-school children by September. The move is in response to new government rules, expected to come into force next month, which ban nurseries from imposing any additional charges on parents, such as for meals and trips, that are not voluntary. By Oliver Wright.

Sir Martyn Oliver has warned that schools are not serving their communities if they fail to admit disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils. Addressing delegates at the the National SEND and Inclusion Conference, Ofsted's chief inspector said inclusion was not an add-on, stating: "We want to bring a real focus to it through its own evaluation area. But it will also be threaded through every other inspection area. Everything we look at will include a consideration of how it works for disadvantaged and vulnerable children." By John Roberts, Tes.

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