The government is making over £180 million available to attract trainee teachers in ‘high priority subjects’ for courses starting in 23/24. Graduates applying to train as teachers in subjects regarded to be in the greatest need will receive tax-free cash bursaries and scholarships, which it is hoped will encourage recruitment and retention of teachers in these areas. High priority subjects include Modern Foreign Languages and Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects.
The bursary for teachers of Modern Foreign Languages increased by £10,000 to £25,000 and the languages scholarship rose to £27,000. Teachers beginning their training in September 2023 will received bursaries worth £27,000 and scholarships worth £29,000 in the highest-priority STEM subjects of mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing.
The government also announced the introduction of a ‘levelling up premium’, expected to be worth £60 million over the 3 years, which is intended to improve pupil outcomes across the country by helping to retain specialist teachers working in disadvantaged areas.
The announcement of the grants and bursaries follows positive news announced in September that the government was introducing a new teacher development system and transforming the support teachers receive at every stage of their career – all the way from Initial teacher training (ITT) and early career support to specialisations and school leadership.
Part of drive to recruit excellent teachers where they are most needed and give pupils the skills for the future economy.
The generous package is worth £181 million in total, up £52 million on the current academic year, and will help ensure there are excellent teachers across the country, developing the pipeline of skills that the future UK economy will need.
Worcester MP Robin Walker said:
“As the Minister of State for School Standards I was proud to lead on the Schools White Paper which set out a number of measures to ensure the best teachers were encouraged to stay in the profession and provide every child in the country with a high quality education. This included a payrise for new teachers of 8.9%, intended to recognise the value teachers have to the education of our children. I also initiated work on the development of Modern Foreign Languages as a subject, and I am encouraged that the government is continuing with this work by giving new teachers of French, German, and Spanish the biggest boost in grants and bursaries.
“The government also accredited 179 providers of high quality ‘Initial Teacher Training’ courses last month, and I was glad to see the University of Worcester meet this standard. Together with the increased bursary I hope more teachers will begin their careers teaching these important subjects in Worcester.”