Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she intends to take to address the shortage of applications for secondary teacher training places in subjects not expected to reach the targets set by the teacher supply model for September 2017.

The number of teachers is at an all-time high: there are now 457,300 full time equivalent teachers, up 15,500 from 2010. The number of new teachers entering our classrooms continues to outnumber those who retire or leave, and the number of teachers returning to the profession is 8% higher than in 2011.

We are continuing to offer generous bursaries to recruit the best graduates into the profession. From 2018 we are increasing funding across all high priority subjects. Our prestigious scholarship scheme will also continue, offering a package of tailored support and up to £28,000 tax-free for scholars in six subjects. We are also introducing a new style bursary for maths teachers with early retention payments.

In addition, teachers will benefit from the newly announced rise in the student loan repayment threshold and we will be piloting a new student loan reimbursement programme for science and Modern Foreign Language (MFL) teachers in the early years of their career, targeted in the areas of the country that need them most. We have also recently announced a £30 million investment in tailored support for schools that struggle most with recruitment and retention.