Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many former teachers have signed up to return to teaching, by local authority; and how many of those former teachers have been placed in schools.

The department is extremely grateful to all the teachers who are responding to our call to return temporarily to the classroom to support schools to remain open and deliver face to face education for pupils.

The department published the results of a sample survey of supply agencies on 12 January. 47 agencies reported 485 sign ups as a result of the call to arms with Teach First reporting over 100 expressions of interest from their alumni to temporarily return to the classroom.

The department needs to balance the need for data with the burden we place on those collating it. Therefore, we did not request information by upper/lower tier local authority and the employment agencies that are working with us have no reason to sort and organise their candidates in such a way. Where a specific supply teacher is prepared to work will differ from individual to individual for many different reasons.

The department remains in close contact with supply agencies to monitor the interest they receive to help schools during this time.