Government Announces New Teacher Training Incentives to Boost Recruitment
New Financial Incentives for Trainee Teachers
The government has unveiled a significant package of financial incentives aimed at addressing persistent teacher recruitment challenges across England. Starting in 2025, trainee teachers in maths, physics, chemistry, and computing will be eligible for a tax-free payments worth up to £31,000.
Bursaries and scholarships will be available through university-led and school-based routes, as the Department for Education (DfE) seeks to attract candidates from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields into teaching. For those entering further education, up to £31,000 will be offered for shortage subjects, £10,000 for English, and £15,000 for teachers training to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeships will also, receive the same level of support as other routes, with schools able to claim up to £29,000 to train apprentices in maths, chemistry, physics and computing. These efforts respond to acute shortages in these subjects across schools in England. For more insight on the value of specialist job boards in SEND, see Why Use a Niche Job Board to Find SEND Candidates.
Addressing Persistent Shortages
Recent data shows that the Department for Education filled just 62% of its secondary trainee teacher recruitment target last year. Forecasts from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) suggest this could improve to 85% in 2025/26. According to Jack Worth, education workforce lead at NFER, financial incentives such as bursaries remain highly effective for attracting and retaining teachers in shortage subjects:
“Our research shows bursaries are critical for boosting recruitment and helping teachers stay in the profession, especially in fields like physics and maths. This announcement brings government targets in reach.” Learn more about building your SEND skills in How to Start Your Career in Special Education.
Retention Challenges Remain
While new incentives are expected to attract more trainees, teacher retention remains a pressing concern. Amanda, a science coordinator in north London, noted that financial support is a strong draw, especially for candidates from science or engineering backgrounds. However, she warned that the stress of teaching and increased expectations have made retention challenging:
“Teaching is rewarding, but it’s increasingly stressful and demanding. Workload and hours are now major issues. Without additional investment, retaining staff in science and engineering subjects is becoming harder each year.” For approaches to improving flexibility and retention, read How Flexible Working Is Changing the Education Workforce.
Senploy’s Commitment to SEND Recruitment, Retention & Development
Senploy is dedicated to supporting recruitment and professional development across the SEND and education sectors, collaborating with schools, colleges, and specialist providers to address these challenges. Our platform connects candidates with SEND teaching routes, apprenticeship opportunities, and roles linked to government bursaries—ensuring talented professionals reach the organisations that need them most.
Senploy also provides ongoing career guidance, resources on managing workload, and updates on policy changes, empowering teachers and support staff to thrive. Senploy strengthens recruitment and retention pipelines, especially for those in shortage subjects and roles supporting children with SEND.
Educators, leaders, and anyone committed to driving positive change in schools and colleges can look to Senploy for expertise and support across every step of their career journey.