Unfilled teaching posts have risen by 23% in a year

By Sarah Cassidy, Education Correspondent Schools are in the grip of their worst staffing crisis for years, with of a 23 per cent rise in the number of unfilled teaching jobs. There are 2,510 vacancies across the country, latest figures from the Department for Children, Schools and Families show. The shortfall is being blamed largely on a shortage of maths and science specialists, but there is also the "demographic timebomb" of older teachers leaving the profession faster than they can be replaced. Just over half of all headteachers are expected to retire within four years. At the same time, the number of trainee teachers has fallen. The number of vacancies in nursery and primary schools has risen by nearly 32 per cent since this time last year, from 210 to 870. In secondary schools, the figure is up by 21.5 per cent, from... [read full story]