Over the past few years, the percentage of the total number of graduates training to be a teacher coming from the United Kingdom has fallen, year on year. On the other hand, the percentage of trainees on these courses from both EEA and ‘other’ countries has increased.
| YEAR | UK | EEA | OTHER | KNOWN | % OTHER | % EEA | EEA + OTHER |
| 16/17 | 23658 | 1295 | 506 | 25459 | 2% | 5% | 7% |
| 17/18 | 24223 | 1294 | 532 | 26049 | 2% | 5% | 7% |
| 18/19 | 26550 | 1422 | 634 | 28606 | 2% | 5% | 7% |
| 19/20 | 26562 | 1470 | 806 | 28838 | 3% | 5% | 8% |
| 20/21 | 31418 | 1747 | 919 | 34084 | 3% | 5% | 8% |
| 21/22 | 27628 | 1210 | 823 | 29661 | 3% | 4% | 7% |
| 22/23 | 20019 | 1201 | 722 | 21942 | 3% | 5% | 9% |
| 23/24 | 19363 | 880 | 1053 | 21296 | 5% | 4% | 9% |
| 24/25 | 20586 | 1381 | 1351 | 23318 | 6% | 6% | 12% |
| 25/26 | 22492 | 1543 | 2082 | 26117 | 8% | 6% | 14% |
The table has been abstracted from the DfE data catalogue associated with the annual ITT census.https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/initial-teacher-training-census/2025-26
This year, trainees from countries in the ‘other’ group accounted for a record eight per cent of postgraduate trainees. Taken together with the percentage from EEA countries, some 14% of the current cohort of postgraduate trainees were from these two groups. The home student total was still 86%, but that is the national figure.
This influx of overseas trainees has helped the government meet more of its targets for secondary subjects than had it just had to rely upon home-based students to fill the places. These cosmopolitan students bring fresh perspectives that will help widen the experience of the home students they are studying alongside.
However, as my previous post suggested, these ‘overseas’ trainees are not likely to be spready evenly across courses, or across the country. A significant number will be on courses in London, while few will be on courses located a significant distance from the capital.
What matters more, is what happens to these trainees at the end of their courses. Will they be able to enter the labour market for teachers, and be provided work visas.as important, after training in England, will they want to teacher in this country or will they look to the rapidly expanding international school market for employment opportunities.
Interestingly, of the nearly 4,500 vacancies currently listed on the DfE job site, only 18 appear to say that ‘visas can be sponsored’. No doubt, when faced with a great trainee and a vacancy that might prove a challenge to fill, attitudes might alter. However, none of the current physics posts sponsor visa students.
Why am I interested in this data? Mostly because the DfE seems to think its job is done with the publication of the ITT census, and the provision of a vacancy website.
Ever since I founded TeachVac in 2013, I have been of the firm belief that as local authorities recede into the background with regard to schooling, so central government needs to know more about the workings of the labour market for teachers. If all 3,500 non-UK trainees didn’t teach in state schools in England, and a number of UK citizens decided to teach overseas, what would be the implications for schools across England? And what would it do to the agenda of lifting young people out of poverty?
John Howson 