NATRE calls for funded subject knowledge enhancement courses to be retained after April 2024
In September last year, Deborah Weston, on behalf of NATRE, had the privilege of giving oral evidence to the Education Select Committee in the Palace of Westminster. The occasion was part of an inquiry by the committee into teacher recruitment, retention and training. The committee seemed well informed about the teaching profession's crisis, and members asked searching questions about the specific issues in particular subjects. At the time, RE had no bursary, and the irony was not lost on NATRE; of the five subjects represented, RE was the only subject in that position.
Given the well-documented crisis in teacher recruitment, causing serious issues for schools in delivering a broad and balanced curriculum, when cutting DfE spending, you’d be forgiven for expecting that funding designed to maximise the opportunities to recruit trainee teachers would be protected. However, this week, it was announced that funding would be withdrawn on April 10th for five subjects but retained for another 5. The chart below shows the choices the DfE have made. A government spokesperson said, “We are continuing to offer Subject Knowledge Enhancement funding in subjects with the biggest sufficiency challenges …”
However, this is not true, as the chart below shows. Some subjects recruiting at the lowest levels against their DfE target have lost their funded SKEs, harming recruitment.
| Secondary Subject | Target recruitment for 24/25 | With offers this cycle % of target | Accepted this cycle % of target |
| Business Studies | 1200 | 7% | 6% |
| Others | 2155 | 10% | 8% |
| Computing | 1330 | 13% | 12% |
| Design & Technology | 1565 | 13% | 12% |
| Music | 820 | 16% | 13% |
| Chemistry | 1220 | 22% | 18% |
| Physics | 2250 | 21% | 19% |
| Modern Foreign Languages | 2540 | 22% | 20% |
| Art & Design | 1095 | 24% | 23% |
| Mathematics | 3065 | 28% | 25% |
| Religious Education | 580 | 30% | 26% |
| Drama | 450 | 30% | 27% |
| Geography | 945 | 36% | 31% |
| Biology | 1120 | 40% | 35% |
| English | 2290 | 42% | 39% |
| History | 725 | 62% | 55% |
| Classics | 20 | 170% | 145% |
| Physical Education | 625 | 163% | 147% |
Key
| Subjects with SKE funding withdrawn from April 10th |
| Subjects with SKE funding maintained |
Why Religious Studies needs funded SKE courses to support teacher recruitment and retention.
- Typically, less than 30% of those training to be teachers of RE have a degree in Theology or Religious Studies. This means we need graduates in other subjects to meet our targets.
- Subject knowledge enhancement courses give the trainee and the trainer confidence that the applicant can access the course.
- Even though the DfE recruited less than half of its target for recruitment for the current training year, it has cut that target from 655 to 580 for courses beginning in the autumn of 2024.
- As of March this year, accepted offers for secondary teacher training constituted 27% of that target, and those holding offers 30%.
PLEASE USE SOCIAL MEDIA AND MESSAGES TO YOUR MP TO EXPLAIN WHY THE DFE NEEDS TO REVERSE THIS DECISION NOW