Baroness Barran corrected a written answer on Teachers: Qualifications

11 April 2022 · Lords written answer · Department for Education

Baroness Wilcox of Newport (Labour, Life peer) asked written question HL2984 on 11 October 2021. Baroness Barran answered on 25 October 2021 for the Department for Education, and Baroness Barran corrected the answer on 11 April 2022. The correction replaced 8 figures (1,386, 109, 114, 115, 171, 2,948) with 8 figures (1,256, 105, 153, 2,957, 206, 225). Altogether 26 words differ between the two versions.

The question

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many schools do not have a qualified teacher in a subject they offer.

Original and corrected answer

Struck through: original only. Bold: correction only.

Original	Corrected
Legislation does not specify that teachers must have a degree in a particular subject or discipline. It is the Teachers’ Standards that specify the subject knowledge required for the award of qualified teacher status. All trainee teachers must meet these by the time they complete their training. Of the ~~2,948~~ state-funded secondary schools in England that supplied data on curriculum subjects taught and the subject of qualifications held by their teachers, there were ~~1,386~~ schools, equivalent to ~~47%,~~ where at least one subject was taught for which none of its teachers held a relevant post A level ~~qualification~~ in that subject. The most common subjects where no teachers in a school held a relevant post A level qualification in the subject were: computing ~~(408~~ schools); media studies ~~(214);~~ religious education ~~(171);~~ citizenship ~~(115);~~ engineering ~~(114) and drama (109).~~ To reduce burden during the COVID-19 outbreak, schools were not required to provide information on teacher qualifications in 2020. Therefore, the information provided relates to the November 2019 School Workforce Census. Information on subjects taught and teacher post A level qualifications is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england .	Legislation does not specify that teachers must have a degree in a particular subject or discipline. It is the Teachers’ Standards that specify the subject knowledge required for the award of qualified teacher status. All trainee teachers must meet these by the time they complete their training. Of the 2,957 state-funded secondary schools in England that supplied data on curriculum subjects taught and the subject of qualifications held by their teachers, there were 1,256 schools, equivalent to 42%, where at least one subject was taught for which none of its teachers held a relevant post A level qualifications in that subject. The most common subjects where no teachers in a school held a relevant post A level qualification in the subject were: computing (293 schools); Spanish (271); media studies (225); ICT (206); religious education (153); citizenship (105) and engineering (105). To reduce burden during the COVID-19 outbreak, schools were not required to provide information on teacher qualifications in 2020. Therefore, the information provided relates to the November 2019 School Workforce Census. Information on subjects taught and teacher post A level qualifications is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england .

Original

Corrected

Legislation does not specify that teachers must have a degree in a particular subject or discipline. It is the Teachers’ Standards that specify the subject knowledge required for the award of qualified teacher status. All trainee teachers must meet these by the time they complete their training.
Of the ~~2,948~~ state-funded secondary schools in England that supplied data on curriculum subjects taught and the subject of qualifications held by their teachers, there were ~~1,386~~ schools, equivalent to ~~47%,~~ where at least one subject was taught for which none of its teachers held a relevant post A level ~~qualification~~ in that subject.
The most common subjects where no teachers in a school held a relevant post A level qualification in the subject were: computing ~~(408~~ schools); media studies ~~(214);~~ religious education ~~(171);~~ citizenship ~~(115);~~ engineering ~~(114) and drama (109).~~
To reduce burden during the COVID-19 outbreak, schools were not required to provide information on teacher qualifications in 2020. Therefore, the information provided relates to the November 2019 School Workforce Census.
Information on subjects taught and teacher post A level qualifications is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england .

Legislation does not specify that teachers must have a degree in a particular subject or discipline. It is the Teachers’ Standards that specify the subject knowledge required for the award of qualified teacher status. All trainee teachers must meet these by the time they complete their training.
Of the 2,957 state-funded secondary schools in England that supplied data on curriculum subjects taught and the subject of qualifications held by their teachers, there were 1,256 schools, equivalent to 42%, where at least one subject was taught for which none of its teachers held a relevant post A level qualifications in that subject.
The most common subjects where no teachers in a school held a relevant post A level qualification in the subject were: computing (293 schools); Spanish (271); media studies (225); ICT (206); religious education (153); citizenship (105) and engineering (105).
To reduce burden during the COVID-19 outbreak, schools were not required to provide information on teacher qualifications in 2020. Therefore, the information provided relates to the November 2019 School Workforce Census.
Information on subjects taught and teacher post A level qualifications is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england .

The question and answer on the Parliament website.

Related key figures

Teachers in state-funded schools in England

Receipt

Read from	https://questions-statements-api.parliament.uk/api/writtenquestions/questions/1358768?expandMember=true
Date read	15 October 2026
SHA-256	`9b982642fa1e64ef21e4abc4bd04dab7a0eb05aae71378f3939c668ae3eef498`