Pupils in the poorest areas of the country are being “locked out” of key A-level subjects – such as physics and computer science – because of a lack of trained teachers, an education charity and London teacher have said.
A poll, commissioned by Teach First, suggests nearly one in three (31%) schools in the poorest communities do not offer computer science A-level thanks to a lack of teachers trained in that subject, compared with just 11% in the wealthiest areas.
The Teacher Tapp survey, of 1,319 senior school leaders in England in April, suggests almost one in 10 (9%) schools in the poorest areas do not offer physics A-level because of a lack of trained teachers in the subject, compared with just 1% of schools in the most affluent areas.
The charity has warned that pupils from poorer backgrounds are being shut out of one of the best-paid career paths. It has called on the Government to take urgent action to increase funding for schools and improve the pay offer for teachers to address shortages.
Belinda Chapple, headteacher of Caterham High School, a secondary school in Ilford, east London, said: “Across the country, schools like mine are making difficult choices because of the national staffing shortages in key subjects.
“We’ve struggled to recruit computer science teachers, like many other schools, removing a key career pathway for our A-level students.
“We urgently need increased funding for disadvantaged schools, increased teacher pay and additional pay premiums to attract subject experts to the schools that need them most, otherwise we risk narrowing futures and deepening inequality for a generation.”
Russell Hobby, chief executive of Teach First, said: “The impact of a great teacher goes far beyond the classroom – they open futures.
“But, right now, too many young people are being locked out of studying A-levels like computer science because there simply aren’t enough trained teachers.
“This blocks pupils from poorer areas from some of the best-paid careers in a fast-growing tech and AI-driven economy.
“If we do not act now, we won’t just fail these young people, we’ll hold our country back.
“The Government must act in the spending review: raise teacher pay, support those teaching in the schools and subjects that need them most, and make sure every pupil has access to the opportunities they deserve.”
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Recruiting and keeping great teachers in our classrooms is vital for our Plan for Change. We are resetting the relationship with the education workforce and working alongside them to re-establish teaching as an attractive, expert profession.
“Work has already begun to recruit an additional 6,500 expert teachers and we are turning the tide – we’ve already seen a 25% increase in the number of people accepting teacher training places in STEM subjects.
“We will now go further and faster, making £233m available to encourage more talented people into the classroom to teach subjects including maths, physics, chemistry and computer science.”
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