Academic year 2025/26

Initial Teacher Training Census

This is the latest release

• Published: 4 December 2025
• Next update: December 2026
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• Produced by: Department for Education

National and provider-level information about the numbers and characteristics of new entrants to Initial Teacher Training (ITT) in England in the training year 2025/26; and 2025/26 postgraduate ITT (PGITT) targets. The statistical release also includes information on numbers and characteristics of new entrants to early years ITT (EYITT) and application information for postgraduate ITT courses. The 2025/26 ITT entrants’ data is provisional, and the 2024/25 data is revised. 

Read statistical summaries, view charts and tables, and download data files. 

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Releases in this series

View releases (15)

• Academic year 2024/25
• Academic year 2023/24
• Academic year 2022/23
• Academic year 2021/22
• Academic year 2020/21
• Academic Year 2019/20
• Academic Year 2018/19
• Academic Year 2017/18
• Academic Year 2016/17
• Academic Year 2015/16
• Academic Year 2014/15
• Academic Year 2013/14
• Academic Year 2012/13
• Academic Year 2011/12
• Academic Year 2010/11

Methodologies

• Initial Teacher Training Census

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Headline facts and figures - 2025/26

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Additional supporting files

All supporting files from this release are listed for individual download below:

• ITT Census 2025/26 Provider Tables (xlsx, 1 Mb)

  Table 12 contains the number of both postgraduate and undergraduate new entrants to ITT by trainee characteristics. Table 13 contains the number of new entrants to ITT by ITT route. Table 14 contains the number of new entrants to ITT by ITT subject.

About these statistics

This statistical release provides provisional figures on the number of new entrants who have started an ITT programme in England in 2025/26 by school subject, training route and accredited provider type, training region and a range of trainee demographic factors. This statistical release includes revised data for 2024/25. For the first time, this release includes self-funded trainees from 2019/20 onwards, so numbers of trainees recruited may appear higher than in previous releases and are not directly comparable. For more details see the methodology section.  

These statistics cover those training to teach via both postgraduate and undergraduate routes, as well as a separate section on those undertaking EYITT. 

The following tables are included: 

• National tables for the training years 2019/20 to 2025/26 by route, phase, subject, region and trainee characteristics (main postgraduate and undergraduate routes) 
• Provider-level tables for the training years 2019/20 to 2025/26 by route and phase (main postgraduate and undergraduate routes) 
• EYITT national table for the training years 2019/20 to 2025/26 by route and trainee characteristics. 

 

The number of new entrants who have started postgraduate ITT is compared to the Department’s annual postgraduate ITT trainee targets, which are set using the TWM. For 2019/20 to 2024/25, self-funded trainees are excluded from performance against recruitment targets given they were not directly included in the data used in target-setting in those years; for 2025/26 they are included. 

The ITT Census publication was produced using data extracted from the Register Trainee Teachers service. Please see methodology for further detail.  

The publication also includes figures taken at the end of the application cycle on the number of candidates making applications to ITT courses, and the number of acceptances to ITT courses, for courses starting between the years 2022/23 and 2025/26. These statistics are classified as official statistics in development, which is a temporary label for new statistics that are undergoing development and testing. More information on this can be found under Background to end of application cycle statistics. 

Background on mainstream initial teacher training

To become a qualified teacher in England, trainees typically complete a programme of Initial Teacher Training (ITT). This provides them with education, training, mentoring and teaching practice in schools, leading to the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) for successful trainees. 

Trainees on all programmes of ITT learn the knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching, receive ongoing mentoring support from a mentor during school placements and will learn how to teach effectively through multiple opportunities to refine and practice particular approaches throughout their training.  

ITT is largely delivered through Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITTs) who are accredited by DfE. Many providers also offer academic awards such as PGCE or PGDE for post graduate ITT. 

Trainees on all postgraduate programmes, whether delivered by SCITTs or a HEI, will spend at least two-thirds of their training in schools.  

There are three main routes into teaching: 

• Postgraduate fee-funded route – usually one year full-time. 
• Postgraduate salaried routes – these include:  
  • High Potential ITT (HPITT), normally two years full-time 
  • School Direct (salaried), normally one year full-time 
  • Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship (PGTA), introduced in 2018/19, normally one year full-time 
• Undergraduate route – typically three or four years, including:  
  • Teacher training via an undergraduate degree 
  • The new Teacher Degree Apprenticeship (a salaried route starting in 2025/26) 

 Early Years ITT, a non-mainstream route, is covered in separate sections below. 

New entrants to postgraduate initial teacher training by subject

Secondary 

• There was an 11% increase in the number of new postgraduate secondary entrants from 15,255 in 2024/25 to 16,975 in 2025/26, with decreases only seen in Classics and English.  
• In 2025/26, 88% of the overall secondary PGITT target was achieved, up from 61% in 2024/25.  
• There were 6,742 new PGITT entrants for STEM subjects, an increase of 21% compared to 2024/25 (5,593). This represents 107% of the PGITT STEM target (6,320), the first time the overall STEM target has been met since comparable statistics began in 2012/13. For individual STEM subjects:  
  • Mathematics had 2,588 new entrants in 2025/26, a 16% increase on 2024/25 entrants, and representing 113% of the target (2,300).  
  • Chemistry had 864 new entrants in 2025/26, a 14% increase on 2024/25 entrants, and representing 118% of the target (730).  
  • Biology had 1,489 new entrants in 2025/26, a 13% increase on 2024/25 entrants, and representing 151% of the target (985).  
  • Computing had 715 new entrants in 2025/26, a 44% increase on 2024/25 entrants, and representing 80% of the target (895). This is the highest number of Computing entrants since comparable statistics began in 2012/13. 
  • Physics had 1,086 new entrants in 2025/26, a 36% increase on 2024/25 entrants, and representing 77% of the target (1,410). This is the highest number of Physics entrants since comparable statistics began in 2014/15. (Prior to this year, statistics for Biology, Chemistry, and Physics were combined.) 
• PGITT targets were exceeded in 8 out of 18 secondary subjects: Physical Education (202%), Biology (151%), Art and Design (128%), History (125%), Chemistry (118%), Mathematics (113%), Geography (111%), and English (106%). Of the remaining 10 subjects, the lowest performance was in ‘Others’ (14%).  
• While Design and Technology did not meet the PGITT recruitment target (70%), it saw the highest number of entrants (680) since comparable statistics began in 2012/13. The previous record was 678 in 2020/21. 
• In 2025/26, there were 348 PGITT trainees recruited in ‘Other’ subjects, compared to 330 in 2024/25. ‘Other’ includes Child Development, Citizenship, Law, Media Studies, Other Social Studies, Other Technology, Politics, Psychology, Sociology, and Social Sciences among others. 
  • Within Others, there were 28 Citizenship trainees, compared to 20 in 2024/25. Citizenship trainees are defined as those studying a course with subject Citizenship or UK Government Studies. HEIs recorded course subject as UK Government Studies for citizenship trainees from 2021/22 onwards.  

Primary 

• In 2025/26, there were 9,645 entrants to postgraduate primary ITT, a 9% increase from 8,853 in 2024/25. 
• In 2025/26, primary achieved 126% of the overall PGITT target (7,650), up from 90% in 2024/25. This is the first year that the PGITT primary target was met since 2021/22.  

Inclusion of self-funded trainees 

• Note that self-funded trainees, including some international trainees and some trainees on salaried routes teaching in private schools or studying non-DfE-funded subjects, are now included in overall subject totals from 2019/20 onwards.  
• However, self-funded trainees continue to be excluded from percentage performance against pre-2025/26 PGITT targets. Excluding them ensures a fairer comparison between pre- and post-2025/26 performance statistics. For more details see the methodology section. 

New entrants to ITT by routes into teaching

Summary 

• In 2025/26, there were 26,620 new postgraduate entrants, a 10% increase from 24,108 in 2024/25.  
• There were 5,555 undergraduate entrants, a 16% increase from 4,790 in 2024/25. This includes 181 entrants on the new Teacher Degree Apprenticeship, a new undergraduate salaried route.  
• Undergraduates made up 17% of total new entrants, the same proportion as last year. However, this varies by phase, with undergraduates making up 35% of primary entrants in 2025/26 compared to 2% of secondary entrants. In 2024/25, these proportions were 34% and 2% respectively. The proportion of primary entrants made up by undergraduates has increased in recent years from 27% in 2019/20. The proportion of undergraduates within secondary entrants remained steady at 2-3% over the same time period. 
   

Postgraduate summary 

• In 2025/26, there were 22,547 new entrants on postgraduate fee-funded routes, a 13% increase from 19,953 in 2024/25. This route made up 85% of the postgraduate total, an increase compared to 83% last year. This reverses a trend of year on year decreases since 2021/22 when it was 89%. Within this route: 
  • HEI accredited providers had 13,899 new fee-funded entrants, a 13% increase from 12,292 in 2024/25. This accounted for 52% of the postgraduate total compared to 51% last year. 
  • SCITT accredited providers had 8,648 new fee-funded entrants, a 13% increase from 7,661 in 2024/25. This accounted for 32% of the postgraduate total, the same as last year. 
• In 2025/26, there were 4,073 new entrants on postgraduate salaried routes, a 2% decrease from 4,155 in 2024/25. Together these routes made up the remaining 15% of the postgraduate total, a decrease in proportion compared to 17% last year. 
  • The PG salaried High Potential ITT route had 1,426 new entrants, a 2% increase from 1,396 in 2024/25. This accounted for 5% of the postgraduate total compared to 6% last year. 
  • The PG salaried Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship route had 2,004 new entrants, a 7% increase from 1,874 in 2024/25. This accounted for 8% of the postgraduate total, the same as last year. 
  • The PG salaried School Direct route had 643 new entrants, a 27% decrease from 885 in 2024/25, the only route to have a year on year decrease in entrants. This accounted for 2% of the postgraduate total compared to 4% last year. 

New entrants to postgraduate ITT by characteristics

Trainee sex 

• In 2025/26, of postgraduate entrants for whom we have data, 31% are male and 69% female. This is the same proportions as in 2024/25.   
• For primary, 14% of postgraduate trainees are male, a decrease from 16% in 2024/25. The proportion of male primary trainees had been stable at 16% from 2021/22 to 2024/25, following a longer-term gradual downward trend from 22% in 2015/16. For secondary, 40% of postgraduate trainees are male, the same as in 2024/25. The proportion of male secondary postgraduate trainees has been stable at 40% or 39% since 2015/16. 

Trainee age 

• 50% of new postgraduate entrants are aged under 25, a decrease from 51% in 2024/25. The proportion of postgraduate entrants under 25 rose from 50% in 2019/20 to 52% in 2021/22, and has subsequently fallen across the last two academic years.  

Trainee disability status 

• In 2025/26, of postgraduate trainees with a recorded disability status, 20% declared a disability, a 1 percentage point increase compared to 2024/25. The proportion of postgraduates with a recorded disability status who declared a disability has seen an upwards trend since at least 2015/16, when this proportion was 8%.  
  • It should be noted that the proportion of trainees with a recorded disability status has also generally decreased in this timeframe from 99% to 92%.  

Trainee ethnicity 

• Of the postgraduate trainees who declared their ethnic group: 69% were White, 16% were Asian / Asian British, 8% were Black / African / Caribbean / Black British, 4% were of Mixed / Multiple ethnic groups, and 3% were of Other ethnicity (including Arab and Other ethnic background). This compares with approximately 80%, 10%, 5%, 3%, and 2%, respectively, of the working age population belonging to these ethnic groups in England (Census 2021). Note that the postgraduate ITT population is skewed towards younger age groups, which are more ethnically diverse than the working age population as a whole.  
• In 2025/26, the proportion of White postgraduate trainees decreased by 3 percentage points compared to 2024/25, while the proportions of Black / African / Caribbean / Black British trainees, Asian / Asian British trainees, and trainees of Other ethnicity all increased by 1 percentage point.  In general, since 2019/20 there has been a gradual increase in the proportion of Asian and Black postgraduate trainees, and a corresponding gradual decrease in the proportion of White postgraduate trainees.  

Trainee study mode 

• In 2025/26, there were 390 postgraduate trainees on a part-time route, which is 1% of all postgraduate trainees. This is broadly similar to previous years.

New entrants to postgraduate ITT by nationality

Summary 

• In 2025/26, there were 26,298 new postgraduate entrants with known nationality, which is 98% of all postgraduate new entrants. Of these, 86% were UK nationals, 6% were European Economic Area (EEA) nationals, and the remaining 8% were nationals of other countries. (EEA Nationals here relates to individuals with a European Union, European Economic Area or included in the single market – this includes Swiss nationality. The UK is not included in these figures.)  
• These proportions are broadly in line with data in 2024/25, with a slight decrease in the proportion of UK nationals, down from 88% in 2024/25, and a slight increase in the proportion of other nationals, up from 6% in 2024/25. The proportion of other nationals was stable at 3% between 2019/20 and 2022/23 but has gradually increased to 8% in 2025/26, with a corresponding decrease in the proportion of UK nationals over the same period.  
  • These figures are based on those with known nationality. It should be noted that the proportion of trainees with unknown nationality has also decreased from 7% to 2% over the same period. 
• The proportion of UK national postgraduate trainees varies by subject. In 2025/26, Physics had the lowest proportion of UK nationals, at 37% (49% in 2024/25), with nationals of non-UK, non-EEA countries accounting for 59% of trainees (47% in 2024/25). Modern Foreign Languages had the second highest proportion of international trainees: 27% of trainees are EEA nationals (31% in 2024/25), whereas UK nationals account for 57% (56% in 2024/25). 
• Alongside trainee teachers from overseas, qualified teachers from specific overseas countries can be awarded qualified teacher status (QTS) with no further ITT in England. Figures for these teachers are now published separately as management information in the Teacher Regulation Agency annual report and accounts accessible here: Teaching Regulation Agency Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25 (opens in new tab) (Annex A) and the transparency data for QTS applicants and awards to overseas teachers (opens in new tab).    

New entrants to postgraduate ITT by degree class on entry

Summary 

• The percentage of new postgraduate entrants with a first class or 2:1 in their first degree is 72% in 2025/26, the same as in 2024/25. While there has been a decrease in the percentage of new entrants with a 2:1 (51% in 2024/25 to 49% in 2025/26), the proportion of new entrants with a first class degree has increased from 21% in 2024/25 to 22% in 2025/26. Prior to this year, the proportion of new entrants with a 2:1 or higher had decreased year-on-year since 2021/22 when it was 77%. 
• The proportion of entrants holding a 2:1 or higher varies by route. In particular, 92% of trainees on the postgraduate salaried High Potential ITT route had a 2:1 or higher, compared to 63% of trainees on the postgraduate salaried School Direct route and 68% of those on the postgraduate salaried Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship route. 71% of trainees on the postgraduate fee-funded route had a 2:1 or higher, in line with the overall average. 
• 2025/26 saw an increase in the percentage of new entrants with “Other” degree class, from 7% in 2024/25 to 9% in 2025/26. The proportion of entrants with “Other” degree class has increased year on year from 4% in 2021/22. As this category includes non-UK degrees, it is likely to have been affected by the increased proportion of international entrants in recent years. 

New entrants to postgraduate ITT by region

Summary 

• In 2025/26, the number of new postgraduate entrants to ITT increased in all regions of England, with the largest increases seen in the North West (a 16% increase compared to 2024/25), followed by the North East (a 15% increase). The smallest increase was seen in the South East (a 6% increase). 
• Note that region is determined by the location of the accredited provider, which may not be where the trainee is located particularly in the case of providers operating on a national level. Changes to partnership structures may affect the regional distribution of trainees and year-on-year changes. 

Background on early years initial teacher training (EYITT)

• EYITT provides specialist training covering the education and care of children from birth to the age of five and is distinct from primary education. Training is delivered by accredited ITT providers. Providers graded by the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) as ‘requires improvement’, or a lower quality, cannot provide EYITT. 
• Successful EYITT trainees are awarded early years teacher status (EYTS). They are not eligible for the QTS award and are therefore not qualified to lead classes in a maintained nursery or school (nurseries or schools where funding and oversight is provided through the local authority), unless they also hold QTS. Trainees with EYTS can work as level 3 support workers in a maintained nursery or school. They can work as unqualified teachers in maintained schools or academies but this status is dependent on the school. Early years teachers can lead teaching in all other early years settings in the private, voluntary and independent (PVI) sector. 
• There are several routes leading to the award of EYTS. Trainees can undertake an undergraduate course, which allows them to earn a degree in an early childhood related subject and EYTS, normally over a three-year period full-time. Postgraduate EYITT courses can be undertaken through the graduate entry route (full time study, which includes the early years School Direct route) or the graduate employment based route (a one-year part-time route for graduates working in an early years setting). Postgraduate EYITT normally runs for one year full-time.  
• Trainees can also undertake an assessment only route to earn EYTS. This is designed for graduates with experience of working with children from birth to five, who are able to demonstrate the Teacher’s Standards (early years) without further training; for example, overseas trained early years teachers. The EYITT assessment only route is not included in this publication. 

New entrants to early years initial teacher training (EYITT)

Summary 

•  In 2025/26, there were 536 new entrants to EYITT, compared to 580 in 2024/25, which is an 8% decrease. 
• Similarly to 2024/25, 99% of these new entrants to EYITT were on the postgraduate route. Of these, 90% took the graduate employment-based route, the same proportion as in 2024/25.  
•  Of those who declared their ethnic group, 70% were White, 15% were Asian / Asian British, 11% were Black / African / Caribbean / Black British, 4% were of Mixed / Multiple ethnic groups and 1% were of Other ethnicity (includes Arab and Other ethnic background) new EYITT entrants in 2025/26. This compares to 73%, 13%, 9%, 3%, and 2%, respectively, in 2024/25. Note that in 2025/26, 89% of EYITT trainees declared their ethnicity, compared to 94% in 2024/25. 

Background to ITT end of application cycle statistics (official statistics in development)

The publication includes end of application cycle data on the number of candidates making applications to ITT courses, and the number of acceptances to ITT courses, with provisional figures for courses that start in 2025/26, and revised figures for 2022/23-2024/25. By candidate, we mean someone who has made an application to a postgraduate ITT course using the DfE Apply service for a course that starts in the given time period. By an accepted candidate, we mean a candidate that had an offer by an ITT provider and the candidate has accepted that offer. Candidates in the High Potential ITT route are excluded from these statistics, as they do not use the Apply service. Candidates applying to Early Years, further education and fee-funded undergraduate ITT courses are also excluded. Candidates applying to undergraduate Teacher Degree Apprenticeship courses (offered for the first time in 2025/26) are included in this release, but shown separately for clarity.   

The statistics are classified as official statistics in development, which is a temporary label for new statistics, or statistics that are undergoing development and testing. We have given the statistics this label whilst we review how to better incorporate the small number of candidates and acceptances that happen outside the Apply service. The goal of official statistics in development is to develop statistics that can, in due course, be produced to the standards of the Code of Practice for Statistics. However, even though this data-series is still in development, we consider the statistics to be a reliable indicator of candidates and acceptances.  Further details on the methodology used can be found in the methodology section, and we welcome feedback about the statistics using the contact details in the Contact us section.  

Prior to 2022/23, recruitment to postgraduate ITT courses was undertaken by UCAS and they published end of application cycle data up to 2021/22. Postgraduate recruitment fully transferred to DfE in Autumn 2021 for courses starting in 2022/23. Historical data published by UCAS is not directly comparable with data in this publication. 

The department ran a user consultation in December 2022 to inform the first release of end of application cycle data. We will also be reviewing how many years previous we revise this data, as currently we revise for all published years. Going forward we propose to only revise the two previous years. We welcome feedback on this proposal using the contact details in the Contact us section by 31st May 2026.  

ITT candidates and acceptances (official statistics in development)

 Changes in candidate and acceptance numbers between 2024/25 and 2025/26. 

The number of candidates applying to primary PGITT courses remained steady from 2024/25 (19,237) to 2025/26 (19,157) while the number of accepted candidates increased by 10% to 9,634. 

For secondary subjects overall, the number of candidates applying for 2025/26 courses increased by 5% to 39,259 compared to the previous year, while the number of accepted candidates increased by 12% to 16,448. 

The subjects with the largest percentage changes in acceptances against 2024/25 are: 

• Computing: the number of candidates has increased by 16% from 2,347 to 2,714 in 2025/26, while the number of accepted candidates has increased by 42% to 742. 
• Physics: the number of candidates has increased by 5% from 5,363 to 5,657 in 2025/26, while the number of accepted candidates has increased by 39% to 1,258. 
• Business Studies: the number of candidates has seen a 0% change from 1,151 to 1,147 in 2025/26, the number of accepted candidates has increased by 29% to 219. 

STEM subjects saw a 5% increase in candidates (to 19,592) and a 22% increase in accepted candidates (to 6,763). 

About half the subjects saw a decrease in the number of candidates applying. However only two subjects saw a decrease in the number of acceptances from the previous year: English (16%) and Classics (18%, although this represents a decrease of 9 trainees). 

In 2025/26 candidates could apply for new undergraduate courses through Apply, the Teacher Degree Apprenticeship. 808 candidates applied for Primary courses and 428 for Mathematics. 199 candidates were accepted, 134 for Primary and 65 for Mathematics.  

Candidates applying for the postgraduate High Potential ITT route are excluded from these candidate/acceptance statistics, as they do not use the Apply service. 

The proportion of international candidates has decreased, though the proportion of international acceptances has increased

In 2025/26, 37,586 candidates were UK and Irish (9% increase from the previous year), 2,603 candidates were EEA nationals (6% increase from the previous year), and 14,363 candidates were Other nationality (8% decrease from the previous year). UK and Irish nationals represented 69% of all candidates in 2025/26, 5% were EEA (excluding Irish) nationals, and 26% were from other countries. This compares to 66%, 5% and 30% in 2024/25.

Of the accepted candidates for ITT 2025/26 courses who declared their nationality, 86% were UK and Irish nationals, 5% were EEA (excluding Irish) nationals, and 9% of nationals were from other countries. Compared to ITT 2024/25 accepted candidates, there has been a decrease of 2 percentage points for UK and Irish nationals, no change in percentage points for EEA (excluding Irish) nationals, and an increase of 1 percentage points for other nationals. 

Acceptance rates for 2025/26 

55% of candidates who applied to 2025/26 courses went on to be offered and accept a place (in-cycle acceptance rate), up from 53% in 2024/25, though still lower than 58% in 2023/24 and 70% in 2022/23. The year-on-year decrease until this year was largely driven by increases in international applicants who typically have a lower acceptance rate. The proportion of international candidates has fallen slightly this year, and the acceptance rate has increased slightly.  

ITT application acceptances and acceptance rates by candidate characteristics 

Proportions of accepted candidates by characteristic:

• For 2025/26 ITT courses, of accepted candidates for whom we have data, 32% are male and 68% are female. 
• The largest age group of accepted candidates is aged under 25 (47%). 
• There were no notable changes in proportions of accepted candidates by characteristics between 2024/25 and 2025/26 for sex and age groups. 
• Of accepted candidates who declared their ethnic group, 67% were White, 16% Asian/ Asian British, 10% Black/ African/ Caribbean/ Black British, 4% Mixed/ Multiple Ethnic Group and 3% Other ethnic group in 2025/26. This compares to approximately 80%, 10%, 5%, 3%, and 2% of the working age population, respectively, belonging to these ethnic groups in England (Census 2021). In 2024/25, the proportion of White accepted candidates decreased by 3 percentage points while Asian/ Asian British and Black/ African/ Caribbean/ Black British accepted candidates each increased by 1 percentage. 

Acceptance rates by candidate characteristic:

• The acceptance rate for female candidates on to 2025/26 courses was 60%, higher than the acceptance rate of 47% for male candidates (both rates are higher than the 2024/25 acceptance rates, 59% and 43% respectively). 
• The acceptance rate for candidates aged under 25 was 73%. The acceptance rate was lower for all older age groups, ranging between 54% for those aged 25-29 and 39% for those aged 35-39. 
• White candidates had a higher acceptance rate than all other ethnic groups (71%), while Black candidates had the lowest (27%). Asian and Mixed ethnic groups were accepted at rates of 46% and 61% respectively. 
• For 2025/26, UK and Irish nationals had an acceptance rate of 68%, for EEA nationals it is 53%, and for Other nationalities it is 23%. 
• Whilst the proportions have changed over time, the overall trends for each characteristic have remained broadly consistent over the latest 4 years. However, it should be noted that these acceptance rates will, at least in part, be a reflection of candidate eligibility. 

2025/26 year specific methodology

The ITT census is collected annually and counts trainees registered on a course on the second Wednesday in October. For 2025/26 this was Wednesday 8 October 2025. 

This statistical release presents detailed provisional data for 2025/26 and revised data for 2024/25. Data from 2019/10 to 2024/25, inclusive, have been revised to include self-funded trainees, who were historically excluded from these statistics. For more detail see the section below. 

For 2025/26 we received data from 166 providers in England comprising 106 School Centred ITTs and 60 HEIs. The final data was extracted on 10 November 2025.  

For 2025/26, the ITT Census publication was produced using data extracted from data submitted to the Register Trainee Teachers service from all providers. From 2021/22 to 2024/25, the publication used data extracted from the Register Trainee Teachers service, including data collected from HEIs via the HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency) ITT collection. Prior to 2021/22, the data source was the Database of Teacher Training Providers. To improve data quality, small changes have been made to some variables and the removal of variables which were no longer essential. We endeavoured to ensure the impact of the switch to using the Register data source was as minimal as possible, but comparisons between data from 2021/22 onwards and previous years should be treated with some caution. 

Quality assurance  

Data for the ITT census were completed, reviewed and signed-off by providers. The data collection and publication team within DfE carried out additional quality checks and data validations throughout the data entry process. After the data was extracted, the production team undertook a further quality assurance process to recode and correct some of the data. 

This quality assurance process identified a small number of issues. These, along with the solutions that have been implemented, are outlined below: 

2025/26 provisional data 

• One provider submitted data that incorrectly recorded 73 iQTS trainees as postgraduate fee-funded trainees. iQTS trainees are excluded from these statistics. Due to quality assurance timeframes it was not possible to amend the data to exclude these trainees, but their removal will be reflected in the revised 2025/26 data published in 2026. This represents less than 0.3% of the total postgraduate trainees.
• Due to technical issues, two providers submitted no degree class data for any of their postgraduate trainees. The overall proportions of postgraduates with unknown degree class is 5%, in line with previous years. Any degree class data subsequently added to Register will be reflected in the revised 2025/26 data published in 2026. 
• One provider submitted data for 14 trainees late due to technical issues. These trainees are not included in these numbers due to quality assurance timeframes but will be reflected in the revised 2025/26 data published in 2026.    
• One provider made us aware that they had entered data for around 450 trainees that incorrectly stated they were part time. This was manually corrected. 

Teacher Workforce Model  

For entrants starting in 2021/22 onwards, the department’s annual PGITT targets have been chosen using analysis from the Teacher Workforce Model (TWM). The TWM replaces the previously used Teacher Supply Model (TSM). The TWM considers both recruitment and retention alongside estimates of teacher demand.  For more information please see the latest publication here:  Postgraduate initial teacher training targets, Academic year 2025/26 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK 

Self-funded trainees 

These statistics now include “self-funded” trainees, who had been excluded from historical releases of these statistics. These are trainees that the provider has indicated are not eligible for UK financial support and, for historical data, where they do not have a DfE allocated place. Trainees identified as self-funded may include overseas trainees not entitled to UK financial support; trainees on the School Direct salaried or PGTA routes undertaking a non-DfE-funded subject and/or employed at an independent school; or in situations when a School Direct salaried or PGTA trainee is undertaking a subject that would not normally be funded by DfE, but the provider is funding the trainee themselves.  

These self-funded trainees were historically excluded from ITT official statistics and were thought to be a small group of trainees. However, in recent years the numbers of these trainees have been growing, with 1,286 trainees identified as self-funded in the 2023/24 data, and 1,114 in the 2024/25 data. We have therefore moved to including them to improve the coverage of these statistics. 

To enable comparison between years in terms of trainee numbers, previous years’ data from academic year 2019/20 onwards has been revised to include these trainees. Therefore total trainee counts published here do not match previous publications. Amending historical data prior to 2019/20 was not possible due to changes in data sources. Therefore, care should be taken when comparing numbers of trainees from before 2019/20. 

Following the decision to include self-funded trainees in statistics to improve coverage, the methodology of the TWM was changed so that targets from 2025/26 onward now include them directly within the PGITT target.  

However, self-funded trainees continue to be excluded from percentage performance against pre-2025/26 PGITT targets. Excluding them ensures a fairer comparison between pre- and post-2025/26 performance statistics.  

Help and support

Methodology

Find out how and why we collect, process and publish these statistics.

• Initial Teacher Training Census

Official statistics

These are Official Statistics and have been produced in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics (opens in new tab).

This can be broadly interpreted to mean that these statistics are:

• managed impartially and objectively in the public interest
• meet identified user needs
• produced according to sound methods
• well explained and readily accessible

Find out more about the standards we follow to produce these statistics through our Standards for official statistics published by DfE guidance (opens in new tab).

Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR).

OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics (opens in new tab) that all producers of official statistics should adhere to.

You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website (opens in new tab).

Contact us

If you have a specific enquiry about Initial Teacher Training Census statistics and data:

ITT Routes Analysis and Research team

Email: ittstatistics.publications@education.gov.uk
Contact name: Sarah Amis

Press office

If you have a media enquiry:

Telephone: 020 7783 8300

Public enquiries

If you have a general enquiry about the Department for Education (DfE) or education:

Telephone: 037 0000 2288

Opening times:
Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays)