Reporting year 2021

School workforce in England

Data guidance

Published

Description

This document describes the data included in the School Workforce in England National Statistics release’s underlying data files. This data is released under the terms of the Open Government License (opens in a new tab) and is intended to meet at least 3 stars for Open Data (opens in a new tab).

The methodology document should be referenced alongside this data. It provides information on the data sources, their coverage and quality as well as explaining methodology used in producing the data.

Coverage

The Statistical Publication: ‘School Workforce in England’ provides the latest information at national and local level on the number and characteristics of teachers and other school staff that work in state funded schools in England.

The publication summarises information collected from schools and local authorities via the November 2021 School Workforce Census and links data from other sources including teachers’ pension administration data and the Database of Qualified Teachers. 

It includes information on:

  • Teacher numbers, characteristics and deployment - a time series of teacher numbers in all state funded schools in England. It provides various breakdowns of these; by post held, school type and phase, gender, age, ethnicity, whether they work full/part-time, have Qualified Teacher Status or not etc.
  • Teacher turnover and retention - the number of qualified entrants to teaching (and whether they are new teachers or returners), their propensity to stay, and the numbers of qualified teachers leaving the teaching profession (e.g. through retirement or leaving early).
  • Teacher pay - the salaries received (in £5/10 thousand bands) for all teachers and separately for classroom teachers, leadership group teachers, and head teachers. The statistics also provide an age, gender and school type/phase breakdown. Where appropriate, average mean and median salaries are provided for comparison purposes. A summary time series of mean averages on a comparable basis is also provided.
  • Statistics on support staff - the number of teaching assistants and school support staff employed by all state funded schools. This data shows the numbers by post held and has some limited characteristics data e.g. gender and ethnicity.
  • Teacher qualifications and curriculum taught - information on the highest post-A-level qualification held by teachers (by teacher grade and school type/phase).

Estimates are also provided, based on a large sample of secondary schools, which show the number of teachers by subject, teaching at Key Stage 3-5 and the relevant number of hours taught.

The publication also provides estimates of the number/percentage of teachers teaching each subject that have relevant post-A level qualifications in the subject. Similar data is produced showing the number of hours taught by teachers with relevant post-A level qualifications in the subject.

  • Teacher vacancies - the number of advertised teaching posts that were either vacant or temporarily filled at the census date in November (which is mid term). It provides subject level estimates for these posts for secondary schools only.
  • Teacher sickness absence - the number of teachers that have taken sickness absence in the previous academic year and the number of days they were absent.
  • Pupil teacher ratios - Pupil data from the January school census is used to produce pupil teacher ratios and pupil adult ratios (teachers and all classroom-based support) for each school type/phase.
  • Teacher retirements and teachers out of service - the overall number of teachers who have been awarded retirement benefits from the Teachers’ Pensions Scheme after leaving teaching service in England. Also included are estimates of the numbers of teachers with qualified teacher status in England who have left service or who never entered service.

The underlying data files include national, regional, local authority and school level information for schools in England.

File formats and conventions

Where is it decided disclosure control is necessary to protect confidentiality, symbols are used in the underlying data files as follows:

x = Not available - this information has not been collected or there are no estimates available at this level of aggregation.

= confidential - where presentation of data would disclose confidential information, for example being able to identify details about a single respondent.

u = low reliability - this indicates values for which the user should be aware of potentially low quality. 

z = not applicable - for example no data at gender level for boys at an all-girls school).

Data files

All data files associated with this releases are listed below with guidance on their content. To download any of these files, please visit our data catalogue.

Entrants

Filename
workforce_qual_entrants_2011_2021_nat_eth.csv
Geographic levels
National
Time period
2011/12 to 2021/22
Content

Full time equivalent (FTE) qualified teacher entrants by category including school type, gender, age group and type of entrant.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable nameVariable description
age_groupAge group
entrant_typeType of entrant
ethnicity_majorEthnicity major
fte_entrantsFTE number of entrants
fte_entrants_percentEntrants rate
genderGender
gradePost appointed to
school_typeType of school
working_patternWorking pattern

Leavers

Filename
workforce_qual_leavers_2010_2020_national.csv
Geographic levels
National
Time period
2010/11 to 2020/21
Content

Full time equivalent (FTE) qualified teacher leavers by category including school type, gender, age group and type of entrant.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable nameVariable description
age_groupAge group
ethnicity_majorEthnicity major
fte_leaversFTE number of leavers
fte_leavers_percentLeavers rate
genderGender
gradePost on leaving
leaver_typeType of leaver
school_typeType of school
working_patternWorking pattern
Footnotes
  1. We are aware of an issue regarding data matching for teachers who died in the 2020/21 year, which likely undercounts the number of leavers from the profession for this reason, and instead treats them as leaving for another reason. In the interest of transparency, we have published the national figures available but have not provided a breakdown by demographics. Instead, deaths by demographics have temporarily been marked with "x". We are working to resolve the issue and intend to revise in the 2023 publication.

Pupil to teacher ratios

Filename
workforce_ptrs_2010_2021_nat_reg_la_sch.csv
Geographic levels
Local authority; National; Regional
Time period
2010/11 to 2021/22
Content

Pupil: teacher ratios and pupil: adult ratios in state funded schools. Includes school level data.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable nameVariable description
number_schoolsNumber of schools
pupil_to_adult_ratioPupil to adult ratio within-schools
pupil_to_qual_teacher_ratioPupil to teacher ratio (Qualified) within-schools
pupil_to_qual_unqual_teacher_ratioPupil to teacher ratio (Qualified and unqualified teachers) within-schools
school_typeType of school

Specialist teachers in state funded secondary schools

Filename
workforce_secondary_specialist_teaching_hours_2014_2021.csv
Geographic levels
National
Time period
2014/15 to 2021/22
Content

% of hours taught by a teacher with qualification in relevant subject and the % of teachers holding qualification in relevant subject by highest qualification of teacher and subject taught.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable nameVariable description
%_hoursPercentage of hours taught by teacher with qualification
%_teachersPercentage of teachers with qualification
highest_qualificationHighest qualification of teacher
subjectSubject taught
Footnotes
  1. Teachers were counted once against each subject and key stage they taught, irrespective of the time spent teaching. Therefore teachers may be counted against multiple subjects and key stages so sums of these categories will be greater than the number of secondary school teachers.
  2. To reduce burden during the COVID-19 pandemic, schools and LAs were not required to provide information on teacher qualifications in the 2020 census.

Subjects taught in state funded secondary schools

Filename
workforce_secondary_subjects_taught_teachers_hours_2011_2021.csv
Geographic levels
National
Time period
2011/12 to 2021/22
Content

Headcount of teachers and the number of hours taught by subject to year groups 7-13 in all state funded secondary schools.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable nameVariable description
hours_allyrsNumber of hours taught for all years
hours_yrs1011Number of hours taught for years 10 and 11
hours_yrs1213Number of hours taught for years 12 and 13
hours_yrs79Number of hours taught for years 7 to 9
subjectSubject taught
teachers_allyrsNumber of teachers of all years
teachers_yrs1011Number of teachers of years 10 and 11
teachers_yrs1213Number of teachers of years 12 and 13
teachers_yrs79Number of teachers of years 7 to 9
Footnotes
  1. Teachers were counted once against each subject and key stage they taught, irrespective of the time spent teaching. Therefore teachers may be counted against multiple subjects and key stages so sums of these categories will be greater than the number of secondary school teachers.

Support staff characteristics

Filename
workforce_support_staff_characteristics_2010_2021_nat_reg_la_v2.csv
Geographic levels
Local authority; National; Regional
Time period
2011/12 to 2021/22
Content

Headcount and Full time Equivalent of support staff by type of school and characteristics including post held, age group and ethnicity (additional ancillary file at school level).

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable nameVariable description
characteristicCharacteristic
fte_percent_within_gender_postFull-time equivalent percent within gender post
full_time_equivalentFull-time equivalent
headcountHeadcount
headcount_percent_within_gender_postHeadcount percent within gender post
school_typeType of school
Footnotes
  1. Gender unclassified numbers in 2021 are higher than previously seen. This is as a result of a known data quality issue in a small number of census returns. For more information, please see the methodology for this release.

Teacher absences

Filename
sickness_absence_teachers_national_regional_la.csv
Geographic levels
Local authority; National; Regional
Time period
2014/15 to 2020/21
Content

Teacher sickness absence in state funded schools including average number of days (all teachers) and total teachers taking absence.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable nameVariable description
Average number of Days - all teachersAverage number of days taken in sickness absence by all teachers
Average number of days takenAverage number of days taken by each teacher who took sickness absence
Percentage taking absencePercentage of teachers who took sicknesss absence
Total Number of Days lostTotal number of working days lost to sickness absence
Total teachers taking absenceTotal teachers taking sickness absence

Teacher and support staff Full-time Equivalent (FTE) and headcount numbers

Filename
workforce_2010_21_fte_hc_nat_reg_la_rework.csv
Geographic levels
Local authority; National; Regional
Time period
2010/11 to 2021/22
Content

Headcount and Full time Equivalent of support staff by type of school and characteristics including post held, age group and ethnicity (additional file at school level).

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable nameVariable description
fte_administrative_staffFTE of administrative staff
fte_all_teachersFTE of all teachers
fte_all_teachers_without_qtsFTE of all teachers without qualified teacher status
fte_assistant_head_teachersFTE of assistant head teachers
fte_auxiliary_staffFTE of auxiliary staff
fte_classroom_teachersFTE of classroom teachers
fte_deputy_head_teachersFTE of deputy head teachers
fte_ft_all_teachersFTE of all full-time teachers
fte_ft_all_teachers_without_qtsFTE of all full-time teachers without qualified teacher status
fte_ft_assistant_head_teachersFTE of full-time assistant head teachers
fte_ft_classroom_teachersFTE of full-time classroom teachers
fte_ft_deputy_head_teachersFTE of full-time deputy head teachers
fte_ft_head_teachersFTE of full-time head teachers
fte_ft_leadership_teachersFTE of full-time leadership teachers
fte_head_teachersFTE of head teachers
fte_leadership_teachersFTE of leadership teachers
fte_other_school_support_staffFTE of other school support staff
fte_pt_all_teachersFTE of all part-time teachers
fte_pt_all_teachers_without_qtsFTE of all part-time teachers without qualified teacher status
fte_pt_assistant_head_teachersFTE of part-time assistant head teachers
fte_pt_classroom_teachersFTE of part-time classroom teachers
fte_pt_deputy_head_teachersFTE of part-time deputy head teachers
fte_pt_head_teachersFTE of part-time head teachers
fte_pt_leadership_teachersFTE of part-time leadership teachers
fte_teaching_assistantsFTE of teaching assistants
fte_techniciansFTE of technicians
fte_workforceFTE of all workforce
hc_administrative_staffHeadcount of administrative staff
hc_all_teachersHeadcount of all teachers
hc_all_teachers_without_qtsHeadcount of all teachers without qualified teacher status
hc_assistant_head_teachersHeadcount of assistant head teachers
hc_auxiliary_staffHeadcount of auxiliary staff
hc_classroom_teachersHeadcount of classroom teachers
hc_deputy_head_teachersHeadcount of deputy head teachers
hc_ft_all_teachersHeadcount of all full-time teachers
hc_ft_all_teachers_without_qtsHeadcount of all full-time teachers without qualified teacher status
hc_ft_assistant_head_teachersHeadcount of full-time assistant head teachers
hc_ft_classroom_teachersHeadcount of full-time classroom teachers
hc_ft_deputy_head_teachersHeadcount of full-time deputy head teachers
hc_ft_head_teachersHeadcount of full-time head teachers
hc_ft_leadership_teachersHeadcount of full-time leadership teachers
hc_head_teachersHeadcount of head teachers
hc_leadership_teachersHeadcount of leadership teachers
hc_occasional_teachersHeadcount of occasional teachers
hc_other_school_support_staffHeadcount of other school support staff
hc_pt_all_teachersHeadcount of all part-time teachers
hc_pt_all_teachers_without_qtsHeadcount of all part-time teachers without qualified teacher status
hc_pt_assistant_head_teachersHeadcount of part-time assistant head teachers
hc_pt_classroom_teachersHeadcount of part-time classroom teachers
hc_pt_deputy_head_teachersHeadcount of part-time deputy head teachers
hc_pt_head_teachersHeadcount of part-time head teachers
hc_pt_leadership_teachersHeadcount of part-time leadership teachers
hc_teaching_assistantsHeadcount of teaching assistants
hc_techniciansHeadcount of technicians
hc_third_party_support_staffHeadcount of third-party staff
hc_workforceHeadcount of all workforce
number_schoolsNumber of schools
percent_pt_teacherPercent of all teachers that are part-time
ratio_of_teaching_assistants_to_all_teachersRatio of teaching assistants to all teachers
school_typeType of school

Teacher and support staff Full-time Equivalent (FTE) and headcount numbers - school level

Filename
workforce_2010_21_fte_hc_nat_reg_la_sch_rework.csv
Geographic levels
Local authority; National; Regional
Time period
2010/11 to 2021/22
Content

Headcount and Full time Equivalent of support staff by type of school and characteristics including post held, age group and ethnicity at school level.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable nameVariable description
fte_administrative_staffFTE of administrative staff
fte_all_teachersFTE of all teachers
fte_all_teachers_without_qtsFTE of all teachers without qualified teacher status
fte_assistant_head_teachersFTE of assistant head teachers
fte_auxiliary_staffFTE of auxiliary staff
fte_classroom_teachersFTE of classroom teachers
fte_deputy_head_teachersFTE of deputy head teachers
fte_ft_all_teachersFTE of all full-time teachers
fte_ft_all_teachers_without_qtsFTE of all full-time teachers without qualified teacher status
fte_ft_assistant_head_teachersFTE of full-time assistant head teachers
fte_ft_classroom_teachersFTE of full-time classroom teachers
fte_ft_deputy_head_teachersFTE of full-time deputy head teachers
fte_ft_head_teachersFTE of full-time head teachers
fte_ft_leadership_teachersFTE of full-time leadership teachers
fte_head_teachersFTE of head teachers
fte_leadership_teachersFTE of leadership teachers
fte_other_school_support_staffFTE of other school support staff
fte_pt_all_teachersFTE of all part-time teachers
fte_pt_all_teachers_without_qtsFTE of all part-time teachers without qualified teacher status
fte_pt_assistant_head_teachersFTE of part-time assistant head teachers
fte_pt_classroom_teachersFTE of part-time classroom teachers
fte_pt_deputy_head_teachersFTE of part-time deputy head teachers
fte_pt_head_teachersFTE of part-time head teachers
fte_pt_leadership_teachersFTE of part-time leadership teachers
fte_teaching_assistantsFTE of teaching assistants
fte_techniciansFTE of technicians
fte_workforceFTE of all workforce
hc_administrative_staffHeadcount of administrative staff
hc_all_teachersHeadcount of all teachers
hc_all_teachers_without_qtsHeadcount of all teachers without qualified teacher status
hc_assistant_head_teachersHeadcount of assistant head teachers
hc_auxiliary_staffHeadcount of auxiliary staff
hc_classroom_teachersHeadcount of classroom teachers
hc_deputy_head_teachersHeadcount of deputy head teachers
hc_ft_all_teachersHeadcount of all full-time teachers
hc_ft_all_teachers_without_qtsHeadcount of all full-time teachers without qualified teacher status
hc_ft_assistant_head_teachersHeadcount of full-time assistant head teachers
hc_ft_classroom_teachersHeadcount of full-time classroom teachers
hc_ft_deputy_head_teachersHeadcount of full-time deputy head teachers
hc_ft_head_teachersHeadcount of full-time head teachers
hc_ft_leadership_teachersHeadcount of full-time leadership teachers
hc_head_teachersHeadcount of head teachers
hc_leadership_teachersHeadcount of leadership teachers
hc_occasional_teachersHeadcount of occasional teachers
hc_other_school_support_staffHeadcount of other school support staff
hc_pt_all_teachersHeadcount of all part-time teachers
hc_pt_all_teachers_without_qtsHeadcount of all part-time teachers without qualified teacher status
hc_pt_assistant_head_teachersHeadcount of part-time assistant head teachers
hc_pt_classroom_teachersHeadcount of part-time classroom teachers
hc_pt_deputy_head_teachersHeadcount of part-time deputy head teachers
hc_pt_head_teachersHeadcount of part-time head teachers
hc_pt_leadership_teachersHeadcount of part-time leadership teachers
hc_teaching_assistantsHeadcount of teaching assistants
hc_techniciansHeadcount of technicians
hc_third_party_support_staffHeadcount of third-party staff
hc_workforceHeadcount of all workforce
number_schoolsNumber of schools
percent_pt_teacherPercent of all teachers that are part-time
ratio_of_teaching_assistants_to_all_teachersRatio of teaching assistants to all teachers
school_typeType of school

Teacher characteristics

Filename
workforce_teacher_characteristics_2010_2021_nat_reg_la_rework_v2.csv
Geographic levels
Local authority; National; Regional
Time period
2010/11 to 2021/22
Content

Teacher Full Time Equivalent and headcount numbers by type of school and characteristics including age group, working pattern, grade and ethnicity (additional ancillary file at school level). 

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable nameVariable description
characteristicCharacteristic
fte_percent_within_gender_gradeFull-time equivalent percent within gender grade
full_time_equivalentFull-time equivalent
headcountHeadcount
headcount_percent_within_gender_gradeHeadcount percent within gender grade
school_typeType of school
Footnotes
  1. Gender unclassified numbers in 2021 are higher than previously seen. This is as a result of a known data quality issue in a small number of census returns. For more information, please see the methodology for this release.

Teacher pay

Filename
workforce_teacher_pay_2010_2021_nat_reg_la_school.csv
Geographic levels
Local authority; National; Regional
Time period
2010/11 to 2021/22
Content

Full and part-time teachers in state funded schools by grade of teacher, salary bands, average salary, sector, gender and age. Includes school level data.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable nameVariable description
age_categoryAge of teachers
average_meanMean pay
average_medianMedian pay
genderGender of teacher
gradeGrade of teacher
headcount_£100_to_110KHeadcount of teachers earning £100-110K
headcount_£110K_and_overHeadcount of teachers earning £110K and over
headcount_£25_to_30KHeadcount of teachers earning £25-30K
headcount_£30_to_35KHeadcount of teachers earning £30-35K
headcount_£35_to_40KHeadcount of teachers earning £35-40K
headcount_£40_to_45KHeadcount of teachers earning £40-45K
headcount_£45_to_50KHeadcount of teachers earning £45-50K
headcount_£50_to_55KHeadcount of teachers earning £50-55K
headcount_£55_to_60KHeadcount of teachers earning £55-60K
headcount_£60_to_65KHeadcount of teachers earning £60-65K
headcount_£65_to_70KHeadcount of teachers earning £65-70K
headcount_£70_to_80KHeadcount of teachers earning £70-80K
headcount_£80_to_90KHeadcount of teachers earning £80-90K
headcount_£90_to_100KHeadcount of teachers earning £90-100K
headcount_allHeadcount of teachers
headcount_under£25KHeadcount of teachers earning under £25K
headcount_unknown_payHeadcount of teachers with unknown pay
school_typeType of school
teachers_on_leadership_pay_range_percentPercentage of teachers on leadership pay range

Teacher qualifications

Filename
workforce_teacher_qua_lev_2010_2021_nat_reg.csv
Geographic levels
National; Regional
Time period
2010/11 to 2021/22
Content

Headcount of teachers in state funded schools by type of school, grade and highest level of post A level qualification.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable nameVariable description
gradeGrade of teacher
headcountHeadcount
highest_level_qualHighest level of qualification
school_typeType of school
Footnotes
  1. To reduce burden during the COVID-19 pandemic, schools and LAs were not required to provide information on teacher qualifications in the 2020 census.

Teacher retention

Filename
retention_1996_2021_nat.csv
Geographic levels
National
Time period
2021 November
Content

Full and part-time teachers by year of gaining qualified teacher status, who were in service the following year and the percentage recorded in service in state funded schools in England in each year after.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable nameVariable description
eight_yrs_after_qualifying_percentPercentage of teachers still in service 8 years after qualifying
eighteen_yrs_after_qualifying_percentPercentage of teachers still in service 18 years after qualifying
eleven_yrs_after_qualifying_percentPercentage of teachers still in service 11 years after qualifying
fifteen_yrs_after_qualifying_percentPercentage of teachers still in service 15 years after qualifying
five_yrs_after_qualifying_percentPercentage of teachers still in service 5 years after qualifying
four_yrs_after_qualifying_percentPercentage of teachers still in service 4 years after qualifying
fourteen_yrs_after_qualifying_percentPercentage of teachers still in service 14 years after qualifying
nine_yrs_after_qualifying_percentPercentage of teachers still in service 9 years after qualifying
nineteen_yrs_after_qualifying_percentPercentage of teachers still in service 19 years after qualifying
one_yr_after_qualifying_percentPercentage of teachers still in service 1 year after qualifying
seven_yrs_after_qualifying_percentPercentage of teachers still in service 7 years after qualifying
seventeen_yrs_after_qualifying_percentPercentage of teachers still in service 17 years after qualifying
six_yrs_after_qualifying_percentPercentage of teachers still in service 6 years after qualifying
sixteen_yrs_after_qualifying_percentPercentage of teachers still in service 16 years after qualifying
ten_yrs_after_qualifying_percentPercentage of teachers still in service 10 years after qualifying
thirteen_yrs_after_qualifying_percentPercentage of teachers still in service 13 years after qualifying
three_yrs_after_qualifying_percentPercentage of teachers still in service 3 years after qualifying
twelve_yrs_after_qualifying_percentPercentage of teachers still in service 12 years after qualifying
twenty_yrs_after_qualifying_percentPercentage of teachers still in service 20 years after qualifying
twentyfour_yrs_after_qualifying_percentPercentage of teachers still in service 24 years after qualifying
twentyone_yrs_after_qualifying_percentPercentage of teachers still in service 21 years after qualifying
twentythree_yrs_after_qualifying_percentPercentage of teachers still in service 23 years after qualifying
twentytwo_yrs_after_qualifying_percentPercentage of teachers still in service 22 years after qualifying
two_yrs_after_qualifying_percentPercentage of teachers still in service 2 years after qualifying
year_qualifiedYear teacher qualified

Teacher retirements

Filename
workforce_teacher_retirements_2011_2021_nat.csv
Geographic levels
National
Time period
2011-12 to 2021-22
Content

Teacher retirements from state funded schools: type of award by category including type of school, gender and year.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable nameVariable description
ageAge retirement
age_groupAge group
all_retirementsAll retirements
arbAge ARB
genderGender
gradeGrade of last post
ill_healthIll health
prematurePremature
school_typeType of school

Teacher vacancies

Filename
vacancies_number_rates_nat_reg_la_sch_2010_2020.csv
Geographic levels
Local authority; National; Regional
Time period
2010/11 to 2021/22
Content

Full- and part-time teacher vacancies, temporarily filled posts and rates in state funded schools by sector and grade. Includes school level data.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable nameVariable description
Post_GradeVacancy grade
RateRate of vacancies
school_typeType of school
TempFilledNumber of temporary filled posts
TempRateRate of temporary filled posts
VacancyNumber of teacher vacancies

Vacancies secondary subjects

Filename
vacancies_secondary_classroom_teachers_subjects_nat.csv
Geographic levels
National
Time period
2017/18 to 2021/22
Content

Full- and part-time classroom teacher vacancies and temporary filled number of posts and rates in state funded secondary schools by subject.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable nameVariable description
vacanciesNumber of teacher vacancies
vacancy_rateRate of vacancies
vacancy_subjectVacancy subject
Footnotes
  1. Data on the subject taught for classroom teacher vacancies was not collected for the academic year 2020/21