More than three-quarters of parents with a child at an English secondary school (77 per cent) want to see more teachers in schools who have had a previous career. And a similar proportion thinks that it is important their child is taught by career changer teachers, according to the study commissioned by the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA).

Parents’ views are echoed by the country’s headteachers – one in six (16 per cent) of whom are career changers themselves. Seventy-seven per cent of headteachers interviewed think that it is important that schools have a mixture of career changers and people who have gone straight into teaching – and nearly half want to increase the number of career changers in their school.

The research found that both parents and headteachers see that career changer teachers bring a range of benefits to the classroom, including valuable life experience (78 per cent of parents; 60 per cent of headteachers) and being able to demonstrate how their subject relates to the workplace (72 per cent of parents; 60 per cent of teachers).

Headteachers also highlighted that career changer teachers benefit the wider school, as they often bring with them important business attributes, including people management (42 per cent), a commercial outlook (24 per cent) and helping to manage school finances (10 per cent).

Graham Holley, Chief Executive of the TDA, said:

“Headteachers and parents clearly recognise the value career changers can bring to teaching.  Those deciding to leave the boardroom for the classroom are being warmly welcomed in schools.

“Teaching is a rewarding career in many different ways. The pay is good and there are excellent opportunities for progression.  But, unlike many other careers, teaching also allows you to use your degree knowledge, alongside the unique rewards of working with young people.”

The TDA research reveals how widespread career changers are in modern schools. Ninety per cent of headteachers interviewed already employ teachers who have had a previous career, with 53 per cent saying that career changers account for one in 10 members of their workforce, and 21 per cent more than two-fifths of their staff.

And their ranks may be set to grow further as one in four parents (26 per cent) admitted that they had considered becoming a teacher, one in three of those (31 per cent) in the last year. Parents with science and maths-related degrees appear to view a future in teaching as particularly enticing, with 31 and 63 per cent, respectively, having considered a career in the classroom.

Changing jobs to go into teaching appears to enhance career prospects. Headteachers revealed that their staff include career changer heads of department (57 per cent of headteachers), heads of year (28 per cent) and deputy or assistant heads (31 per cent).

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Notes to editors

This news release applies to England only.

For more information about how to become a teacher, visit www.teach.gov.uk.  Personal advice is available from the Teaching Information Line on 0845 6000 991 – 992 for Welsh speakers (minicom 01245 45 43 43).

From 1 September 2007 a newly qualified teacher (NQT) will start on a salary of at least £20,133 (£24,168 in inner London). The pay scale for good, experienced classroom teachers who have 'crossed the threshold' rises to £34,281 outside London and £41,004 in inner London.  Additional allowances may be paid to teachers considered to be excellent, and to those who take on management and other responsibilities. The pay scale for head teachers can rise to over £90,000 depending on size of school. Further details are available at www.teach.gov.uk/payandbenefits.

Eligible trainees on postgraduate initial teacher training (ITT) courses in England are entitled to a tax-free training bursary worth £6-9,000. Newly qualified teachers with a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) in maths and science may also be eligible for a ‘golden hello’ payment worth £5,000 (taxed) after successfully completing their induction period. Those with a PGCE in modern languages, English or drama, design and technology, information and communications technology, music and religious education may receive £2,500. Details are available on the TDA website at www.teach.gov.uk/funding.
 
The graduate teacher programme (GTP) enables people to train to become a teacher while employed in a school. Details of employment based routes can be viewed at www.teach.gov.uk/routes.

Data collected by the TDA shows that close to 40,000 people are beginning teacher training in the academic year 2006/07.

The TDA was established under the Education Act 2005 and was formerly known as the Teacher Training Agency. Its principal aim is to secure an effective school workforce that improves children’s life chances.

Media enquiries

Lisa Pearson, Michael Sheen or Katie Magee at Band & Brown Communications
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