'Increase in vacancies' for primary schools

The number of advertised vacancies for primary and nursery school teachers has increased significantly over the last year, it has been revealed.

Figures from the Department for Children, Schools and Families published yesterday show that the number of vacancies for nursery and primary school teachers has increased by almost one-third this year, while vacancies for secondary school teachers are also up by over one-fifth.

Teachers of science and maths are the most sought-after, the statistics show.

A total of 870 nursery and primary school jobs have been left unfilled along with 1,470 places in secondary schools.

Conservative shadow schools minister Nick Gibb said: 'It is a symptom of a profession that is weighed down by too many initiatives, too much bureaucracy and form-filling and too much disruptive behavior in the classroom.'

It seems teaching has not become any less popular a career choice for university graduates however, as it was revealed in August that applications for the PGCE qualification course had shot up in the UK at the last minute.