Future Teaching Scholars demonstrates subject specialist teacher retention, amidst national STEM skills shortages

On Future Teaching Scholars, high-achieving A level students in maths and physics enrolled in a six-year support package, which provided training and support during their undergraduate years of university and in their first three years of teaching. 

In the UK, as in many other parts of the world, a shortage of skilled science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subject teachers is an ongoing challenge. According to a recent publication by the Institute of Physics, a quarter of state secondary schools in England have started the new term with no dedicated physics teacher. Furthermore, students in schools without a specialist physics teacher are half as likely to go on to study physics at A level. In this context, the recruitment and retention of specialist teachers is absolutely essential.  

We are therefore proud to report that in addition to training new cohorts of maths and physics teachers, the Future Teaching Scholars programme has led to high retention rates of these early career teachers: 90% of those who started initial teacher training through the programme have remained in the profession after three years, against a national average of 73%. 

More to be done to incentivise subject specialists into teaching 

Whilst Future Teaching Scholars demonstrates an innovative model for subject specialist teacher recruitment and retention, there is a clear need for further intervention. 

We would welcome opening up the conversation so together, we can find innovative, cost-effective ways of helping our schools address the challenge of finding and keeping talented STEM teachers. We must give students the opportunity to be inspired by subject specialists in the classroom and reach their potential. 

While the Future Teaching Scholars programme may have come to a close, edt remains committed to nurturing early career educators. We will continue to support teacher development as one of five lead providers of the early career teacher entitlement (ECTE), which has replaced the early career framework (ECF) as of September 2025.