Bursaries and scholarships to train as a physics or languages teacher were expanded to international students in 2023, as recruitment lagged significantly below target. This year’s funding includes a \u00a329,000 physics bursary and \u00a320,000 bursary for languages.<\/p>\n
Physics recruitment has almost doubled since 2023, rising from 564 to 1,095 postgraduate trainees, while modern foreign languages recruitment increased by nearly a third, from 1,105 to 1,422.<\/p>\n
However, the government still missed its recruitment targets for the subjects last year.<\/p>\n
A DfE spokesperson said: “We have paused the bursary offer for international candidates in physics and languages as a result. Candidates that already have an offer are unaffected, and we will continue to review the offer ahead of the next recruitment cycle.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2025-26, almost two-thirds of new physics trainees were from overseas. While 37 per cent were from the UK, 5 per cent were from the wider European Economic Area (EEA), and 58 per cent were of other nationalities.<\/p>\n
For modern foreign languages, 27 per cent were from the EEA and 15 per cent other nationalities.<\/p>\n
\u2018Deeply disappointing\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe DfE updated its guidance<\/a> on Thursday to say that from 5pm on 7 May, trainees are only eligible for bursaries or scholarships \u201cif they are entitled to support under the student finance criteria\u201d. Non-UK nationals are not eligible for student finance support.<\/p>\nThe DfE said candidates who held an ITT offer before 5pm on 7 May are not affected, and it is contacting all relevant applicants directly.<\/p>\n
Tony McBride, director of advocacy at the Institute of Physics, said the change, in the middle of a recruitment cycle, \u201cis deeply disappointing\u201d and will leave many candidates \u201cin limbo\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said the expansion of bursary eligibility \u201chas been flawed from the outset, with little account seemingly taken of the huge increase in applications which teacher training providers had to deal with or the challenges faced by international student teachers, including securing visas after qualifying.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMeanwhile England continues to face a national shortage of physics teachers.<\/p>\n
\u201cInstead of unpredictable piecemeal reforms we need positive action that works for recruits, training providers and schools, as part of a holistic approach to recruitment, alongside retention and retraining.\u201d<\/p>\n
Warning over long-term access to languages<\/strong><\/h2>\nMeanwhile Professor Ren\u00e9 Koglbauer, chair of the Association for Language Learning, warned the move \u201cwill have a direct and longer-term impact on children\u2019s access to a broad curriculum, including languages\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe most immediate impact will be on applicants who have already applied but not yet secured offers, many of whom will now find training financially unviable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Koglbauer said some providers were already reporting international candidates, who were due to be interviewed this week, \u201cwill now almost certainly have to withdraw\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are also real risks to course viability for providers,\u201d he added. \u201cIn a subject that already struggles to recruit, policy stability is absolutely crucial. Greater notice and transitional protections would have been more appropriate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma Hollis, CEO of the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT) agreed the change “is exceptionally unhelpful and creates avoidable disruption for ITT providers”.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Emma-Hollis-25_8972-headshot-inset-400px-400x400.jpg\")
Emma Hollis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n“Our members are particularly concerned by the lack of fair warning,\u201d she said, calling for the DfE to “consider clearer monitoring and early-warning mechanisms, such as live funding indicators”.<\/p>\n
Stefanie Sullivan and Joanna McIntyre, joint executive directors of the Universities’ Council for the Education of Teachers, also urged the DfE to “explore ways of avoiding mid-cycle policy changes”.<\/p>\n
\u2018Not a time for scaling back\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe DfE has framed the change as a pause, to be reviewed for the next recruitment cycle.<\/p>\n
Jack Worth, teacher workforce lead at the National Foundation for Educational Research, said the move \u201ccould lead to trainee numbers in these subjects falling, given that eligibility changes introduced previously had contributed to a big rise in trainees.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Jack](\"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Jack-Worth-inset-400px.jpg\")
Jack Worth<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIn 2025-26, physics saw the highest number of entrants since statistics began<\/a> in 2014-15 \u2013\u00a0but still missed its target by 22 per cent.<\/p>\nNFER forecasts predicts it will recruit \u201cwell above\u201d its target in 2026-27, at 147 per cent.<\/p>\n
But Worth warned the physics target \u201cdoes not capture the deep underlying shortages of physics specialists within science teaching\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is therefore not a time for scaling back effective approaches to improving physics teacher supply, and the government should continue to pursue cost-effective and well-targeted recruitment and retention measures.\u201d<\/p>\n
The DfE said candidates who held an ITT offer before 5pm on 7 May are not affected, and it is contacting all relevant applicants directly.<\/p>\n
Tony McBride, director of advocacy at the Institute of Physics, said the change, in the middle of a recruitment cycle, \u201cis deeply disappointing\u201d and will leave many candidates \u201cin limbo\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said the expansion of bursary eligibility \u201chas been flawed from the outset, with little account seemingly taken of the huge increase in applications which teacher training providers had to deal with or the challenges faced by international student teachers, including securing visas after qualifying.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMeanwhile England continues to face a national shortage of physics teachers.<\/p>\n
\u201cInstead of unpredictable piecemeal reforms we need positive action that works for recruits, training providers and schools, as part of a holistic approach to recruitment, alongside retention and retraining.\u201d<\/p>\n
Warning over long-term access to languages<\/strong><\/h2>\nMeanwhile Professor Ren\u00e9 Koglbauer, chair of the Association for Language Learning, warned the move \u201cwill have a direct and longer-term impact on children\u2019s access to a broad curriculum, including languages\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe most immediate impact will be on applicants who have already applied but not yet secured offers, many of whom will now find training financially unviable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Koglbauer said some providers were already reporting international candidates, who were due to be interviewed this week, \u201cwill now almost certainly have to withdraw\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are also real risks to course viability for providers,\u201d he added. \u201cIn a subject that already struggles to recruit, policy stability is absolutely crucial. Greater notice and transitional protections would have been more appropriate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma Hollis, CEO of the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT) agreed the change “is exceptionally unhelpful and creates avoidable disruption for ITT providers”.<\/p>\nEmma Hollis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n“Our members are particularly concerned by the lack of fair warning,\u201d she said, calling for the DfE to “consider clearer monitoring and early-warning mechanisms, such as live funding indicators”.<\/p>\n
Stefanie Sullivan and Joanna McIntyre, joint executive directors of the Universities’ Council for the Education of Teachers, also urged the DfE to “explore ways of avoiding mid-cycle policy changes”.<\/p>\n
\u2018Not a time for scaling back\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe DfE has framed the change as a pause, to be reviewed for the next recruitment cycle.<\/p>\n
Jack Worth, teacher workforce lead at the National Foundation for Educational Research, said the move \u201ccould lead to trainee numbers in these subjects falling, given that eligibility changes introduced previously had contributed to a big rise in trainees.\u201d<\/p>\nJack Worth<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIn 2025-26, physics saw the highest number of entrants since statistics began<\/a> in 2014-15 \u2013\u00a0but still missed its target by 22 per cent.<\/p>\nNFER forecasts predicts it will recruit \u201cwell above\u201d its target in 2026-27, at 147 per cent.<\/p>\n
But Worth warned the physics target \u201cdoes not capture the deep underlying shortages of physics specialists within science teaching\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is therefore not a time for scaling back effective approaches to improving physics teacher supply, and the government should continue to pursue cost-effective and well-targeted recruitment and retention measures.\u201d<\/p>\n
“Our members are particularly concerned by the lack of fair warning,\u201d she said, calling for the DfE to “consider clearer monitoring and early-warning mechanisms, such as live funding indicators”.<\/p>\n
Stefanie Sullivan and Joanna McIntyre, joint executive directors of the Universities’ Council for the Education of Teachers, also urged the DfE to “explore ways of avoiding mid-cycle policy changes”.<\/p>\n
\u2018Not a time for scaling back\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe DfE has framed the change as a pause, to be reviewed for the next recruitment cycle.<\/p>\n
Jack Worth, teacher workforce lead at the National Foundation for Educational Research, said the move \u201ccould lead to trainee numbers in these subjects falling, given that eligibility changes introduced previously had contributed to a big rise in trainees.\u201d<\/p>\nJack Worth<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIn 2025-26, physics saw the highest number of entrants since statistics began<\/a> in 2014-15 \u2013\u00a0but still missed its target by 22 per cent.<\/p>\nNFER forecasts predicts it will recruit \u201cwell above\u201d its target in 2026-27, at 147 per cent.<\/p>\n
But Worth warned the physics target \u201cdoes not capture the deep underlying shortages of physics specialists within science teaching\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is therefore not a time for scaling back effective approaches to improving physics teacher supply, and the government should continue to pursue cost-effective and well-targeted recruitment and retention measures.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2025-26, physics saw the highest number of entrants since statistics began<\/a> in 2014-15 \u2013\u00a0but still missed its target by 22 per cent.<\/p>\n NFER forecasts predicts it will recruit \u201cwell above\u201d its target in 2026-27, at 147 per cent.<\/p>\n But Worth warned the physics target \u201cdoes not capture the deep underlying shortages of physics specialists within science teaching\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is therefore not a time for scaling back effective approaches to improving physics teacher supply, and the government should continue to pursue cost-effective and well-targeted recruitment and retention measures.\u201d<\/p>\n