West Ham Conservatives have welcomed the boost in tax-free bursaries and scholarships for trainee teachers in high priority subjects from next year.

The Conservative Government is investing in supporting aspiring teachers starting their training in September 2023, to attract and retain the best talent in high priority areas, including science, technology and mathematics (STEM) subjects.

Top graduates applying to become teachers will be eligible for bursaries worth up to £27,000 and scholarships worth £29,000 for high priority STEM subjects. £25,000 bursaries and £27,000 scholarships will be offered to future language teachers, up from £10,000 this academic year.

Geography teachers will be eligible for bursaries of £25,000, an increase of £10,000, while biology and design and technology teachers will be eligible for £20,000, increases of £10,000 and £5,000 on this year. Trainee English teachers will be able to receive up to £15,000 tax free.

The package is worth £181 million in total, £52 million extra on the total available this year. The extra funding will make sure there are excellent teachers across the country giving students in schools the best possible start in life.

The boost in funding to attract trainee teachers comes on top of previous support announced to attract and retain the best teaching talent for schools. Teachers coming to England from overseas are now eligible for a new relocation premium to teach in high demand subjects, to help cover visas costs and relocation expenses.

Teachers in the first five years of their career teaching mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing in disadvantaged schools are already able to claim the Levelling Up Premium, worth up to £3,000 tax free.

Commenting, Rois Miah, Chairman of West Ham Conservatives, said:

As Conservatives, we are determined to help people receive the best possible education and gain the knowledge and skills needed to unleash their potential.

That is why I welcome the extra investment from this Conservative Government for teacher bursaries to attract and retain teachers in high priority subject areas, building on the Levelling Up Premiums that are attracting teachers to schools in disadvantaged areas.

This will help to develop our skills pipeline and grow our economy, increasing the life chances of young people across the country.

Commenting, Schools Minister Jonathan Gullis said:

As a former teacher, I know that investing in our teachers is investing in young people. These generous bursaries and scholarships will attract the brightest and the best into teaching.

Shoring up the talent pipeline to teach vital subject areas such as STEM and languages will, in turn, equip young people with the knowledge and skills they need to secure a bright future, and ensure that our economy remains globally competitive.

Notes

The Conservative Government is delivering a world class education for our children by:

• Boosting teacher bursaries in priority subject areas to develop our skills pipeline and grow our economy, while increasing the life chances of young people across the country. The Conservative Government is boosting bursaries and scholarships for teachers in science, maths, and other priority subjects, with trainee teachers receiving up to £27,000 – making sure there are excellent teachers across the country giving students in schools the best possible start in life. (Department of Education, Press Release, 11 October 2022)
• Announcing a new levelling up premium, boosting the number of specialist teachers and making a real difference to schools across the country. The new premium will be worth up to £3,000 per teacher – which will support the recruitment and retention of specialist teachers in shortage subjects and in the schools and areas that need them most. (Prime Minister's Office, News Story,  6 October 2021)
• Providing high quality teaching for every child by supporting teachers with training and development. The Conservative Government is providing 500,000 teacher training and development opportunities by 2024 and £30,000 starting salaries to attract and retain the best teachers, so that every child can benefit from the lifechanging difference a world-class teacher can make. (Department of Education, Press Release, 28 March 2022)
• Boosting schools and skills under our Levelling Up plans with 55 Education Investment Areas and extra funding and support for skills to Level Up across the country. Through the Levelling Up White Paper, the Conservative Government is targeting support to 55 areas across the country where school outcomes are weakest to target investment, support and action, including: retention payments to help keep the best teachers, new specialist sixth form free schools, and new reading, writing and maths targets. (Department of Education, Press Release, 1 February 2022)
• Delivering the biggest school funding increase in a decade, funding schools with £41.7 billion in 2022-23l, giving every child a world-class education. The Conservative Government is boosting school funding by £4 billion in the 2023-23 academic year, with £5,669 per pupil for every secondary and £4,362 per pupil for every primary. By 2022-23 the total schools' budget will have risen by £14.4 billion compared to 2019-20, the biggest increase in a decade. (Department of Education, Press Release, 16 December 2021)
• Providing catch-up support of almost £5 billion in our Education Recovery Plan, so every child can fulfil their potential. The Conservative Government is investing an extra £1.8 billion n catch-up funding, bringing the total up to almost £5 billion, including: tutoring for around six million pupils, over £200 million for summer schools, and salary boosts of up to £3,000 to attract the best teachers to support pupils. (Department of Education, Press Release, 27 October 2021; Department of Education, News Story, 29 July 2021; Department of Education, Press Release, 12 October 2021)