Schools across England face unprecedented struggle to hire English teachers as recruitment crisis grows

Jonny Uttley of the Education Alliance academy trust said: ‘It is a crisis and I don’t use that word lightly.’ Photograph: Gary Calton/The Observer

Schools in England are struggling to recruit English teachers, with hundreds still trying to fill vacancies in time for September, as headteachers warn they have reached crisis point.

Secondary heads say they have become used to adverts for maths, science, computer science and design technology teachers failing to attract any suitable applicants. But many have been shocked to find that it is now a similar battle to find teachers for English – traditionally a subject that buoyed recruitment numbers.