Initial teacher education: September 2020 to August 2021

Information about students training to become teachers on courses of initial teacher education (ITE) that lead to qualified teacher status for September 2020 to August 2021.

Data for 2020/21 has been revised due to errors identified in the data related to allocations, and the number of students learning to teach in Welsh. Revised figures have been included in the ‘Initial teacher education: September 2021 to August 2022' release and accompanying StatsWales tables. Please note that figures in the 'Initial teacher education: September 2020 to August 2021' release have not been updated.

For 2020/21, the Education Workforce Council (EWC) set the allocations for ITE courses in Wales. This is based on whether they are training to be primary or secondary school teachers and whether they are taking postgraduate or undergraduate courses.

Main points

Chart showing the number of allocations and entrants over time for primary and secondary schools

The number of new secondary school trainee teachers was below the allocation for a seventh year (24% lower in 2020/21). The number of new primary school trainees was above the allocation for the first time in six years (27%(r) higher in 2020/21).
There were 1,680 entrants to ITE courses in Wales in 2020/21; 920 on primary school courses and 760 on secondary school courses.
There has been an increase in first year ITE students in Wales able to teach in Welsh for the second year in a row, standing at 455 students in 2020/21. This accounts for 27% of the total number of first year ITE students in Wales.
Science, English and Mathematics are the most common priority subjects for entrants to secondary school ITE courses in Wales.
86% of new ITE students training in Wales were living in Wales before they started their degree.

(r) Revised on 22 July 2022.

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