DfE Update further education: 21 January 2026
Published 21 January 2026
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2026
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1. Information: Introducing a simple snapshot data collection of full-time equivalent (FTE) teacher numbers
The Department for Education is introducing a simple snapshot data collection of FTE teaching staff on permanent or fixed-term contracts employed by providers on the third Monday in January each year.
Providers will submit total teacher FTE for 2023/24, 2024/25, and 2025/26.
Providers in scope for this collection include Further Education and Sixth Form Colleges and School-based providers that return their staff data via the FE Workforce return.
This new collection is intended to be straightforward to complete for providers. It will provide a timely in-year view of teacher numbers, helping DfE to monitor workforce trends, It will also inform future policy and funding decisions.
The collection opens Monday 2 February 2026 and closes Monday 16 February 2026. Returns will be submitted through the .
If you have queries about this collection, please contact theÂ