School teacher workforce
Published
1. Main facts and figures
- in 2018, 85.9% of all teachers in state-funded schools in England were White British (out of those whose ethnicity was known)
- by comparison, 78.5% of the working age population was White British at the time of the 2011 Census
- 3.9% of teachers were from the White Other ethnic group, the second highest percentage after the White British group
- 92.9% of headteachers were White British
- three-quarters of teachers were women, and there were more female than male teachers in every ethnic group
Things you need to know
There were around 500,000 teachers in state-funded schools in England in 2018, including classroom teachers, headteachers, and deputy and assistant heads. The ethnicity was known for around 464,700 (93%) of them.
The numbers shown here are based on a headcount of the total number of teachers in England whose ethnicity was known, regardless of whether they worked part time or full time.
When part-time teaching is taken into account, there were the equivalent of 453,400 full-time teachers in 2018. Full-time equivalent numbers can be found in the tables included in the school workforce in England statistical release.
What the data measures
This data measures the number of school teachers (including headteachers) in state-funded schools in England. Data is broken down by ethnicity, gender and grade.
The data includes teachers employed both directly by the school and centrally by the local authority in all state-funded schools. These include:
- nursery, primary, secondary and special schools run by local authorities
- academies
- free schools
The data doesn't include the following individuals:
- teaching assistants
- occasional teachers (on contracts of less than one month)
- teachers for whom ethnicity is not known (accounting for 7.1% of teachers in 2018)
The data doesn’t include the following types of school:
- independent schools
- sixth form colleges
- further education establishments
The data was collected from schools and local authorities in November 2018 as part of the annual school workforce census.
The ethnic categories used in this data
The 16 ethnic categories used in this data are those listed in the 2001 Census. The categories are broadly the same as the ethnic groups used in the 2011 Census, except that:
- the 2001 Census categorised Chinese people within ‘Other ethnic group’
- the 2001 Census did not list Gypsy and Irish Travellers or Arab people
Working age population statistics use the categories from the 2011 Census, which include the Arab and White Gypsy and Irish Traveller groups. The working age population percentages for Arab and White Gypsy and Irish Traveller people have been included in the ‘Any Other ethnic group’ percentage total, to make the charts more consistent.
2. By ethnicity
| Ethnicity | % of teacher workforce | Teachers | % of working age population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian | |||
| Bangladeshi | 0.6 | 2,700 | 0.8 |
| Indian | 1.9 | 8,900 | 3.0 |
| Pakistani | 1.2 | 5,500 | 2.0 |
| Asian other | 0.7 | 3,100 | 1.7 |
| Black | |||
| Black African | 0.9 | 4,000 | 1.9 |
| Black Caribbean | 1.0 | 4,800 | 1.2 |
| Black other | 0.3 | 1,500 | 0.5 |
| Mixed | |||
| Mixed White/Asian | 0.3 | 1,600 | 0.5 |
| Mixed White/Black African | 0.1 | 600 | 0.2 |
| Mixed White/Black Caribbean | 0.4 | 1,700 | 0.6 |
| Mixed other | 0.5 | 2,400 | 0.5 |
| White | |||
| White British | 85.9 | 399,300 | 78.5 |
| White Irish | 1.6 | 7,300 | 1.0 |
| White other | 3.9 | 18,000 | 5.6 |
| Other inc Chinese | |||
| Chinese | 0.2 | 800 | 0.9 |
| Any other | 0.6 | 2,700 | 1.1 |
| Unknown | N/A* | 35,300 | N/A* |
Download table data for ‘By ethnicity’ (CSV) Source data for ‘By ethnicity’ (CSV)
Summary of School teacher workforce By ethnicity Summary
This data shows that:
- in 2018, 85.9% of all teachers in state-funded schools in England were White British (out of those whose ethnicity was known)
- by comparison, 78.5% of the working age population was White British at the time of the 2011 Census
- 3.9% of teachers were from the White Other ethnic group and 1.9% were from the Indian ethnic group – by comparison, 5.6% of the working age population was from the White Other group, and 3.0% was from the Indian ethnic group
- White Irish people made up 1.6% of teachers, and 1.0% of the working age population
3. By ethnicity and gender
| Men | Women | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethnicity | Men % | Men Teachers | Women % | Women Teachers |
| Asian | ||||
| Bangladeshi | 0.6 | 700 | 0.6 | 2,000 |
| Indian | 1.5 | 1,700 | 2.0 | 7,200 |
| Pakistani | 1.1 | 1,300 | 1.2 | 4,200 |
| Asian other | 0.7 | 800 | 0.6 | 2,300 |
| Black | ||||
| Black African | 1.3 | 1,500 | 0.7 | 2,500 |
| Black Caribbean | 1.0 | 1,100 | 1.1 | 3,700 |
| Black other | 0.4 | 400 | 0.3 | 1,000 |
| Mixed | ||||
| Mixed White/Asian | 0.4 | 500 | 0.3 | 1,200 |
| Mixed White/Black African | 0.2 | 200 | 0.1 | 400 |
| Mixed White/Black Caribbean | 0.3 | 400 | 0.4 | 1,300 |
| Mixed other | 0.5 | 500 | 0.5 | 1,800 |
| White | ||||
| White British | 85.9 | 96,600 | 85.9 | 302,600 |
| White Irish | 1.9 | 2,200 | 1.4 | 5,100 |
| White other | 3.3 | 3,700 | 4.0 | 14,200 |
| Other inc Chinese | ||||
| Chinese | 0.2 | 200 | 0.2 | 600 |
| Any other | 0.6 | 700 | 0.6 | 2,000 |
| Unknown | N/A* | 9,200 | N/A* | 26,000 |
Download table data for ‘By ethnicity and gender’ (CSV) Source data for ‘By ethnicity and gender’ (CSV)
Summary of School teacher workforce By ethnicity and gender Summary
This data shows that:
- in 2018, around three-quarters of school teachers were women
- in every ethnic group, there were more female than male teachers
- among both men and women, 85.9% of teachers were White British (out of those whose ethnicity was known)
- men from the White Other ethnic group made up 3.3% of male teachers, and White Irish men made up 1.9% (the next highest percentages)
- women from the White Other ethnic group made up 4.0% of female teachers, and women from the Indian ethnic group made up 2.0% (the next highest percentages)
4. By ethnicity and role
| Classroom and others | Deputies and assistants | Heads | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethnicity | Classroom and others % | Classroom and others Teachers | Deputies and assistants % | Deputies and assistants Teachers | Heads % | Heads Teachers |
| Asian | ||||||
| Bangladeshi | 0.7 | 2,600 | 0.3 | 100 | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Indian | 2.0 | 8,000 | 1.5 | 700 | 0.8 | 200 |
| Pakistani | 1.3 | 5,100 | 0.7 | 300 | 0.4 | 100 |
| Asian other | 0.7 | 2,800 | 0.4 | 200 | 0.2 | 100 |
| Black | ||||||
| Black African | 0.9 | 3,800 | 0.4 | 200 | 0.2 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Black Caribbean | 1.1 | 4,200 | 1.0 | 500 | 0.7 | 200 |
| Black other | 0.3 | 1,400 | 0.2 | 100 | 0.1 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Mixed | ||||||
| Mixed White/Asian | 0.4 | 1,400 | 0.3 | 100 | 0.3 | 100 |
| Mixed White/Black African | 0.1 | 500 | 0.1 | withheld to protect confidentiality | 0.1 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Mixed White/Black Caribbean | 0.4 | 1,500 | 0.3 | 100 | 0.2 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Mixed other | 0.5 | 2,100 | 0.4 | 200 | 0.2 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| White | ||||||
| White British | 85.1 | 337,600 | 89.7 | 41,900 | 92.9 | 19,700 |
| White Irish | 1.5 | 6,100 | 1.7 | 800 | 1.8 | 400 |
| White other | 4.1 | 16,500 | 2.5 | 1,100 | 1.8 | 400 |
| Other inc Chinese | ||||||
| Chinese | 0.2 | 800 | 0.1 | withheld to protect confidentiality | 0.1 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Any other | 0.6 | 2,500 | 0.4 | 200 | 0.2 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Unknown | N/A* | 31,300 | N/A* | 2,800 | N/A* | 1,200 |
Download table data for ‘By ethnicity and role’ (CSV) Source data for ‘By ethnicity and role’ (CSV)
Summary of School teacher workforce By ethnicity and role Summary
In 2018, there were around 428,100 classroom teachers, 49,500 deputy or assistant headteachers and 22,400 headteachers.
This data shows that:
- White British people accounted for 92.9% of headteachers, 89.7% of deputy or assistant headteachers and 85.1% of classroom teachers (out of those whose ethnicity was known)
- 0.1% of classroom teachers were Mixed White and Black African, the lowest percentage out of all ethnic groups in this role
- 0.1% of deputy and assistant headteachers were from the Mixed White and Black African, and Chinese ethnic groups, the lowest percentage out of all ethnic groups in this role
- White Irish was the only other ethnic group (as well as White British) with a higher percentage of headteachers (1.8%) than deputy or assistant head teachers (1.7%) or classroom teachers (1.5%)
5. By ethnicity and type of school
| Nursery and Primary | Secondary | Special | Centrally employed | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethnicity | Nursery and Primary % | Nursery and Primary Teachers | Secondary % | Secondary Teachers | Special % | Special Teachers | Centrally employed % | Centrally employed Teachers |
| Asian | ||||||||
| Bangladeshi | 0.5 | 1,300 | 0.7 | 1,400 | 0.2 | 100 | 0.2 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Indian | 1.7 | 3,900 | 2.3 | 4,700 | 1.0 | 200 | 1.0 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Pakistani | 1.0 | 2,400 | 1.4 | 2,900 | 0.5 | 100 | 0.5 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Asian other | 0.5 | 1,100 | 0.9 | 1,800 | 0.4 | 100 | 0.3 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Black | ||||||||
| Black African | 0.5 | 1,100 | 1.3 | 2,700 | 1.0 | 200 | 0.1 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Black Caribbean | 0.9 | 2,000 | 1.2 | 2,500 | 1.4 | 300 | 0.6 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Black other | 0.2 | 500 | 0.4 | 900 | 0.4 | 100 | 0.2 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Mixed | ||||||||
| Mixed White/Asian | 0.3 | 800 | 0.4 | 800 | 0.3 | 100 | 0.3 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Mixed White/Black African | 0.1 | 200 | 0.2 | 300 | 0.1 | withheld to protect confidentiality | 0.1 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Mixed White/Black Caribbean | 0.3 | 800 | 0.4 | 700 | 0.5 | 100 | 0.3 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Mixed other | 0.5 | 1,100 | 0.5 | 1,100 | 0.5 | 100 | 0.5 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| White | ||||||||
| White British | 88.7 | 208,000 | 82.6 | 167,000 | 86.2 | 20,600 | 90.2 | 3,700 |
| White Irish | 1.3 | 3,100 | 1.9 | 3,800 | 1.4 | 300 | 1.1 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| White other | 2.9 | 6,900 | 4.8 | 9,600 | 5.4 | 1,300 | 4.0 | 200 |
| Other inc Chinese | ||||||||
| Chinese | 0.1 | 300 | 0.2 | 500 | 0.1 | withheld to protect confidentiality | 0.1 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Any other | 0.4 | 1,000 | 0.8 | 1,600 | 0.6 | 100 | 0.4 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Unknown | N/A* | 15,500 | N/A* | 17,100 | N/A* | 1,800 | N/A* | 900 |
Download table data for ‘By ethnicity and type of school’ (CSV) Source data for ‘By ethnicity and type of school’ (CSV)
Summary of School teacher workforce By ethnicity and type of school Summary
In 2018, there were around 250,000 nursery and primary school teachers, 219,300 secondary school teachers, 25,700 special school teachers and 5,000 teachers who were centrally employed by the local authority.
This data shows that:
- 88.7% of nursery and primary school teachers were White British (out of those whose ethnicity was known)
- White British people made up 82.6% of secondary school teachers, 86.2% of special school teachers, and 90.2% of those employed by the local authority
- teachers from the White Other group were the next largest group in all types of school, making up 2.9% of nursery and primary school teachers, 4.8% of secondary school teachers, 5.4% of special school teachers, and 4.0% of centrally employed teachers
- in every type of school, teachers were least likely to be from the Chinese or Mixed White and Black African ethnic groups
6. By ethnicity and gender (headteachers only)
| Men | Women | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethnicity | Men % | Men Headteachers | Women % | Women Headteachers |
| Asian | ||||
| Bangladeshi | 0.1 | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Indian | 0.6 | withheld to protect confidentiality | 0.9 | 100 |
| Pakistani | 0.3 | withheld to protect confidentiality | 0.4 | 100 |
| Asian other | 0.2 | withheld to protect confidentiality | 0.2 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Black | ||||
| Black African | 0.2 | withheld to protect confidentiality | 0.2 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Black Caribbean | 0.6 | withheld to protect confidentiality | 0.8 | 100 |
| Black other | 0.1 | withheld to protect confidentiality | 0.1 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Mixed | ||||
| Mixed White/Asian | 0.3 | withheld to protect confidentiality | 0.2 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Mixed White/Black African | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality | 0.1 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Mixed White/Black Caribbean | 0.1 | withheld to protect confidentiality | 0.3 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Mixed other | 0.1 | withheld to protect confidentiality | 0.3 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| White | ||||
| White British | 93.0 | 6,500 | 92.8 | 13,200 |
| White Irish | 2.1 | 100 | 1.6 | 200 |
| White other | 2.0 | 100 | 1.7 | 200 |
| Other inc Chinese | ||||
| Chinese | 0.1 | withheld to protect confidentiality | 0.1 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Any other | 0.2 | withheld to protect confidentiality | 0.2 | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Unknown | N/A* | 400 | N/A* | 800 |
Download table data for ‘By ethnicity and gender (headteachers only)’ (CSV) Source data for ‘By ethnicity and gender (headteachers only)’ (CSV)
Summary of School teacher workforce By ethnicity and gender (headteachers only) Summary
This data shows that:
- there were around 22,400 headteachers in 2018, and over two-thirds of those (around 15,000) were women
- 97.1% of male headteachers were White (including White ethnic minorities), and 96.2% of female headteachers were White
7. Methodology
The data shown here is based on administrative data collected from schools and local authorities in November 2018 as part of the annual school workforce census.
The census collects detailed information on teachers, teaching assistants and other non-classroom based school support staff.
Suppression rules and disclosure control
Estimates based on fewer than 50 teachers have not been included. This is to ensure that only reliable findings are shown.
Rounding
Total numbers of teachers in each ethnic group are rounded to the nearest 100. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal place.
Quality and methodology information
8. Data sources
Source
School workforce in England: November 2018
Type of data
Administrative data
Type of statistic
National Statistics
Publisher
Department for Education
Publication frequency
Yearly
Purpose of data source
School workforce data is used to monitor the effectiveness and diversity of staff in schools, and informs policies on pay.
It's also used by other government departments, local authorities, external agencies and educational researchers.
9. Download the data
This file contains the following: ethnicity, year, gender, teacher type, school type, value, headcount