A shortage of teaching assistants is having a negative impact on student learning
Across the UK and Ireland, there is a shortage of science teachers, technicians and teaching assistants, which is having a detrimental impact on students鈥� education. 2025 is the first year we have included a question on teaching assistant staffing levels in the survey.
Our most important findings
- 61% of all UK and Ireland respondents told us that there was a shortage of teaching assistants at their school (65% in state funded secondary schools).
- 42% of teachers, from all nations and school types, indicated that insufficient classroom support poses challenges to their science teaching. In Scotland, this rose to 65%.
- 70% of respondents in the UK and Ireland said that more teaching assistants would improve the equitable experience of students with SEND (Special Education Needs and Disabilities)/ALN (Additional Learning Needs) in science lessons.
Staffing levels of teaching assistants
All schools by nation
| Teaching assistants | |
|---|---|
| Overstaffed | 12 (1%) |
| Adequately staffed | 300 (18%) |
| Understaffed | 1003 (61%) |
| Don鈥檛 know / Not sure | 316 (19%) |
| Column n | 1631 |
Filter: Not select 'Not applicable'; Unweighted; base n = 1631-1898
| England | Scotland | Wales | Northern Ireland | Republic of Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overstaffed | 7 (1%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (1%) | 4 (7%) | 0 (0%) |
| Adequately staffed | 259 (20%) | 9 (5%) | 8 (11%) | 23 (38%) | 1 (5%) |
| Understaffed | 769 (59%) | 141 (85%) | 55 (75%) | 21 (35%) | 17 (85%) |
| Don鈥檛 know / Not sure | 278 (21%) | 15 (9%) | 9 (12%) | 12 (20%) | 2 (10%) |
| Column n | 1313 | 165 | 73 | 60 | 20 |
Filter: Not select 'Not applicable'; Unweighted
Insufficient support poses challenges to classroom teaching in science
43% of teachers, from all nations and school types, highlighted that insufficient classroom support poses challenges to their science teaching. In Scotland, this rose to 65%.
This is higher than in 2023, when 35% of teachers (all nations and school types) reported this challenge.
| England | Scotland | Wales | Northern Ireland | Republic of Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insufficient classroom support, e.g. no teaching assistants | 381 (42%) | 96 (65%) | 20 (49%) | 6 (11%) | 21 (47%) |
| Column n | 916 | 147 | 41 | 57 | 45 |
Filter: Teachers only; Unweighted
More teaching assistants would improve the equitable experience of students with SEND/ALD
| England | Scotland | Wales | Northern Ireland | Republic of Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| More teaching assistant support | 1048 (69%) | 157 (85%) | 61 (78%) | 31 (41%) | 38 (84%) |
| Specialist practical equipment (materials, ear defenders, quiet classroom areas etc) | 518 (34%) | 68 (37%) | 34 (44%) | 25 (33%) | 16 (36%) |
| More training on specific strategies for SEND/ALN students | 685 (45%) | 91 (49%) | 34 (44%) | 37 (49%) | 27 (60%) |
| Teaching resources that are accessible for SEND/ALN learners | 704 (46%) | 104 (56%) | 39 (50%) | 34 (45%) | 25 (56%) |
| Specialist technology | 316 (21%) | 48 (26%) | 16 (21%) | 15 (20%) | 14 (31%) |
| Other | 119 (8%) | 13 (7%) | 10 (13%) | 10 (13%) | 1 (2%) |
| Column n | 1518 | 185 | 78 | 75 | 45 |
Filter: Teachers only; Unweighted
When asked about the access that pupils with SEND/ALN have to practical activities and their engagement in science lessons, many teachers told us this was dependent on the presence of teaching assistants (or equivalent). Here is what they had to say:
What we are doing to help
The experience of SEND/ALN students has been a recent focus for governments, acknowledging that more needs to be done to improve the experiences and opportunities for these young people. In science education, teachers are telling us they need more teaching assistant support to improve the equitable experience of students with SEND/ALN, whilst also reporting that their schools are understaffed in teaching assistant roles. We believe that everyone deserves an engaging, relevant, and inspiring chemistry education. We will continue to listen and learn from teachers about the challenges faced in this area.
Our resources and programmes are designed to help deliver high-quality and engaging lessons. We support your professional development throughout your teaching career and help to connect you with other teachers and professionals through Teach Chemistry and our regional support.
Discover our resources
- We have many .
- Our have been written to embed literacy into your curriculum and develop learners鈥� skills in reading, writing and talking about science and their understanding of scientific language. These resources can be used to support SEND/ASD learning chemistry.