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The government needs to adopt a “long-term strategy” to support retention of international physics teachers, according to a group of teacher education providers from across the country.
The Universities’ Council for the Education of Teachers (UCET) Special Interest Group of 42 Initial Teacher Education providers, which includes Leeds Trinity University, believes the strategy is needed to address the chronic shortage of specialist physics teachers.
Data shows that more than half a million pupils across the country started the school year with no physics teachers.
Up to 25% of English state schools have no specialist physics teachers at all, meaning more than half of physics GCSE lessons are taught by teachers with other specialisms, according to a 2025 Institute of Physics report.
Dr Caroline Neuberg, Senior Lecturer in Secondary Education (Science) at Leeds Trinity University, who is part of the Special Interest Group said: “A lack of physics teachers means a future crisis of STEM graduates, which will have dire consequences on the economy.”
The Department for Education (DfE) introduced study scholarships to encourage international physics graduates to relocate to England to address the recruitment crisis, once they complete their teacher training. But these newly trained teachers face significant barriers, including reluctance from schools to grant them visa sponsorships, which is a requirement for international candidates to secure jobs.
Dr Neuberg added: “As teacher educators, we see how many passionate and well-prepared international trainee teachers could go out and make a difference in schools, but because of all the barriers they face, they simply cannot get the jobs they came to this country to train for. This means the aims behind the introduction of the study scholarship are not being realised and the recruitment crisis continues."
The UCET Special Interest Group has called for several key measures to address these challenges: the creation of a three-year visa route to cover both the period of initial teacher training and the first two years on the job; simplifying the visa sponsorship process for schools; and establishing greater coherence between Home Office and Department for Education policies.
Chinwendu Chiazor, a physics teacher who moved to England from Nigeria and completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) at Leeds Trinity University, has experienced the challenges first-hand.
“Although I keep getting calls from schools about vacancies, as soon as I mention I need sponsorship, the conversation ends,” Chinwendu explained. “Funding study scholarships is not enough, if graduates then face severe conditions in their search of employment.”
Juliette Claro, Co-chair of the UCET Special Interest Group and Lecturer in Education at St Mary’s University Twickenham said: “As the domestic workforce remains fragmented in subjects like physics and languages, long-term strategies are needed to ensure pupils are taught by subject specialists, who inspire them through their passion and expertise. Support and integration of our international workforce in education is therefore essential.”