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Key Points

  • There were fewer vacancies in November 2023 than in the previous year, with 1,291 teacher vacancies at the end of the academic year 2022/23, 1,046 (81%) of which had been filled by November 2023 (when the survey was carried out). The reduction in the number of vacancies may be a result of schools not completing the survey due to Action Short of Strike (ASOS), see notes to readers paragraph 5.

  • The average number of days lost per teacher due to sickness, in all schools in 2023/24 was 9.7. This represents an increase of 0.4 days from 2019/20.

  • Teacher substitution costs have decreased from £103.7 million in 2022/23 to £85 million in 2023/24. These figures appear to be returning to a similar level as those before the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • The number of substitution days worked by Prematurely Retired Teachers has fallen from 3,120 days in 2022/23 to 1,525 days in 2023/24. This represents 0.3% of the total days worked, compared to 3% in 2014/15.


Introduction

The purpose of this statistical bulletin is to provide analysis of the latest annual data collections relating to teacher vacancies, teacher sickness absence (excluding voluntary grammar) and teacher substitution (excluding voluntary grammar) in grant-aided schools in 2023/24.

The information collected throughout this process is used by policy branches within the Department of Education to inform education workforce policy. The data are also used to respond to Assembly questions.

Some schools did not make a return for the Teacher Vacancy Return, most citing that they were participating in Action Short of Strike. It was not possible to include an estimated return for these schools as the number of vacancies in each individual school can vary substantially from year to year, these schools have therefore been omitted from the analysis. (See paragraph 5 of Notes to readers).

All figures referred to are included in the main body of the text. All tables can be downloaded as excel or csv files in the section List of tables.

Section 1: Teacher Vacancies

Figure 1 - Filled and unfilled vacancies by school type November 2023

  • Figure 1 shows the total number of teacher vacancies at the end of 2022/23 and the proportions which were filled or unfilled by November 2023. There were 1,291 teacher vacancies at the end of the academic year 2022/23, 1,046 (81%) of which had been filled by November 2023. This compares with 1,136 of 1,415 (80.3%) vacancies filled the year previous.

  • There was a larger proportion of unfilled vacancies in nursery, primary and preparatory departments of grammar schools than in post primary schools.

  • The highest proportion of unfilled vacancies was in Special schools, with 27.2% of vacancies unfilled by November 2023. Tables 1 and 2 outline the teacher vacancy data in more detail. These can be found in the final section of the publication.

Section 2. Teacher Sickness Absence

Figure 2 - Average number of days lost due to sickness per teacher 2023/24

  • Figure 2 shows the average number of days lost due to sickness per teacher, in all schools was 9.7. The largest average number of days lost due to sickness was in special schools at 14.9 and the lowest average number of days lost due to sickness was in grammar schools (excluding voluntary grammar) with an average 6.7 days (Tables 3 and 5). These tables can be found in the final section of the publication.

Figure 3 - Average number of days lost due to sickness per teacher 2019/20 - 2023/24

  • Figure 3 shows the trend in sickness absence since 2019/20. Schools saw lower levels of absence in 2020/21 (6.5 days) than in previous years, although these figures may have been affected by school closures and because sickness absences caused by COVID-19 were recorded separately. See note 13 in notes to readers. In 2021/22, when sickness absences due to COVID-19 were included, schools saw a rise in absence to 10.1 days. The following two years have seen a drop in absence to 9.8 days in 2022/23 and 9.7 days in 2023/24. Overall average number of working days lost per teacher due to sickness has risen slightly from 9.3 in 2019/20 to 9.7 in 2023/24 (Tables 3 and 5). These tables can be found in the final section of the publication.

Figure 4 - Percentage of days lost due to sickness by duration

  • Figure 4 shows the percentage of days lost due to short and long term sickness from 2019/20 to 2023/24. The percentage of days lost due to short term sickness (5 days or less) has increased from 18.9% in 2019/20 to 22.8% in 2023/24. The percentage of days lost due to medium term sickness (6 to 20 days) increased from 13.3% in 2019/20 to 15.8%, whereas the percentage decreased for long term sickness (more than 20 days) from 67.8% in 2019/20 to 61.4% in 2023/24. This information can be found in Table 3 in the final section.

Section 3. Teacher Substitution Costs

Figure 5 - Teacher Subsitution Costs in Northern Ireland 2014/15 - 2023/24

  • Figure 5 shows the teacher substitution costs for each year from 2014/15 to 2023/24. Overall, teacher substitution costs have increased from 2014/15 to 2023/24, from £67.4 million to £85 million. Between 2019/20 and 2022/23 the cost of teacher substitution increased significantly from £72.2 million in 2019/20 to £103.7 million in 2022/23. This year, 2023/24, the figures have fallen to a similar level as 2020/21 at £85 million. This information is given in Tables 6 and 7 and a breakdown by school type is given in Table 8. These table can be found in the final section of the publication.

  • Table 9 gives a breakdown of the cost of substitution cover by reason. In 2023/24 the highest cost of substitution was vacant posts at a cost of £30.4 million, followed by sickness at £16.9 million and maternity/adoption/paternity at £12.2 million. The figures up to 2022/23 are based on the absence reason recorded for the permanent teacher, however the 2023/24 data is based on the absence reason recorded for the supply teacher, therefore, the 2023/24 figures should not be compared with previous years. This table can be found in the final section of the publication.

Figure 6 - Substitution Days as a Proportion of Total Teaching Days 2014/15 - 2023/24

  • Figure 6 shows the number of substitution days as a proportion of total teaching days for each year from 2014/15 to 2023/24. During this period the number of substitution days was rising from 470,856 to 511,003 (Table 10). As a result the number of substitution days as a proportion of total teaching days has increased from 14.9% in 2014/15 to 16.2% in 2023/24. The number of substitution days increased between 2020/21 and 2022/23 from 454,186 days in 2020/21 to 635,303 days in 2022/23 but has now fallen to 511,003 in 2023/24.

Figure 7 - Proportion of Substitution Cover Provided by Prematurely Retired Teachers 2014/15 - 2023/24

  • Figure 7 shows the proportion of substitution days worked by Prematurely Retired Teachers for each year from 2014/15 to 2023/24. The number of substitution days worked by prematurely retired teachers has fallen from 13,946 in 2014/15 to 1,525 in 2023/24, which represents 0.3% of the total days worked, compared to 3% in 2014/15. This information is presented in Table 11 and 12. These can be found in the final section of the publication.

  • Table 13 shows the average daily and hourly substitute cover rates. The daily cost for controlled and maintained schools has increased by £19.07 and £16.39 from £150.35 and £144.90 in 2019/20 to £169.42 and £161.29 in 2023/24. The daily cost for special controlled and maintained schools has increased by £16.03 and decreased by £17.45 from £162.22 and £175.38 in 2019/20 to £178.25 and £157.93 in 2023/24. This table can be found in the final section of the publication.

Notes to readers

Official Statistics

  1. This is an Official Statistics publication. Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR).

  2. OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to. You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards.

  3. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing or via the OSR website.”

Teacher Vacancy Survey

  1. The figures for teacher vacancies are derived from the Teacher Vacancy Survey. This data collection covers all grant-aided schools in Northern Ireland, and was carried out by NISRA Central Survey Unit on behalf of DE Statistics and Research Team in the autumn term of 2023/24. All figures refer to the position of schools on 1 November 2023.

  2. Action short of strike was reported by 219 schools as the reason for not completing the Teacher Vacancy Survey. It was not possible to include an estimated return for these schools as the number of vacancies in each individual school can vary substantially from year to year, these schools have therefore been omitted from the analysis. The response rate for the Teacher Vacancy Survey was similar last year at 86.9% but previous years the response rate would consistently have been above 95%. The response rate broken down by school type is given below:

No of schools Valid returns Response rate %
Nursery 93 83 89.2
Primary 776 618 79.6
Secondary 126 97 77.0
Preparatory 11 11 100.0
Grammar 65 63 96.9
Special 41 21 51.2
Irish Medium Units 10 10 100.0
All schools 1,122 903 80.5

Teacher Sickness Absence

  1. The Department committed to publish key figures on the Management of Substitution Cover for Teachers on an annual basis by 30 June each year, beginning in 2012. This commitment was given in DFP’s Memorandum on the 2nd Report from the Public Accounts Committee Session 2010/11 – The Management of Substitution Cover for Teachers: Follow up Report 25 Jan 2011. NI Assembly Website - The Management of Substitution Cover for Teachers.

  2. The teacher sickness absence data is extracted from the computerised teachers’ payroll system.

  3. Teacher sickness absences are given for the financial year 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.

  4. The number of all permanent teachers used is an average number of teachers who have worked in schools from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.

  5. The following types of teacher are included in the teacher sickness absence:

  • full-time permanent teachers;
  • part-time permanent teachers; and
  • peripatetic teachers.
    (all above include teachers paid on 1/365th basis)

  1. Excluded from all figures are teachers at voluntary grammar schools and their preparatory departments as this information is not available from the teachers’ payroll system. Teachers in the preparatory departments of controlled grammar schools are included in the grammar figures.

  2. The numbers are based on a headcount, not full-time equivalent.

  3. For 2020/21 figures exclude any sickness due to COVID-19. From 11 February 2021 the guidance to schools on recording COVID-19 absences was updated to provide that for a teacher with confirmed COVID-19, absence after the first 10 days should be recorded as a sickness absence rather than COVID-19 absence and for 2022/23 onwards figures include all sickness absences due to COVID-19.

Teacher Substitution Data

  1. Teacher substitution data is extracted from the computerised teachers’ payroll system. Substitution costs are calculated on the teachers’ payroll system from service processed through the Northern Ireland Supply Teachers’ Register (NISTR).

  2. Figures are based on financial years i.e. 1 April 2023 – 31 March 2024.

  3. Figures include peripatetic teachers.

  4. All permanent and temporary payroll (substitution) costs exclude employers’ national insurance and superannuation costs.

  5. All substitution costs relate to temporary payroll only.

  6. Total teaching days are calculated as the average headcount of teachers multiplied by the total number of teaching days in a year, 195.

  7. Substitute days booked from a COVID-19 budget from 2020/21 onwards are not included in the substitute days total as these were booked using dummy schools so a breakdown of them could not be provided for those years. However, these have been included in the substitution costs under a COVID-19 category so the cost is separately identified.

Revisions Policy

  1. The figures included in this release may be subject to minor revision and these will be notified in accordance with our revisions policy. This can be accessed at DE Website.

Definition of management types

  1. Definitions of school management types are as follows:
  • Controlled schools managed and funded by the Education Authority (EA) through Boards of Governors (BoG). Primary and secondary school BoGs consist of representatives of transferors (mainly the Protestant Churches) along with representatives of parents, teachers and EA. Controlled nursery, grammar and special school BoGs consist only of representatives of the latter three categories and the Department (DE).
  • Controlled Integrated schools are managed and funded by the Education Authority (EA) through Boards of Governors (BoG). The majority of BoGs consist of representatives of transferors, catholic maintained trustees, parents, teachers and EA.
  • Grant-Maintained Integrated schools are owned and managed by their BoG which consist of foundation governors along with representatives of parents, teachers and DE. They are funded by EA.

A Voluntary school means a grant-aided school other than a controlled school or a grant‐maintained integrated school:

  • Catholic maintained schools are voluntary schools owned by trustees and managed by BoGs which consist of members appointed by trustees along with representatives of parents, teachers, EA and DE. Catholic Maintained schools are funded by EA.
  • Other maintained schools are voluntary schools owned by trustees and managed by BoGs which consist of members appointed by trustees along with representatives of parents, teachers, EA and in some cases, DE. Other Maintained schools are funded by EA.
  • Voluntary grammar schools are owned by trustees and managed by BoGs. The majority of BoGs consist of members appointed by the trustees along with representatives of parents, teachers, DE and in some cases, EA. Voluntary Grammar schools are funded by EA.

General

  1. The following symbols are used in the tables in this Statistical Bulletin:
    * = Relates to fewer than 5 cases
    # = Number (5 or more) suppressed to prevent disclosure of small numbers elsewhere
    - = Indicates no schools in this category

Contact Information

Request for further information should be addressed to:-

Christine Bowden

Statistics and Research Team
Department of Education
Rathgael House
Balloo Road
Rathgill
BANGOR
Co. Down
BT19 7PR

Telephone (028) 9127 9985
E-mail:

Special analyses of the workforce statistics can be undertaken on request.

Press enquiries should be made to the Department’s Press Office at the same address, telephone (028) 9127 9772.

Feedback on this publication can be provided directly to Christine Bowden (contact details above) or contact the Statistics and Research Team

List of Tables

The tables for this publication are listed below and can be downloaded in either excel (.xlsx) or comma separated value (.csv) format by clicking on the relevant button.

  • Table 1. Teacher vacancies in grant-aided schools in Northern Ireland: 2023
  • Table 2. Teacher vacancies in grant-aided schools in Northern Ireland, 2019 – 2023
  • Table 3. Sickness absence of all permanent teachers in Northern Ireland by school type: 1 April 2023 – 31 March 2024
  • Table 4. Sickness absence of all permanent teachers by management type in Northern Ireland: 1 April 2023 – 31 March 2024
  • Table 5. Sickness absence of all permanent teachers by school type in Northern Ireland: 1 April 2019 – 31 March 2024
  • Table 6. Teacher substitution costs by management type in Northern Ireland: 1 April 2019 – 31 March 2024
  • Table 7. Teacher substitution costs by school management type in Northern Ireland: 1 April 2014 – 31 March 2024
  • Table 8. Teacher substitution costs by school type in Northern Ireland: 1 April 2014 – 31 March 2024
  • Table 9. Cost of substitution cover by reason: 1 April 2019 – 31 March 2024
  • Table 10. Number of substitution days as a proportion of total teaching days in Northern Ireland: 1 April 2014 – 31 March 2024
  • Table 11. Proportion of substitution cover provided by prematurely retired teachers in Northern Ireland: 1 April 2014 – 31 March 2024
  • Table 12. Number of days worked by retired teachers providing substitute cover in Northern Ireland: 1 April 2014 – 31 March 2024
  • Table 13a. Average daily substitute cover rates by employing authority 1 April 2019 – 31 March 2024
  • Table 13b. Average hourly substitute cover rates by employing authority 1 April 2019 – 31 March 2024

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