Ryan FowlerThe Department for Education (DfE) has decided not to renew funding for the Now Teach program, a scheme designed to encourage professionals to retrain as teachers, from the 2025 recruitment cycle. This move comes despite the program’s success in recruiting individuals for hard-to-fill STEM teaching positions in secondary schools across England.
Founded in 2016 by Lucy Kellaway, a former journalist, and Katie Waldegrave, a former teacher, Now Teach has helped over 1,000 mature professionals transition into teaching roles. However, with the contract set to expire in October 2026, after the final cohort completes its training, the charity faces an uncertain future regarding new recruitment.
Lucy Kellaway, who is now an economics teacher, criticised the decision as “utter madness,” especially given the ongoing teacher recruitment crisis. She highlighted the program’s cost-effectiveness and its near-decade track record of successfully attracting older professionals into teaching.
The funding cut is part of broader austerity measures by the government as it grapples with financial constraints, including a £1.5bn budget shortfall that also affects other educational initiatives.
