Quarter of schools in England lack a physics teacher, analysis finds

Institute of Physics says critical' shortage means 700,000 pupils are deprived of a subject specialist

A quarter of state secondary schools in England will start the new term with no dedicated physics teacher, with schools in poorer areas worst affected, analysis has found.

The lack of specialists means more than half (58%) of pupils studying for a science GCSE will have the physics component taught by a teacher who has not studied a physics-related subject beyond the age of 18.