WARRINGTON North MP Helen Jones has raised concerns over the number of teacher vacancies, as well as an increase in the number of unqualified teaching staff.

Figures obtained by Mrs Jones from schools minister Nick Gibb have revealed that secondary school teaching vacancies across the UK have increased by 165 per cent since 2010.

Full-time teacher vacancies have increased from 630 seven years ago to 1,670 today, with the majority of gaps found in subjects such as English, maths and science.

Meanwhile, many teachers do not have a relevant post A-Level qualification in their subject area - with more than 600,000 pupils nationally taught by unqualified teachers.

Mrs Jones said: "The statistics by the schools minister demonstrate a continued reliance on unqualified teachers to plug the gap of six years of chronic underfunding of our education system.

"It was under Michael Gove's tenure as secretary of state for education that the requirement of the previous Labour government for all permanently employed teachers to be qualified was removed.

"The scope of this policy has since been expanded by his successors.

"Failing to attract sufficient number of qualified staff places in danger the right of every pupil to receive an excellent education."