A GROWING number of men are opting for careers as primary school teachers, according to a Barnsley-based specialist education recruitment agency.

Latest figures from Provide Education show that 15 per cent of the teachers they now place in primary school jobs across the region are men. 

Director Barry Simmons said: "Our aim is to recruit good teachers into primary schools, whether they are male or female, but it is encouraging to see more men choosing to teach in this sector.

"They are often popular with primary schools seeking a better male to female balance in an environment which has traditionally been female-dominated."

Jamie Brammer, 42, worked as a sales representative before graduating from Sheffield Hallam University 2012 and joined Provide Education as a supply teacher in 2015.

** The full story appears in the Barnsley Chronicle newspaper, dated May 22. **