Asked by: Baroness Donaghy (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether initial teacher-training programmes delivered using core places allocated to universities are as schools-led as those delivered through School Direct.
Answered by Lord Nash
A school-led training course gives trainees the chance to train on the job in at least two schools.School-led initial teacher training is made up of School Direct (tuition fee), School Direct (salaried) and School-centered ITT provider (SCITT) routes. One of the key principles of the School Direct training route is that it gives schools the decision-making power they need to work with their preferred partners in the design and delivery of ITT, and to select and recruit the best possible candidates. A number of different models have been developed by schools working with appropriate ITT providers based on local needs.
Many schools are choosing to work with universities in the delivery of School Direct training. The same ITT criteria, which specify the minimum amount of time that trainees must spend in schools, apply to all ITT routes, whether school or university-led.
The increasing availability of school-led routes alongside university-led courses allow applicants to choose the right course depending on personal circumstances, qualifications, and the subject and age group they want to teach.
Asked by: Baroness Donaghy (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when advice will be issued to schools and initial teacher training (ITT) providers about (1) new child safety requirements relating to childcare settings, and (2) the extent to which ITT providers are allowed to share information relating to Disclosure and Barring Service checks with partner schools.
Answered by Lord Nash
The ‘Disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006’ statutory guidance was issued in February 2015. All initial teacher training (ITT) providers should have regard to this guidance when placing students in relevant childcare settings.
The Department for Education is currently reviewing the statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’. This will include an update regarding the information that providers can share with schools in relation to non-salaried trainees.
Asked by: Baroness Donaghy (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will announce the criteria and timetable for allocating initial teacher training places for September 2016.
Answered by Lord Nash
We will publish the methodology for our allocation of initial teacher training places for the 2016/17 academic year in due course. This will include information on the criteria that will apply and timing of the process. We will inform interested schools and universities directly as soon as this information is available.
Asked by: Baroness Donaghy (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that newly qualified teachers have access to structured early professional development that builds on and complements their initial training.
Answered by Lord Nash
The government is continuing to improve the capacity of schools to take the lead in training and developing teachers, including newly qualified teachers. This involves supporting schools to lead on the creation of high-quality training opportunities for teachers through the national network of teaching schools.
The Department for Education also recently consulted on options to support teachers’ professional development. The consultation, entitled ‘A World-Class Teaching Profession’, ran from 9 December 2014 to 3 February 2015 and set out proposals designed to support teachers in improving the quality of professional development. The proposals included a fund for professional development and an offer of government support to those working on the establishment of a new, independent professional body – a College of Teaching. An announcement will be made in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Donaghy (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what role accredited initial teacher training (ITT) providers and their representative bodies will have in developing national standards for ITT mentors in schools.
Answered by Lord Nash
In the government response to the publication of the Carter Review, the Secretary of State for Education committed to commissioning the Teaching Schools Council to develop national standards for initial teacher training (ITT) mentors in schools. The Teaching Schools Council will decide how best to engage with the sector to develop these standards, including their engagement with ITT providers.
Asked by: Baroness Donaghy (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will announce the membership and remit of the group charged with developing a framework of content for initial teacher training; and whether the group will include a balance of representation from university teacher education institutions and school-centred initial teacher training organisations and schools.
Answered by Lord Nash
In the government response to the publication of the Carter Review, the Secretary of State for Education commissioned an independent working group, comprising of expert representatives from the sector, to develop a core framework of initial teacher training content. The Secretary of State will be announcing the membership of the group shortly, along with further details about the remit of this work.
Asked by: Baroness Donaghy (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how local teacher supply needs are taken into account in decisions about the accreditation of new initial teacher training providers.
Answered by Lord Nash
As part of the accreditation process potential new initial teacher training providers are asked to provide a three-year financial plan based on the optimum and minimum number of required trainees. These projections will be based on a range of factors including the provider’s analysis of identified local need.
Asked by: Baroness Donaghy (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what account is taken of the likely impact on the future viability of existing higher education institutions and school-centred initial teacher training organisations when accrediting new initial teacher training providers.
Answered by Lord Nash
The viability of providers is considered as part of the initial teacher training (ITT) allocations process which is underpinned by the allocations methodology and informed by the Teacher Supply Model.
The accreditation process was established to allow potential new providers to demonstrate in a proposal to the National College for Teaching and Leadership how its provision from the outset is likely to be at least good according to Ofsted, and how it will meet all the Secretary of State for Education’s ITT criteria.[1]
[1] www.gov.uk/government/publications/initial-teacher-training-criteria
Asked by: Baroness Donaghy (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what value-for-money considerations are taken into account when accrediting new initial teacher training providers.
Answered by Lord Nash
All accredited initial teacher training (ITT) providers are required to demonstrate how they will deliver, within the funding available, quality provision which meets the Teachers’ Standards and is compliant with the Secretary of State for Education’s ITT criteria.[1]
[1] www.gov.uk/government/publications/initial-teacher-training-criteria
Asked by: Baroness Donaghy (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will ensure that trainees at newly accredited initial teacher training providers receive the quality of training that schools will need.
Answered by Lord Nash
All providers of initial teacher training (ITT) are required to obtain accreditation in order to run ITT and to be able to recommend their trainees for qualified teacher status.
To be accredited, a provider must design and deliver training which meets the Secretary of State for Education's ITT criteria.[1] This includes demonstrating evidence of the procedures to be established to assess trainee progression against the Teachers’ Standards.
[1] www.gov.uk/government/publications/initial-teacher-training-criteria