Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 2 May 2023 to Question 182481 on Secondary Education: Teachers, whether her Department (a) provides and (b) plans to provide support for non-specialist teachers who do not qualify for an eight-week subject knowledge enhancement course and need to increase their subject knowledge for religious education.

The number of teachers remains high, with over 468,000 full time equivalent teachers working in state funded schools across the country, over 27,000 more than there were in 2010.

The Department provides funded Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) courses for 9 subjects, including religious education, for those who have yet to start an initial teacher training course. Eligibility is subject to an applicant meeting the requirements to train to teach in England and the applicant accepting a conditional offer which specifies the requirement to complete a SKE course. Eligible participants can receive a bursary of £175 per week. Religious education courses last 8 weeks.

Once teachers are qualified and working in schools, the responsibility for supporting non specialist teachers rests with head teachers, as they are best placed to assess the needs of their staff and provide appropriate support, such as continuing professional development.

Oak National Academy will provide both specialist and non specialist teachers with access to high quality digital curriculum resources. This includes resources for religious education. Oak will work closely with the sector and utilise sector expertise when developing these new curriculum resources.

The Department has also transformed the training and support available to teachers of all subjects. An entitlement to at least three years of structured training, support and professional development for all new teachers has been created, to bring teaching into line with other prestigious professions such as law, accountancy and medicine. Underpinning this is the new Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Core Content Framework and the Early Career Framework, and together, these ensure that new teachers will benefit from at least three years of evidence based training, across ITT and into their induction.

Beyond the first few years of teaching, the Department’s priority is to help all teachers and head teachers to continuously develop their expertise throughout their careers so that all pupils get the best start in life.

National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) are available to education professionals at all levels, from those who want to develop expertise in high quality teaching practice, to those leading multiple schools across trusts. The qualifications have been designed with professionals in mind, using the latest and best available evidence, and can be completed flexibly around existing commitments.

Four specialist NPQs are available, for those who want to broaden their existing knowledge, expertise, and skills in specialist areas of teaching practice including an NPQ in Leading Teaching where participants will learn how to lead the teaching of a subject, year, group or phase.