Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the new guidance for postgraduate teacher training issued by the National College of Teaching and Leadership on (1) the viability of subject courses at secondary level, and (2) future teacher supply in secondary subjects at national and regional level; whether they plan to publish a detailed assessment; and if so, when.

The Department for Education uses the national Teacher Supply Model (TSM) to assess the need for initial teacher training (ITT) entrants each year.

School Direct is an opportunity for schools in all areas to recruit and train the teachers that they need. For 2016/17, the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) listened to feedback from schools and universities and responded to recruitment challenges by moving to a more open approach which will provide School Direct lead schools and ITT providers with greater flexibility to respond to local conditions.

The viability of individual courses at secondary level are down to a mixture of local and institutional circumstances, including the number of applicants and the degree to which ITT providers engage in School Direct in partnership with schools.