TO BE PUBLISHED March 2021
***Full-scale policy conference taking place online***
This conference examines the implementation of key changes to initial teacher training (ITT) system in England.
The discussion at a glance:
- the ITT core content framework - stakeholder views, and the impact on providers so far
- the Early Career Framework and the teacher pay increases - their likely impact on teacher retention moving forward
- the Initial Teacher Education inspection framework - how providers have prepared to adapt to the new framework, with the first inspections taking place from January 2021
- COVID-19 - possible alternative arrangements by providers for ITT need to be made to provision due to the pandemic - including - and options for developments in remote delivery of training
A scan of developments:
- Initial teacher training (ITT): core content framework - which sets out the core skills that teachers should have a grounding in at the start of their career - being introduced from September 2020
- Early career framework reforms - aiming to ensure that all teachers can access high quality professional development - and starts in selected schools in September, ahead of 2021 national roll out
- Initial teacher education (ITE) inspection framework and handbook - being introduced by Ofsted, which:
- aims to bring ITT inspection in line with the recently introduced Education Inspection Framework
- introduces a new quality of education and training judgement, with a focus on the ITT curriculum
- Coronavirus (COVID-19): initial teacher training (ITT) -the impact of COVID-19 on ITT provision and recent DfE guidance for providers, including:
- The Impact of COVID-19 on Initial Teacher Training - NFER finding that :
- despite increased applications, teaching placement capacity has fallen by 20% in primary schools and 7% in secondary schools as a result of the pandemic
- schools with the most disadvantaged pupils reported the largest average reductions in training placement capacity due to COVID-19
- MillionPlus leads cross-sector call for a national recovery plan in Initial Teacher Education - stakeholders calling for a formal cross-sector government advisory group to formulate a plan
- the Teacher recruitment and retention strategy - launched by the Department for Education in 2019
- Teachers set for biggest pay rise in fifteen years - announced by government, with new teachers receiving a 5.5% increase to their salaries
- Analysis: the teacher recruitment gap could close for the first time since 2012 - increased applications for teacher training programmes reported by the Education Policy Institute and coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic
Key areas for discussion:
- the revised ITT core content framework (CCF) and Early career framework (ECF):
- implementation - looking at the CCF, which sets out core essentials for training providers across: behaviour management, pedagogy, curriculum, assessment, and professional behaviour
- alignment - how to ensure the revised CCF dovetails with the ECF to establish three or more years of structured support for teacher trainees
- impact - the ECF and retention rates for NQTs - initial impressions and experiences of the increased level of support, and options for improvement ahead of the full roll-out in 2021.
- COVID-19 - the provision of placements in the wake of the pandemic and priorities for supporting providers at this time
- teacher recruitment and retention:
- teacher training applications - the reported surge coinciding with the pandemic
- potential impact and underlying factors - including the rise of youth unemployment and the recent pay increase for new teachers
- long-term implications - previous trends suggesting that the teachers recruited during economic uncertainty can be less likely to stay in the profession once the economy recovers
- employability - ensuring it continues for new teachers
- the teacher labour market - possible strategies for achieving a better balance of supply and demand in the future - and what can be learned from the experience of the pandemic
- challenges - a reported drop in teaching vacancies, NQTs struggling to find employment, and some schools having concerns over recruiting new staff remotely
- calls for more support for NQTs and for schools to continue recruiting staff remotely
- the teacher recruitment and retention strategy - assessing progress in the priority areas of:
- support - for early career teachers through the introduction of the ECF and in developing school cultures
- working life - reducing teacher workload, and improving opportunities for flexible working patterns and career journeys in the teaching profession
- applications - simplifying the process for ITT, and increasing opportunities for those interested in the profession to gain insights and some experience of teaching as a career
- recruitment shortfalls - in key subject areas and geographic areas with greatest need - looking at how the issues can be addressed by providers and schools
- retention:
- keeping NQTs within the profession - including the role of providers with concerns regarding the mental health support available to trainee teachers
- prior experience - its removal of within a school as an entry requirement for trainee teachers
- the new ITE inspection framework
- implementation - expected from January 2021, in the face of significant interruptions to the cycle of Ofsted inspections due to the pandemic
- assessing the new framework - and the changes it introduces, such as:
- renewed focus - on assessing the ITE curriculum and how well trainees are prepared to teach, and less on outcomes data
- two new key judgements - quality of education and training and leadership and management
- a new methodology for gathering inspection evidence - with a single, four-day inspection replacing the earlier two-stage process
- initial experiences of the new inspections - and how well they evaluate the quality of teacher training and preparedness to begin a career in teaching
- Remote delivery of ITE
- ensuring ITE reflects current needs in educational settings - possible ways forward and policy priorities:
- it follows recent NQTs having completed their teacher training partially remotely and have entered the labour market during a time of remote learning and increased use of EdTech
- options for remote teaching to be incorporated in teacher training moving forward
The agenda:
- Implementing the ITT Core Content Framework and the Early Career Framework
- Adapting to the revised Core Content Framework - developing the curriculum, provision of placements following the pandemic, and support for providers
- Teacher recruitment and retention post-pandemic - supporting NQTs into employment, transition to full-time teaching, the outlook for shortage subjects, and the likely impact of the Early Career Framework
- Implementing the new ITE inspection framework
- Adapting to the new ITE inspection framework - preparing teachers for a well-sequenced curriculum, the new quality of education and training judgement, and assessing behaviour management and high quality mentoring
- ITE in remote settings
- Ensuring ITE reflects current needs in educational settings - and the challenges of moving on from the pandemic
- Completing teacher training remotely - challenges and opportunities
- Incorporating training on EdTech and remote learning practices into teacher training
Policy officials attending:
Our forums are known for attracting strong interest from policymakers and stakeholders. Places have been reserved by parliamentary pass-holders from the House of Commons Library, and officials from the Department of Education and the Government Legal Department.
Overall, we expect speakers and attendees to be a senior and informed group including Members of both Houses of Parliament, senior government and regulatory officials involved in this area of policy and other Government departments and agencies, teacher training providers and universities, remote learning providers, schools and teaching professionals including newly qualified teachers, subject associations and professional bodies, representatives of trade unions and advocacy groups, local government representatives and those with an interest in geographic inequalities, groups representing parents and students, and academics and commentators, together with reporters from the national and specialist media.
This is a full-scale conference taking place online***
- full, four-hour programme including comfort breaks - you’ll also get a full recording to refer back to
- information-rich discussion involving key policymakers and stakeholders
- conference materials provided in advance, including speaker biographies
- speakers presenting via webcam, accompanied by slides if they wish, using the Cisco WebEx professional online conference platform (easy for delegates - we’ll provide full details)
- opportunities for live delegate questions and comments with all speakers
- a recording of the addresses, all slides cleared by speakers, and further materials, is made available to all delegates afterwards as a permanent record of the proceedings
- delegates are able to add their own written comments and articles following the conference, to be distributed to all attendees and more widely
- networking too - there will be opportunities for delegates to e-meet and interact - we’ll tell you how!
Full information and guidance on how to take part will be sent to delegates before the conference
Price: £95 PLUS VAT
Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF
