Independent review of initial teacher training courses launched
2 May 2014 04:21 PM
Andrew Carter OBE has
been appointed to chair a review of the quality and effectiveness of initial
teacher training (ITT) courses.
An independent review of the
quality and effectiveness of ITT courses was announced last week (1
May 2014) by the Secretary of State for Education, Michael
Gove.
Providing the best possible
training is at the heart of this government’s drive to improve teaching
standards and ensure children from all backgrounds have the opportunity to
achieve academic excellence. The review will look across the full range
of ITT courses and will seek views from those involved across the
sector to:
- define
effective ITT practice
- assess the extent to which the
current system delivers effective ITT
- recommend where and how
improvements could be made
- recommend ways to improve choice
in the system by improving the transparency of course content and
methods
Andrew Carter OBE,
Headteacher of South Farnham School, leader of a
school-centred ITT provider and ITT lead on the Teaching
Schools Council has been appointed to chair the review. A review panel will be
appointed in the coming weeks.
Secretary of State for Education
Michael Gove said:
There has never been a better
time to be a teacher. There are more teachers in England’s classrooms
than ever before, with a rise of 9,000 in the last year, and there is no doubt
that the current generation of young teachers is the best
ever.
While we have already taken
steps to improve teacher training, including through the popular School Direct
route, it is right that we look at how we can ensure all courses are providing
the best possible training.
I am very pleased to appoint
Andrew Carter to lead this important review. He has a wealth of experience in
this area and I look forward to receiving his report.
Andrew
Carter OBE said:
I am delighted to accept the
government’s invitation to carry out an independent review of the quality
of initial teacher training.
I have championed the importance
of ITT in my work at South Farnham School, Surrey South
Farnham SCITT and on the Teaching Schools Council. Since 2010 we have
seen significant change in education and it is paramount that trainees are
prepared to face the demands of the 21st century classroom.
The review will report to the
Secretary of State for Education by the end of the year.
Notes to
Editors
- To improve the way teachers
receive their initial training, the department has introduced School Direct, a
programme to allow schools to recruit and train their own staff; ensured that
all trainee teachers must pass the skills tests in literacy and numeracy before
starting their teacher training; and made training bursaries available to top
graduates who are interested in teaching.
- There are a number of ways to
get into teaching. A range of routes have been designed to suit different
trainee needs, these can be school or university led. All courses involve
spending time in school to develop teaching skills and build trainees
confidence. More information is available on the National College for Teaching
and Leadership (NCTL) Get into
Teaching website.
- We expect the review to consider
a range of courses led by university
providers, SCITT (school-centred ITT) providers and School
Direct partnerships. These will include courses from across a range of subjects
and phases. It will be for the review group to identify the specific courses
they wish to consider.
- The review is launching today
and will report to ministers by the end of this year.