answer text |
<p>The department has been working hard to increase the number of teachers entering
the profession. Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, teachers have been celebrated for
their role in continuing to support children. Measures have been taken to maintain
the stability of teacher supply throughout the COVID-19 outbreak by working closely
with the sector to support teacher training providers to place trainee teachers in
schools as part of their training. The department has relaxed some of the criteria
relating to the provision of initial teacher training (ITT) in the 2020/21 academic
year, confirmed that trainee teachers are critical workers, and strongly encouraged
schools to continue hosting trainees on placement during periods of national or local
COVID-19 restrictions.</p><p>The department has seen a surge in the number of new
trainee teachers this year – over 7,000 more than in 2019 – which shows that teaching
continues to be an attractive career option.</p><p>The department is aware that certain
subjects continue to be a challenge, so has put in place a range of measures, which
include bursaries worth up to £24,000 and scholarships worth up to £26,000, to attract
talented trainees to some subjects like chemistry, computing, mathematics, and physics.</p><p>The
department offers subject knowledge enhancement courses to applicants who have the
potential to become outstanding teachers but who need to increase their subject knowledge
before the Teachers' Standards can be met. The department also continues to run a
range of marketing events to attract new trainees; these have all been adapted to
run online in response to the outbreak and continue to see high attendance figures.</p><p>The
department is committed to ensuring trainees and early career teachers receive the
best training possible. From September 2020, all ITT will incorporate the ITT Core
Content Framework (CCF) into well sequenced curricula. The CCF sets out a minimum
entitlement of experiences and opportunities that trainees need, so they can enter
the profession in the best position possible to teach and support children. This will
be followed by a new two year induction from September 2021, supported by the Early
Career Framework.</p><p>On 2 January 2021, the department announced that we are resuming
a review of the ITT market, with a focus on how the ITT sector can provide consistently
high quality training, in line with the CCF, in a more efficient and effective market.</p><p>This
review will aim to make well informed, evidence based recommendations on how to ensure
all trainees are receiving consistent, high quality training, in a way that will maintain
capacity to deliver enough trainees, be accessible to candidates, and benefit all
schools.</p>
|
|