The government is setting up a taskforce in a bid to boost initial teacher training (ITT) providers’ interest in expansion and creating partnerships under its shake-up of the sector, Tes has learned.
The move comes amid fears that the second round of ITT provider reaccreditation, which is currently taking place, will dramatically reduce the number of providers and create so-called “cold spots” in parts of the country where there will be no teacher training available locally.
The Department for Education is approaching ITT sector leaders to join the taskforce to help find ways to encourage and support providers to develop expansions or partnerships, Tes understands.
The reluctance to develop expansions or partnerships is “mostly” among higher education institutions, according to a government source, who previously told Tes that organisations were “unwilling” or “unable to partner” with other providers if they were not successful in the reaccreditation process.
The DfE has ordered all providers to take part in the reaccreditation process to continue offering teacher training under its shake-up of the sector, which began last year.
Teacher training shake-up: fears over the supply of new teachers
Reacting to the launch of the taskforce, James Noble-Rogers, executive director of the Universities Council for the Education of Teachers, said the DfE did “not appear to realise the difficulties that existing providers will have in either expanding or joining up with larger partnerships”.
He added that successfully accredited providers “could be reluctant to expand because it might make it more difficult, given the emphasis on consistency across partnerships in regards mentoring, to achieve good Ofsted grades”.
“They might also find it difficult to find suitable partner schools, particularly if schools that have built up effective working relationships with a deaccredited provider do not want to become part of new and larger partnerships. Some providers who lose their accreditation would also be both unwilling and unable (for regulatory reasons) to become junior partners with other organisations,” Mr Noble-Rogers said.
He added that he was “very worried about teacher supply” and that this is “something the DfE should make sure is covered before the results of the accreditation process are announced”.
In May Tes revealed that almost two-thirds of the ITT providers that applied for reaccreditation did not pass the first round of the process.
This followed the publication of government figures that revealed 80 providers had been awarded accreditation.
And last month Tes learned that initial teacher education provider “deserts” were in danger of being created in certain areas under the ITT reforms, which could lead to the loss of hundreds of teacher trainee places, potentially adding even greater pressure during a growing teacher recruitment crisis.
At the time Mr Noble-Rogers said he was concerned that these “deserts” could lead to a “broken” supply chain.
The results of the second round of reaccreditation are expected to be published in the autumn. Tes understands that there are fears that a similar number of providers will survive the second time around, but the DfE has said that marking is still ongoing.
Mr Noble-Rogers said that if the ITT gaps remain after round two, schools in those areas “will not be able to recruit the early career teachers they need in order to teach their pupils”.
He added that there was “no point” in the government saying that prospective teachers can “train somewhere else”, given that individuals were “increasingly wanting” to train near to where they live due to “family”, “financial” and other reasons.
