A government policy adviser has admitted that the updated teacher training framework will involve “short-term pain”, after revealing the quick turnaround for bringing it in.
Speaking at the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT) annual conference in London, Rachel Hayward, ITT policy adviser for the Department for Education (DfE), said the longer-term gains would make the challenges worthwhile.
She said the framework will be published in the spring, with implementation from September 2020.
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Addressing the conference, Ms Hayward said: “Ofsted continue to find high-quality ITT provision year on year, but there are still too many teachers leaving, there are still too many teachers struggling with their mental health and workload.”
Changes to initial teacher training
She added that the implementation of the new framework would involve “short-term pain for long-term gain”, and said the DfE is “aiming to work with NASBTT to help with implementation”.
Her comments were met with groans from delegates, who raised serious concerns about the time given for providers to implement the updated core framework before they are made accountable to Ofsted.
An expert panel headed up by teacher training leader Professor Sam Twiselton is currently reviewing the content of initial teacher training, and working on suggestions for ways to align it with the Early Career Framework (ECF).
The panel’s guidance will be used to underpin a training programme for all new teachers, beginning with updated core content for initial teacher training and leading into the ECF.
The ECF was announced as part of the government’s teacher recruitment and retention strategy. The government said then that it would provide the starting point for a review to the ITT core content guidance to ensure that the ECF “builds on and complements ITT”.
At the time the panel was convened, Nick Gibb, the schools minister, said: “The Early Career Framework is a fundamental shift in the support available to teachers starting out in their careers, ensuring that newly qualified teachers continue to be mentored to help them develop the key skills teachers need.
“The advisory group that convened today will play an essential role in helping us to ensure that the training teachers receive is consistent, and of the highest quality, as the full programme is rolled out.”
