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Promoting Quality in Teacher Education

Note of the meeting of the UCET ITE secondary forum held on-line at 12.30pm on Tuesday 24 November 2020

Welcome, introductions and minutes of the previous meeting

Colleagues were welcomed to the first meeting on the 2020/21 academic year, with a particular welcome given to those who were attending for the first time. The note of the meeting held on 16 June 2020 was agreed. On matters arising: it had been confirmed that ITE students had ‘critical worker’ status, although as yet it was unclear whether this exempted them from the new ‘going home for Christmas’ rules; fears of a mass deferral of ITE students into the next academic year appear not to have materialised; and funding had not been made available to provide additional support to NQTs in 2020/21.

Discussion

A range of issues was discussed including:

An update from JNR on non-secondary related issues, including PCET, The ECF and NPQ tenders; the recent UCET conference; and developments in Northern Ireland and Wales.

A brief report on that morning’s symposium on: supporting and training school-based mentors (Sarah Marston); the assessment of students in school-based learning (David Ingledew); and unseen observations (Matt O’Leary).

Covid 19 related issues, including: relaxations made to the ITE criteria for 2020/21; placement issues, which were not as problematic as had been feared, although the position did vary from region to region and would need to be kept under review; the benefits and popularity of virtual placements, linked as necessary to the teacher standards; students delivering virtual lessons; the scope for students to engage in staff meetings and other school activities on-line; schools accepting clusters of students, sometimes within subject groups; and the carrying out of risk assessments.

Recruitment processes, where on-line interviewing and selection procedures were working well and could sometimes involve partners in schools.

Levels of applications and recruitment were generally healthy, although issues were reported in regards geography. Reductions in bursary funding were problematic and misguided because the underlying reasons for teacher supply problems were likely to remain post-pandemic. A number of applicants were reported as pretending to be specialists in a particular subject so as to qualify for a bursary. Delays in announcing SKE funding information was damaging recruitment in some subjects. Some students were willing to self-fund their SKE, and a number of on-line providers had reduced rates to facilitate this. The implications of self-funded SKE for widening participation were however also noted.

The new Apply system, where those involved as ‘early-adopters’ reported that it appeared to be working well and would allow access to a better quality of data.

Regulatory issues, including the new OfSTED inspection framework, where inspections were still scheduled to begin in January 2021, although whether they actually would remained to be seen; and the transition statement referring to providers having ambitious plans to introduce new CCF consistent curricula, even if Covid prevented their full implementation. The DfE self-evaluation guidance, with a strong emphasis on data collection, was also noted. Forum members were advised to keep a close eye on the DfE’s review of the ITE market, which had just recommenced.

Items for information

The summer UCET newsletter and the new UCET strategy were noted.

Any other business

It was confirmed that students recruited to and beginning an ITE programme in 2020/21 would carry their bursary entitlement with them if they chose to defer into 2021/22.

Date of next meeting

Tuesday 9 March 2021