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Promoting Quality in Teacher Education

Note of the meeting of the UCET ITE secondary forum held on-line at 1.00pm on Tuesday 9 March 2021

Welcome, introductions and minutes of the previous meeting

Colleagues were welcomed to the meeting. The note of the meeting held on 24 November 2020 was agreed. On matters arising: it was confirmed that the UCET conference would take pace, either on-line or face to face, on 2-3 November 2021. Volunteers and suggestions in regards keynote and workshop presenters were invited.

Discussion

A range of issues was discussed including:

An update from JNR on non-secondary related issues, including the Learning & Skills White Paper, the recent UCET effective CPD paper and developments in Northern Ireland & Wales.

It was agreed that the topic for the next morning symposium would be SEND and inclusion, with possible contributors including Steve Puttick, Margaret Mullholland and Julie Greer. A subsequent symposium might focus on EAL.

Covid 19 related issues, including: the content of recent DfE guidance and reports (following discussions in break-out rooms) from forum members covering:

Adjustments made to placement structures, including: delaying the beginning of placements (with the time saved to development virtual schools experiences); moving from two to one placements (although two was to be preferred); the front-loading of placements; difficulties associated with the delivery of practical subjects; the benefits to schools of having students & NQTs with experience of on-line delivery; the scope for self-isolating students to engage with schools remotely; and the provision of placements in non-school settings.

Reviewing the timing of student assessments, and aligning assessment procedures to other institutional requirements.

The likely continuation of some new ways of working (e.g. remote mentor training sessions) post-pandemic.

The importance of financial support for students needing to continue with ITE into the next academic year.

Concerns over employment opportunities for some NQTs, notwithstanding their unique and valuable experiences.

The need for guidance from DfE about ‘going home for Easter’ and on campus centre-based training.

Regional variations of Covid impacts across the country.

New induction rules, including the new statutory induction period linked to the ECF. The ECF might it was noted be restructured to provide NQTs with support in particular areas during their first NQT year. Some schools were thought to only have limited knowledge of the ECF.

Recruitment to ITE programmes, which was continuing to be strong in most secondary subjects, although D&T and geography were struggling because of bursary changes, with a particular impact on students from under-represented groups. Bursary changes had also led to people applying for subjects or which they might not be best qualified. Fears about on-programme wastage of current year students had not materialised. Recruitment to SDS programmes had been hit by funding changes.

Policy issues relating to the new Institute of Teaching and the DfE review of the ITE market. UCET’s strategy in relation to the IOT and market review was to continue to engage in discussions with DfE, while at the same time lobbying politicians and other influencers, drawing on the support of other organisations (including PR consultants) and publicly promoting the benefits of HEI involvement in teacher education. Key concerns in relation to the market review were a centrally defined ITE curriculum, which would prevent programmes from being contextualised and tailored to the meeting of particular needs, and the introduction of contracting arrangements which would be inconsistent with shared and flexible partnership working and might be financially unsustainable. The relationship between the new teaching school hubs, the IOT and the market review were currently uncertain, although it seemed unlikely that they were unconnected. The implications of conducting a market review while the market was already being restructured through the introduction of the IOT and the hubs was noted. UCET was pressing for the timetable for the review to be extended to allow for a range of evidence to be heard, the results of OfSTED inspections (e.g.in relation to CCF implementation) to be available and for lessons from the pandemic to be taken on board.

Regulatory issues, where OfSTED ITE inspections were scheduled to begin in April and were likely to include face to face components, and would probably include a focus on CCF implementation. Reports from OfSTED inspection visits, which had covered CFF and Covid responses were generally positive.

SKE, where programmes could now begin from 8 March. Geography had been removed as an eligible subject, and bursary support had been cut from £200 to £175 per week. There had also been a tightening of criteria to exclude those who had been awarded a degree in their chosen subject area in the previous five years (subject to some refinement allowing those on programmes that cover multiple subject areas to sometimes be eligible).

Items for information

The December UCET newsletter was noted.

Any other business

None.

Date of next meeting

Tuesday 15 June 2021, via Zoom.