Teacher Training - Latest Lessons

Here are the latest grains of wisdom from the quickly shifting sands of teacher training provision, as provided by University careers colleagues who are members of the Teaching and Related Professions Task Group.

Teach First

Recruitment to the programme has been brisk for 2013 entry and over 1000 applicants have already been accepted.  There are still 250 vacancies, but these are mainly for Maths and English.

The scheme now has its own dedicated website www.teachfirst.org.uk including vacancy details and a central application process.

To anticipate a couple of likely faqs:

• About 17.5 % of the 2012 intake ( a total of 997) are teaching in primary schools.
• 36% of 2012 entrants are male - well above the 25% in the profession overall.
• Teach First will accept Psychology graduates to teach Science - but only if they achieve a B.Sc. and have grade B in a science at A Level.

School Direct

News has also reached us that it will be possible to apply for School Direct vacancies through the Graduate Teacher Training Registry when the latest wave of applications for 2014 entry opens on 1st November this year. Application deadlines will for the first time be scrapped. 

Note: School Direct is already making its mark in Cumbria and North Lancashire, and we can expect Teach First to follow suit.

Changes to School Direct from 2013

Those interested in a career in primary or secondary teaching may be interested to know that the School Direct programme has been expanded for the academic year 2013/14 and will then offer two types of training places:

1) The School Direct Training Programme, which is open to all graduates and funded by tuition fees
paid by the trainee, who may receive a bursary from the Teaching Agency (TA).

2) The School Direct Training Programme (salaried), which is an employment-based route into
teaching for high quality graduates with three or more years’ career experience. The trainee is
employed as an unqualified teacher by a school and will replace the Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP) which will close.

All School Direct places will lead to qualified teacher status (QTS). Schools will decide whether they wish the provider to award a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE)from a higher education institution or School Centred Initial Teacher Training Institution (SCITT).

For recruitment to the academic year 2013/14 the TA will manage a central application system, providing a single point of application for all candidates and on which all School Direct places will be listed. Further details will be made available in due course.

Please note however that places for the 2012-13 School Direct programme will be made direct to schools.  For more details see the Teaching Agency website.

Source: Teaching Agency announcement via AGCAS

The TDA is dead - Long Live the TA!

The Teaching Agency (TA) opened on 1st April, replacing the abolished Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA).  Information on becoming a teacher previously available on the TDA website is now available at www.teach.gov.uk including the flagship School Direct programme.