Proposed new Standards to determine whether a newly qualified teacher has completed their induction period satisfactorily are published by the Teacher Training Agency (TTA) today for consultation.

The consultation follows a request from Ministers to the Teacher Training Agency for advice on revising the Induction Standards in the light of the new Standards and Requirements for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), which set out what is expected of a teacher at the end of their Initial Teacher Training.

Statutory arrangements for the induction of newly qualified teachers were introduced in England in 1999. To successfully complete induction and continue teaching in a maintained school or a non maintained special school in England, a new teacher must continue to meet the QTS Standards as published in Qualifying to Teach. But they should also progress to meet Induction Standards that require them to:

work independently in areas, where, during their initial training, they would have the support of an experienced teacher; and focus on areas of professional practice which can be developed over a longer period than is available during training.

The TTA has drawn up proposed new Standards after discussions with a range of people involved in induction, including trainee and newly qualified teachers, induction tutors, headteachers, Local Education Authorities (LEAs) Induction Co-ordinators and Initial Teacher Training (ITT) providers, as well as national and representative bodies.

Jill Staley, Director of Teacher Training Strategy, said today:

'All teachers engage in professional development throughout their careers. The induction period is a distinct and crucial stage in this. It's a time when, with the support of experienced colleagues, NQTs consolidate and build on the high level skills they developed in initial teacher training. And it's a time when foundations are built for their
future in the profession.

'The proposed Induction Standards aim to set out clear expectations for NQTs' professional values and practice, their knowledge and understanding, and their teaching skills. They provide a framework for their professional development in relation to these, as well as offering criteria against which new teachers' progress can be monitored. We hope that as many people as possible will let us know whether they think our proposals will achieve this aim.'

More information is available from TTA website

www.canteach.gov.uk/inductionreview

Comments can be made online by e-mail or by hard copy to :
Louis Brabant
Induction Team
TTA
Stag Place
London
SW1E 5TT
by 15 November 2002


Notes to Editors

Statutory arrangements for induction, introduced in 1999, apply to England only. The induction period lasts for three school terms. They do not have to be contiguous. During induction, a new teacher is entitled to a programme of professional development, and their progress is monitored.

At the end of the induction, a headteacher considers whether a newly qualified teacher has met the induction standards and makes a recommendation to the local education authority. The authority informs the General Teaching Council and teacher's employer. More information about induction arrangements is available from the Department for Education and Skills website (www.dfes.gov.uk) or TTA website www.canteach.gov.uk).

Proposed requirements for satisfactory completion of induction

1. In order to complete the induction period satisfactorily, a
   newly qualified teacher (NQT) must:
   • continue consistently to meet the Standards for the Award of
     QTS; and
   • meet all the Induction Standards.
     As with initial training, induction is a distinct stage in the
     continuum of professional development that will continue throughout the
     teacher's career. NQTs are fully qualified teachers, but they are expected
     to continue developing their practice during the induction period. The
     Induction Standards therefore build on particular aspects of the Standards
     for the Award of QTS by:
     requiring NQTs to work independently in areas where, during initial
     training, it was assumed they would have the support of an experienced
     teacher; and
     focusing on aspects of professional practice which can be better
     developed during employment as a qualified teacher, and over a longer
     period of teaching than is available to most trainee teachers during their
     initial training.
   
   The Induction Standards
   
2. To meet the Induction Standards, NQTs should, by the end of the
   induction period, demonstrate all of the following.
   
   Professional Values and Practice
   They continue to meet the requirements of the Professional Values and
   Practice section of the Standards for the Award of QTS, and build on these
   by taking an increasingly independent and proactive role in improving
   their own practice and improving practice across the school. Specifically,
   they:
   • actively contribute to and share responsibly in the corporate life
     of the school in which they are employed;
   • seek and use opportunities to improve their own teaching, setting
     objectives for improvement, planning and taking action to meet these, and
     reviewing their progress against them;
   • are able to contribute to the development of other adults in the
     school;
   • contribute to the sharing of effective practice in the school;
   • use ICT effectively to support their wider professional role;
     
     Knowledge and Understanding
     They continue to meet the requirements of the Knowledge and Understanding
     section of the Standards for the Award of QTS, and build on these by:
   • identifying areas in which they need to add to and develop their
     subject and professional knowledge and understanding in order to teach
     more effectively in their current post, and taking steps to address these
     needs.
     
     Teaching
     They continue to meet the requirements of the Teaching section of the
     Standards for the Award of QTS, and build on these by demonstrating
     increasing responsibility and independence in their teaching and when
     working with other adults, including parents. Specifically, they:
     Planning, Expectations and Targets
   • plan effectively, where applicable, to meet the needs of pupils with
     Special Educational Needs, with or without statements, and in consultation
     with the SENCO contribute to the preparation, implementation, monitoring
     and review of Individual Education Plans or the equivalent;
     Monitoring and Assessment
   • take responsibility for identifying appropriate monitoring and
     assessment strategies to evaluate pupils' progress and use this
     information, along with other performance data, to improve their own
     planning and teaching and raise the achievement of boys and girls from all
     ethnic groups;
   • assess pupils' progress accurately and independently using, as
     relevant, the Early Learning Goals, National Curriculum level
     descriptions, criteria from national qualifications, the requirements of
     Awarding Bodies, National Curriculum and Foundation Stage assessment
     frameworks or objectives from the national strategies;
     (j) liaise effectively with parents or carers on pupils' progress and
     achievements;
     Teaching and Class Management
   • independently differentiate their teaching to meet the needs of
     pupils, including, where appropriate
     those who are underachieving,
     the more able,
     those with special educational needs,
     those who are learning English as an additional language, and
     those experiencing behavioural, emotional and social difficulties;
   • as relevant to the post in which they are completing induction,
     effectively take part in and at times lead the work of teaching teams;
   • as relevant to the post in which they are completing induction,
     effectively and appropriately deploy, liaise with and manage other adults
     who support pupils' learning, in and outside the classroom;
     (n) secure a good standard of pupil behaviour in the classroom and act
     to pre-empt and deal with inappropriate behaviour in the context of the
     behaviour policy of the school.
     
     National Test in Numeracy
   • To complete induction successfully an NQT trained in England,
     qualifying on or after 1 May 2000 and before 1 May 2001, must have passed
     the national test for teacher training candidates in numeracy, before the
     completion of the induction period

    

   For further information please call TTA Press Office on 0208 925 3855