The recent announcement that the TDA will lead the development and delivery of the new masters in teaching and learning qualification is welcome news. We have an exciting opportunity to develop a programme that enables teachers to help all children and young people achieve their full potential.
We are well placed to lead on the delivery of this important new development, building on our achievements in increasing teacher recruitment to record levels and improving the quality of training to the best-ever. Working closely with social partners, we will develop a programme that not only meets the needs of pupils, but raises the status of teachers and ensures they get the recognition they deserve.
Initially, we intend to roll out the programme to teachers in the first five years of their career and build on the foundations of their initial teacher training and induction. More experienced teachers will be trained and act as in-school coaches to teachers on the programme. This in turn may be recognised as an aspect of their masters programme. The masters in teaching and learning should, over time, be open to all teachers and every teacher should complete it over the course of their career.
This new qualification gives us the chance to make a dramatic contribution to improving the high quality of our teachers. In the long-term, it will transform the teaching profession to one that is recognised the world over for its consistency in delivering to the highest standards for every child in every school.
