Classes of information

Class 1: Information for prospective teachers

One of the key roles of the TDA is to actively promote teaching as a career and encourage able and committed people into the profession. We also strive to provide high quality services to meet the needs of key customer needs, especially those thinking of teaching as a career.

Our website has a large number of pages and downloadable documents dedicated to giving information to those wanting to explore teaching as a career. These include:

• the entry requirements for teacher training and the personal attributes that are likely to make a successful teacher
• how to experience what it is like to be a teacher before making a decision
• information about the various routes to becoming a qualified teacher
• the career prospects for those entering the profession
• advice on choosing a training course
• details of recruitment events
• the financial support and incentives available

The TDA also publishes on behalf of the National Assembly for Wales, brochures and booklets for those in Wales considering teaching as a career. These are available in both English and Welsh.

Class 2: Information for those in teacher training

The TDA wants those training to be teachers to achieve high standards and to become effective practitioners. This class of information includes material that makes clear the expectations placed on trainees and gives advice on sources of help and support for them. Specifically, there are web pages and other published material which give trainees information about:

• the standards that must be met before they can be awarded qualified teacher status (QTS)
• the skills tests in numeracy, literacy and information and communication technology (ICT) that all trainees must pass before gaining QTS – this includes practice and support material and details of where the tests are
• held and how to book one
• lists of resources to support trainees’ study, particularly of knowledge of the subjects they aim to teach

Class 3: Information for newly qualified and other teachers and schools

We recognise that initial training is only the first stage in a teacher’s professional development. We have a direct responsibility for induction of newly qualified teachers (NQTs) and publish materials on:

• the career entry profile those gaining QTS take into their first teaching appointment
• guidance for NQTs, schools and local authorities (LAs) on induction

In this class also is information about what the TDA is doing on a wider front to recruit teachers into the classroom. There are also links to websites that offer support and resources to teachers in schools.

Class 4: Information for teachers and schools regarding continuing professional development

We now have a direct responsibility for the ongoing training and development programmes in schools for qualified teachers and therefore publish materials on:

• tools for schools on HR and training and development guidance and information for teachers/schools

In this class also is information about further development to move towards head teacher status.

Class 5: Information for prospective and existing higher level teaching assistants (HLTAs)

The provision of training and assessment for school support staff is a new role for the TDA. The higher level teaching assistant (HLTA) programme offers training and assessment against professional standards for those staff working in the classroom to support teaching and learning. Successful candidates who demonstrate the skills and professional expertise required of those operating at this higher level will achieve HLTA status.

Our current material in this class focuses on five main areas and is available online in the HLTA section of this website and in hard copy format:

• general information about HLTA status to meet the needs of a range of audiences
• the professional standards that candidates must meet in order to be awarded HLTA status
• provision of guidance on the acceptable qualifications that are needed in order to be awarded HLTA status
• guidance and training materials to support candidates undertaking training and assessment to meet the professional standards
• guidance and training materials for providers of training, particular for those who are involved in candidate assessment

Through our website, we also provide links to websites that offer support and resources to prospective and current HLTA candidates.

Class 6: Information for other members of the school workforce

Support staff make a significant contribution to the achievements of young people in schools and their development is a growing area of our work. We publish information of interest to:

• those who want qualifications or to achieve occupational standards in support staff roles
• those providing induction and introductory training for school support staff
• school managers involved in offering training and development opportunities to their staff

Class 7: Information for those providing training courses for the teachers

The quality of initial teacher training, and hence the effectiveness of new teachers, is a key part of the TDA’s contribution to raising educational standards in schools. We are committed to supporting the work providers of teacher training do to improve quality continuously.

The material we publish in pursuit of this includes:

• key data on all providers to allow them to benchmark their performance and set targets
• surveys of NQTs' perception of the quality of their initial training
• evidence of and descriptions about successful practice

In this class TDA also offers information for those wishing to become accredited providers of teacher training, including accreditation criteria and the kind of support available to help potential new providers through the process and in their early years of operation.

Class 8: Information provided by the TDA development team

The TDA development team provides support and guidance to local authorities and schools to enable them to develop strategies to implement the national agreement on raising standards and tackling workload and explore the wider implications of workforce remodelling.

The team is also beginning to explore how remodelling can be applied to the development of extended services in and around schools.

Class 9: Policy development

This class covers information about policy development at the TDA and includes:

• all current and recently closed consultation documents
• summaries of responses to consultations received
• links to the relevant TDA board minutes summarising discussion of the consultation report and the ensuing policy decision

Within the class, we also publish policy statements and guidance on issues that do not fall within other classifications, such as equal opportunities. We will also make available any advice we give to the secretary of state unless he/she has requested that such advice should remain confidential.

Class 10: Corporate information

This class comprises information relating to the corporate objectives and the performance of the TDA and includes from November 2002 reports, papers to and approved minutes of the TDA’s board. The board has two committees (audit and accreditation): papers and minutes for these meetings are not available since the committees do not have delegated powers and the recommendations and final decisions will normally be included in the published material from board meetings.

The TDA’s corporate plan is published annually and covers a three-year period. The report monitoring progress against the aims and objectives of the corporate plan is published quarterly. We also publish our codes of conduct which apply to TDA board and committee members and TDA staff, and cover:

• Conduct of TDA’s business
• Corporate responsibility
• Individual conduct for board and committee members
• Conduct for TDA staff and stakeholders
• Access to information
• Complaints procedures

Class 11: Funding and financial information

One of the TDA’s functions, set out in the Act which established it, is to fund the provision of teacher training in England. For the financial year 2003-2004 we allocated almost £450 million based on targets set by the DfES and determined by evidence of the quality of provision. This includes recruitment to teaching, training bursaries paid to postgraduate trainees and a range of other grants for the wider school workforce. Information about the allocations system is on our website along with copies of the letters sent to providers giving their indicative intakes for the forthcoming years. The details include the funds per trainee for provision for each secondary subject, the primary phase, and mode of training.

The TDA, in its new role as host of NRT will also publish details of the funding the team receive from DfES and the statement of accounts and spending.

The TDA is required to prepare a statement of accounts in the form determined by the secretary of state for education. This financial statement is normally published as part of the TDA’s annual report and is available in both print form and downloadable from the web.

The website gives details of all contracts subject to an open tender including those required to be advertised in the Official Journal of the European Community (OJEC). The pages also list successful bidders for these contracts.

Class 12: Personnel information

This class includes details of:

• the organisational structure
• the competences required for posts and the person specifications used for recruitment purposes
• personnel* policies and procedures with a particular focus on the recruitment and selection of staff
• current pay scales
• advertisements and information for applicants

We also make public details of board members and senior staff holding director posts but not information about all members of staff.

*Please note that “personnel” refers to all permanent staff at both TDA and NRT.