The Improvement in ITT team support school-based ITT providers to develop all aspects of ITT provision through:

• individual consultancy
• regional network meetings, and
• annual workshops.

Developing trainees’ subject knowledge for teaching

The focus for 2006/07 is on supporting school-based ITT providers to develop trainees’ subject knowledge for teaching.

In 2004, the Improvement in ITT team began to work with school-based ITT providers to determine how learning opportunities for trainees could best be developed.

One of the issues identified was developing trainees’ subject knowledge for teaching. Effective teaching is built upon strong subject knowledge. An understanding of curriculum content, appropriate teaching approaches and how pupils’ develop as learners are essential prerequisites for good classroom practice. Therefore developing trainees’ subject knowledge for teaching should be central to any ITT programme. Providers need continually to review their programmes to ensure the effectiveness of training in relation to subject knowledge for teaching.

Recognising this to be an important area for development, we began a dialogue with providers on what makes good subject knowledge for teaching at the June 2004 workshop for training managers. Further workshops, network meetings and individual consultancy have built on this to support providers to develop trainees’ subject knowledge for teaching. We are also developing support materials for providers.

Every Child Matters and ITT

The Improvement in ITT team also support all providers in developing their provision in relation to Every Child Matters and ITT.

Eight providers are taking part in a pilot project to determine how the providers can best manage change in higher education institutions (HEIs) in relation to Every Child Matters and new QTS standards. A series of regional meetings and workshops were held in 2007 where ITT providers discussed with members of the pilot group challenges, solutions and the key factors in managing change.

A national conference for Deans of Education and Heads of Schools on the implementation of Every Child Matters and the teachers’ role in the process took place on 18 October 2006.

Please see the discussion paper Every Child Matters: the role of the teacher in the changing context.

Leaflets for trainees on Every Child Matters and remodelling of the school workforce are also available to download from the right hand column. Alternatively you can order these publications by emailing publications@tda.gov.uk

For further information, please contact improvement@tda.gov.uk.