Following a public consultation in summer 2007, The Education (Induction Arrangements for School Teachers) (England) Regulations 2008 were laid before Parliament on 17 March 2008. These regulations replace the current regulations, and are effective from September 2008.
In summary, from September 2008 the new regulations will:
- enable further education institutions to host induction for newly qualified teachers (NQTs) who have been awarded qualified teacher status, provided the institutions comply with the requirements in regulations and guidance
- provide a clear, up-to-date definition of the induction period applicable to a range of settings and appointments
- allow the appropriate body to shorten the induction period in certain circumstances (as outlined in the regulations) by up to 29 days, taking account of any absences
- allow the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) one extra day to communicate a decision on an appeal
- remove the requirement to complete induction within five years of starting the induction period
The new regulations can now be downloaded .
The new induction guidance
To accompany the new regulations, and the accompanying changes, new updated statutory guidance has also been published and can be downloaded from the Teachernet website. The guidance incorporates the changes to regulations, clarifies some issues, addresses some gaps and introduces new content. As well as including the regulatory changes, the new content updates areas where consultation suggested that existing guidance could be improved.
For example, the new statutory guidance:
- clarifies and updates the roles and responsibilities of the various parties in the induction process
- clarifies that an NQT must have a reduced timetable and time for planning, preparation and assessment
- highlights the need for an NQT to have a personalised induction programme and designated tutor with the time and skills to fulfil their role
- includes updated procedures for notifying the GTCE about an NQT who starts an induction period
- explains revised procedures for the transfer of records when NQTs complete their induction period in more than one institution.
