Professional Standards for Teachers in England Dr Ben Ramm Education Standards Directorate
Outline of the presentation I. Introduction: The UK Civil Service and the Department for Education (DfE) II. Education and Teacher Training in England III. Brief History of Teacher Standards in England IV. The Independent Review of 2011 The Teachers’ Standards 2012 V. VI. Questions and Answers
I. Introduction: The UK Civil Service and the Department for Education (DfE)
The UK Civil Service The United Kingdom has a permanent, impartial civil service (numbering around 400,000 staff in total); Civil servants are responsible for advising Ministers, developing and delivering policy; All civil servants must demonstrate the values of the Civil Service Code: Integrity, Honesty, Objectivity, Impartiality. See: www.civilservice.gov.uk/values
The Department for Education (DfE) Formed in 2010, following the General Election – previously Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF); The Department is responsible for education and children’s service in England. Its vision is for: “A highly educated society in which opportunity is more equal for children and young people no matter what their background or family circumstances.” Remit of the Department is England only; Employs around 3000 staff in 12 locations (reducing to 5).
Our Ministers Rt. Hon. Michael Gove MP (Conservative) Secretary of State for Education Rt. Hon. David Laws MP (Liberal Democrat) Minister of State for Schools Since 2010 the UK has had a Coalition Government – the first since the Second World War. New challenges of working with Ministers from different parties…
The 2010 Schools White Paper: The Importance of Teaching Statement of new Government’s education policy – placing quality of teaching at heart of Ministers’ priorities. Key principles for improving education standards: – “Free our teachers from constraint, and improve their professional status and authority”; – “Raise the standards set by our curriculum and qualifications to match the best in the world” – “Hold [schools] effectively to account for the results they achieve”
II. Education and Teacher Training in England
The Schools System in England Compulsory education between ages 5 and 17 (18 from 2015) – Choice of state or independent (fee-paying) education Primary / secondary schools – Primary 4-11: around 18,000 schools – Secondary 11-16 (or 18): around 4,000 schools Approximately 450,000 teachers in England. New types of school being promoted by Government: – Academies (state- funded “independent” schools) – Free Schools – Teaching Schools
Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Approximately 35,000 new teachers trained every year in England, by over 200 accredited providers; Radical reforms give schools more responsibility for selecting, recruiting and training new teachers; A graduate-level profession; Large variety of different routes into teaching – as an undergraduate or graduate student, or as an employee in a school: – Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) – School Direct / School Direct Salaried – Teach First
Initial Teacher Training (ITT) ITT candidates must pass Skills Tests in literacy and numeracy before starting training; Trainees are assessed against the Teachers’ Standards throughout their training – successful final assessment leads to award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Most Newly-Qualified Teachers (NQTs) then complete period of induction (early-career support).
III. Brief History of Teacher Standards in England
The early days of teacher standards: 1990s Pre-1992: teaching training largely responsibility of universities; emphasis on theory rather than practice. New principles for training set out by Government in 1992/3: – Much larger part for schools in teacher training; – Training courses should focus on the competences of teaching. Secondary education: 27 competences under 5 headings: – Subject knowledge; subject application; class management; assessment; further professional development. Primary education: 33 competences under 3 headings: – Curriculum content, planning and assessment; teaching strategies; further professional development.
A Prescriptive Approach: Circular 4/98 Move from competences to standards, as minimum levels of expected performance that are assessable and measurable. Primary and secondary standards brought together: 80 separate statements. Detailed curriculum for teacher training in English, maths, science and information technology. A highly prescriptive, exclusive model.
Qualifying to Teach: 2002 Problems caused by prescriptiveness of 4/98: loss of capacity in the system as some providers withdraw or lose accreditation. Streamlined content: 42 statements Abolished “core curriculum” for ITT; placed new emphasis on “professional values” Three sections: – Professional values and practice; Knowledge and Understanding; Teaching Strong link with on-going development: – “Initial training is not an end in itself, but the start of a long -term process of professional development”.
Professional Standards for Teachers: 2007 A single framework for career progression: three common “domains”: – Professional Attributes (4 subheadings) – Professional Knowledge and Understanding (6 subheadings) – Professional Skills (6 subheadings) 5 tiers, from QTS to AST: a cumulative model; “Core” standards set the baseline for all teachers following initial training – used to assess end of induction; Provide the “backdrop” to performance management process.
The 2007 Professional Standards: 5 tiers Advanced Skills Teacher (A) (3 standards) Higher standards Excellent Teacher (E) used to (15 standards) determine Post-Threshold (P) pay (10 standards) Core (C) (41 standards) QTS (33 standards) [+ Skills Tests]
GTCE Code of Conduct Teacher regulation and discipline was, until 2012, responsibility of General Teaching Council for England (GTCE); GTCE abolished 2012; functions taken over by DfE. GTCE maintained a Code of Conduct and Practice for Registered Teachers – used as basis for disciplinary procedure; Code comprised 8 domains; Some overlap with framework of Professional Standards. See http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/11660/
IV. The Independent Review of 2011
Changing Approach: An Independent Review Schools White Paper 2010: “The proliferation of existing teacher standards means that our expectations of teachers are unclear, and makes it hard to assess teacher performance and steer professional development. We will review existing measures of teacher performance and conduct […] to establish clear and unequivocal standards. The review will be led by excellent head teachers and teachers.” Dame Sally Coates, headteacher of Burlington Danes Academy (West London) appointed to chair the review.
Scoping the Review Independent of Government – members included heads, teachers, academics, teacher trainers. Remitted to establish a set of standards which: – are unequivocal, clear and easy to understand; – p rovide a tool to assess teachers’ performance and steer professional development; – focus primarily on the key areas of excellent teaching, how to address poor behaviour, and how to support children with additional needs; – encompass standards of ethics and behaviour. Out of scope – pay consequences; – headteacher standards.
A Two-Stage Review Advanced Skills Teacher (A) (3 standards) Stage 2: July – Excellent Teacher (E) December 2011 (15 standards) Post-Threshold (P) (10 standards) Core (C) Stage 1: March – (41 standards) July 2011 QTS (33 standards) [+ Skills Tests]
The Review Process Agree Submit Period Review Conduct Drafting rationale of evidence wider call Advice and for and of what for engage- to redrafting scope of works evidence ment Ministers standards
Outcomes of the Review Stage 1 recommended that QTS and Core standards should be replaced with the new Teachers’ Standards – Accepted by the Secretary of State; new standards ready for implementation September 2012. Stage 2 recommended that Post-Threshold, Excellent Teacher Advanced Skills standards should be abolished. Proposed a new “Master Teacher Standard” – Accepted in principle by Secretary of State, but no commitment to implementation.
The Master Teacher Standard A different format: “a coherent narrative description of the practice which characterises truly excellent teachers”; “A Master Teacher is someone whose professionalism has come to be seen as an integral part of his or her character”; Five headings: – Knowledge; Classroom Performance; Outcomes; Environment and Ethos; Professional Context Accepted in principle, but not yet implemented.
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