The government has set up a dating agency-type website to hook up teacher training providers with schools offering placements.
The “manage school placements” service, which is being piloted in Leeds, allows schools to publish what opportunities they have for placing students who are on teacher training courses.
The six-month trial is “aiming to make the process of finding school placements easier”.
Would-be teachers need experience of teaching in two schools to be awarded qualified teacher status.
But there is concern about schools’ capacity to take on trainees, especially as they are already using a lot of capacity to support new teachers on the two-year early career framework.
Emma Hollis, the chief executive of the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers, said the issue was “small-scale” at present because recruitment was so low.
But when applications peaked during the pandemic, there was a rise in providers struggling to find placements.
‘Element of caution’
However, she said there was “some concern” in the pilot as some providers already had partnerships with schools, which needed to be balanced with the value of a transparent system.
“The DfE is at pains to point out that there is no requirement for schools to work with another provider – so where placements are already agreed, these will be honoured.
“But I think there is an element of caution among providers about how this might actually play out in practice.”
One provider, who wished to remain anonymous, said that “engagement has been very small with the portal” so far.
“The way we usually do placements is building up relationships with schools for us to understand them, and them to understand us. It’s a much deeper way of working rather than just a portal.”
Hollis added: “What could be really valuable is the potential to allow providers to search for placements locally where they are struggling to place a trainee – I think this is what the service is trying to offer.”
The service may “come into its own” if Labour’s ambitions to drive up recruitment come true, she added.
The DfE is also offering a £40 voucher for schools who will speak to researchers on decision-making behind placement offers.
They want to speak to schools who offer placements, used to but haven’t for the past two years or have never offered them.
The whole recruitment process needs an overhaul. Not just for trainees. By that I mean:
1. Centralised application processes. Why so many forms asking for the same information and reference details all of the time? Very inefficient.
2. Some sort of process that reduces the pain of the employees having to go through so many hoops, having to accept a role on the day of the interview, only to find out weeks/months/years later that this is not the place for them.
3. Interview processes that are genuine and not just designed to tick a box if the desired candidate is already known. Wastes time and drains energy.
4. Inclusive interview processes. Some of the best staff prove their worth by doing the job well and walking the talk, not performing well over a day/two days.
Totally agree with Hayley.
Also if a School can limit applications before closing date, why not just interview their ideal candidate?
Who wants to be a dummy candidate to make up a false field?
A disgusting waste of people’s time and aspirations!