Funding changes threaten part-time training courses

Part-time teacher training courses could run at a loss or be forced to close following government reforms to student finance, providers warn.

They say part-time training is vital to make teaching a diverse profession and accessible to trainees who have caring responsibilities or who work to fund their studies.

But Emma Hollis, the chief executive of the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT), said funding changes in the government’s new “lifelong learning entitlement” (LLE) could “limit the number of part-time options available”.

Currently providers can charge tuition fees of up to £7,530 per year for part-time courses, which tend to be split across two years.

Under the LLE – the new government student finance system that will be introduced in January – funding will be capped at £10,050 for an entire course.

Part-time courses may charge a percentage of this for each year. For example, annual fees for a course split 50-50 across two years will be capped at £5,025.

But providers say “costs don’t just halve” when a course is split and warn the change will mean part-time courses run at a loss.

Hollis said her association was “really disappointed” to learn of the change. 

While part-timers make up a small percentage of overall trainees – about 1 per cent or about 400 postgraduates last year – experts say the courses are “vital” to ensure accessibility and a diverse workforce.

It comes as teacher trainers warn today the profession is at risk of becoming “elitist” with students from poorer backgrounds becoming “priced out” as the cost of living soars.

Loss-making

Recent NASBTT polling found 83 per cent of teacher training providers were experiencing “some” or “significant” financial pressure, while 66 per cent said they were “not confident” they could absorb a significant financial shock.

Hollis said providers were “really not in a good place” financially.

Some might choose to carry a loss-making course “because it’s the right thing to do, but increasingly they’re not going to be able to do that”.

Splitting a course over two years did not halve the annual work for providers.

“They have effectively a whole person, even though they’re studying part-time.

“The costs don’t just halve, because you have all the admin and support that wraps around a student, and you have that for two years instead of one.”

She said part-time courses were “already difficult for providers to run, logistically”.

“This change to funding could well exacerbate that problem.”

Liz Wylie, SCITT director at i2i Teaching Partnership SCITT, said her group provided all its centre-based training in the first year, meaning costs “are the same during year one” whether trainees were full or part-time.

“Then we have the additional support to provide for part-timers in their second year to support, monitor and assess.”

‘Significant loss’

The leader of a large SCITT, who wanted to remain anonymous, said the funding change prompted it to consider ending its part-time course, but it would now continue at a loss.

Her SCITT charged about £12,000 for part-time courses “to be financially viable”, so LLE would mean a loss of about £2,000 per trainee.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if people stopped offering part-time,” she said. “It wouldn’t be financially viable for a much smaller SCITT.”

Genevieve Taylor-Field, director of programmes at Ambition Institute, said part-time training opened teaching to those balancing work, caring and other commitments. 

“Supporting schools, trusts and providers to sustain these routes is vital to building a strong, diverse teacher workforce.”

Wylie said many of i2i’s part-time trainees were parents with young children. “Without this route, they wouldn’t be able to train.”

Students on courses without bursaries also often “need to work part-time to be able to financially survive the year”.

Dirk Smith, SCITT director for Inspiring Leaders Teacher Training, said enrolments for part-time teacher training increased by 50 per cent in the past year.

His SCITT was assessing the implications of the changes and how it could protect accessibility.

“These routes are vital in enabling people with work, caring or other commitments to enter the profession, and funding arrangements should better reflect the realities of delivering flexible training pathways.”

The DfE has been approached for comment.