QTS | Schools Week

Ofsted boss calls for teachers to prove subject knowledge to stay qualified

Teachers should have to prove their subject knowledge is up-to-date at regular intervals to maintain their qualified status, a top Ofsted boss has said. Professor Daniel Muijs (pictured), the watchdog’s head of research, said he supported a “periodic requirement” for teachers to demonstrate they know about the latest research and discoveries in their subject area. […]

Schools will need funding to provide extra training for new teachers

There should be a revised three-year teacher training route, and schools should be given extra funding to provide it, argues Emma Hollis Today’s announcement about the QTS consultation is welcome – however, ‘strengthened’ QTS is not the right term. This implies that training is not strong, when actually 99% of teacher training providers are rated […]

Teachers need good CPD throughout their career

While today’s QTS consultation is welcome, we must not forget that teachers need professional development and mentoring throughout their career, notes Alison Peacock The Department for Education’s consultation on strengthening qualified teacher status and improving career progression for teachers, published today, is nothing if not wide-ranging. While the proposed changes to QTS will attract some […]

‘Strengthened’ QTS proposals due out today

A consultation on lengthening the time it takes teachers to fully qualify into the profession is set to launch today and will run over Christmas. Justine Greening told MPs on Monday that long-awaited proposals on teacher qualification and career-long training would be unveiled before the end of the week. The proposals are expected to include […]

Teaching assistants allowed to gain QTS through assessment-only route

The number of teachers qualifying through a 12-week “assessment-only” route is rising, fuelling fears that providers are letting applicants without proper experience qualify for a price. Two years ago 912 people were awarded QTS through assessment alone, but that figure rose by 13 per cent to 1,034 last year, new data obtained by Schools Week […]

Nearly 5,000 prospective teachers fail QTS tests 3 times

Almost 5,000 prospective teachers failed the compulsory numeracy and literary skills test three times in 2015-16, shutting them out of the profession for at least two years. Any candidate who wishes to reach qualified teacher status must pass the computerised professional skills tests within three attempts, but those who fail two resits in either literacy […]

Greening: Teaching will cease to be only for university graduates

Teaching will cease to exist as a university graduate-only profession under Conservative plans for a new degree-equivalent apprenticeship route to QTS, Justine Greening has confirmed, in a major shift in ministerial thinking. The education secretary wants higher apprenticeships to be seen as equivalent to university degrees, and envisages them working as a route into teaching, […]

Learndirect debacle shines light on £2m teacher test contract

The future of online tests for trainee teachers is hanging in the balance, as the only provider which holds a contract to deliver them in England faces turmoil over its adult training. Learndirect, the country’s largest private training company, holds a £2 million contract with the Department for Education to administer the computerised professional skills […]

Greening promises QTS won’t be scrapped, and 7 key findings from her College of Teaching conference speech

Justine Greening has promised qualified teacher status will not be scrapped amid concerns the entry-bar into teaching is being lowered, instead insisting a “newly-strengthened” QTS route will be introduced in 2019. The education secretary also revealed today that new “gold standard” national professional qualifications focusing on evidence-based learning will be launched in September, and will […]