teacher training | Schools Week

Prison threat for teachers failing to report abuse means cash for training is needed

The government has been told to stump up more cash to train school staff if ministers go ahead with new proposals that could see teachers, catering staff and secretaries sent to prison for failing to report child abuse. The government launched a consultation yesterday on plans to make the reporting of child abuse mandatory for […]

Spending think tank demands review into varying costs of teacher training routes

The government must justify the “substantial difference” in costs between teacher training routes, a new report has claimed, with calls for a review into the additional costs to the taxpayer for schemes such as Teach First. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has published today what it claims is the first analysis of the cost […]

Who becomes a teacher? 7 surprising facts about teacher training applications

Children of police officers, electricians and teachers are the most likely to train to become teachers – while people whose parents are judges, medical professionals and lawyers are the least likely, according to new data from UCAS released today. It is the second year the admissions service has provided detailed analysis which reveals the varying […]

Initial teacher training expert reports due today

The government is to finally publish its much-delayed reports into initial teacher training and professional development. Three expert groups were commissioned last year to look closely at initial teacher training (ITT), following an initial review by Sir Andrew Carter. Originally expected to report much earlier in the year, the groups were tasked with looking at […]

Does teacher training need to be tougher to earn respect?

“Rigorous” teacher training could change the perception that the profession is not “prestigious”, says a London teacher. Kris Boulton, deputy head of maths at King Solomon academy in north London, told a packed festival room that teachers needed to “earn the right” to be seen on the same level as other professions such as doctors, […]

New findings reveal teacher training drop-out rates

The government has this afternoon published three reports analysing recruitment and retention issues. The National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) released the documents, looking at the “customer experience” of initial teacher training (ITT), returning teachers, and an analysis of ITT routes by teacher retention. The reports highlight issues within the application process for ITT […]

Why introverts make good school leaders

Introverted teachers have five key skills that will help them flourish as school leaders, an assistant headteacher told delegates. Iesha Small (pictured), of Kings Langley school in Hertfordshire, delivered one of the final festival sessions on Friday when she took delegates through five different qualities she believed introverts — which she said was her personality […]

Experienced teachers: why confidence can be a problem

Experienced teachers have been warned against using their intuition because it could lead to them making “unreliable” judgments when it comes to student outcomes. David Didau (pictured), an education consultant and former teacher, urged attendees at a packed-out Festival of Education session to think carefully about when to trust their “gut instincts”. He said: “As […]

Schools must hold together even if everything else tears apart

It’s an odd week to go for a positive start. But I can’t do any more negativity. So here it is. The best thing about schools is that they are packed with humans. Funny, challenging, stroppy, coquettish, amazing humans. But the most extraordinary thing about humans is our ability for utter kindness and complete cruelty. […]