Schools

Teaching internship scheme widened to chemistry and language students

Programme offers funding for three-week summer internships in schools

Programme offers funding for three-week summer internships in schools

The government has widened eligibility for a teaching internship programme to chemistry and language students amid the worsening teacher recruitment and retention crisis.

The scheme provides funding for state schools to take university students on three-week internships during the summer term to encourage them to become a teacher. The government says it can offer an experience of teaching before they commit to it as a career.

It was previously open only to potential teachers of maths, physics and computing, though a small pilot in the north east saw funding for modern foreign language interns this year.

The widening of the eligibility criteria comes amid fears of a growing crisis in teacher recruitment and retention.

Schools Week analysis of the latest recruitment data published on August 15 – a fortnight before schools reopened – suggests only 73 per cent of this year’s postgraduate initial teacher training (PGITT) secondary target will be met. 

But some subjects are likely to see the brunt of the shortfall, with only 25 per cent of physics teachers recruited so far. Languages and computing are also among the subjects with the biggest shortfalls.

Schools get £1,600 per intern

Under the internship scheme, school-led teacher training partnerships can receive £1,600 per intern, of which £900 is paid to the intern upon completion of their placement, and £700 goes to schools to cover coordination and recruitment costs.

They can also apply for additional funding of £300 each to support interns after the programme is complete.

Applications have now opened for schools wanting to run internship schemes in 2023 and 2024. They must recruit at least five participants each year.

School-led partnerships across England can apply for funding, but the Department for Education said it would “especially welcome applications from schools whose reach covers geographic areas where there have previously been gaps in provision”.

These areas include London, the south east and the south west.

Programmes should offer interns a “structure of activities to gain a deep experience of teaching”. As well as teaching, suggested activities include supporting struggling children, shadowing and lesson observation and access to mentors.

Schools are expected to maintain contact between mentors and interns after the programme, support interns to apply for teacher training and guarantee them an interview for any ITT places applied for at their own partnership.

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