Fourth Edition Published: June 2020

Management Handbook for Schools-Led

Initial Teacher Training (ITT)

This Handbook must be read in conjunction with the Initial teacher training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice.

The information in this Handbook is accurate to the best of NASBTT’s knowledge and understanding at the time of publication.

Information is subject to change and amendment in response to changes in policy or processes outside of NASBTT’s control.

E&OE (Errors & Omissions Excepted)

The National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT) Address The Priory Centre

63, Newnham Avenue Bedford Bedfordshire. MK41 9QJ

Telephone 07925 805399

Email office@nasbtt.org.uk

Website https://www.nasbtt.org.uk

Twitter

LinkedIn

Facebook

Staff Emma Hollis Executive Director

Alison Hobson Executive Officer

Jayne Hoskins Communications Manager

Caroline Draper Administrator

Trustees Ian Hollingsworth Chair of the Board of Trustees

Handbook-1

Management Handbook for Schools-Led Initial Teacher Training (ITT) The Management Handbook for Schools-Led Initial Teacher Training (ITT) has principally been written to support those with responsibility for the strategic and operational management and administration of programmes of schools-led Initial Teacher Training (ITT). The Handbook details the range of strategic, operational and administrative functions that underpin the smooth running of schools-led ITT and, in particular, School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) providers. It is hoped that all partnership staff will find something of value in this Handbook and will use it to ensure that their provision’s work is effective in supporting high quality ITT. One hallmark of working within the ITT sector is the experience of constant change. As a result, the information in this Handbook is accurate to the best of NASBTT’s knowledge and understanding at the time of publication. Information is subject to change and amendment in response to changes in policy or processes outside of NASBTT’s control. The Handbook has been organised in to three key sections: ITT Provision and Responsibilities, Applicant Journey and Trainee Journey.

Operational Calendar for Schools-Led Initial Teacher Training (ITT) In addition to the Handbook, the operational calendar supports providers in planning their operational and administrative tasks. The calendar can be found here.

Handbook key

Text in grey boxes refers directly to Department for Education (DfE) statutory guidance and documentation.

Unless otherwise indicated, references are to the Initial teacher training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice.

Sections in red boxes contain warnings or advice which must be taken into account. For example:

Openness and fairness in decision taking and painstaking record keeping are essential in the smooth running of schools-led ITT. Ensure that there is a physical hard copy of any minutes, and that these have been signed and dated by the appropriate person(s). The importance of a secure audit trail cannot be over-emphasised.

A glossary of acronyms used in this Handbook can be found here.

Contents 1

Contents

Chapter Page

The National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT) NASBTT-1

Membership benefits NASBTT-1

NASBTT website and Member Hub NASBTT-2

Member Blog and weekly newsletter NASBTT-2

Members’ Facebook Work Group NASBTT-2

Events NASBTT-3

Member support NASBTT-3

Member support services NASBTT-3

Administrator Training Programmes (ATPs) NASBTT-4

Teacher Educator Programmes (TEPs) NASBTT-4

Teacher Educator and Mentoring Zone (TEMZ) NASBTT-4

External moderator directory NASBTT-4

NASBTT publications NASBTT-5

Occupational Health services NASBTT-5

Legal advice NASBTT-5

Template Alliance Agreement NASBTT-5

Template Trainee Contract for Fee-Paying Trainees NASBTT-6

Advertisements NASBTT-6

UK NARIC Membership NASBTT-6

nasen (National Association of Special Educational Needs) NASBTT-6

Essential Guides for Early Career Teachers NASBTT-7

NASBTT Elevate My Maths (NASBTT EMM) NASBTT-7

NASBTT Learn NASBTT-7

Critical Publishing NASBTT-7

The Bristol Guide and Document Summary Service NASBTT-7

Stakeholders Stakeholders-1

Department for Education (DfE) Stakeholders-1

Trainee Teacher Portal (TTP) Stakeholders-1

DfE networks Stakeholders-1

Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) Stakeholders-2

Contents 2

Chapter Page

Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) Stakeholders-2

UCAS Teacher Training (UCASTT) Stakeholders-3

Student Loans Company (SLC) Stakeholders-3

Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) ‘for students in higher education’ Stakeholders-4

Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Stakeholders-4

Chartered College of Teaching (CCT) Stakeholders-5

Teaching Schools and Teaching Schools Council (TSC) Stakeholders-5

Universities Council for the Education of Teachers (UCET) Stakeholders-5

DfE contact team inboxes Stakeholders-7

Section 1: ITT Provision and Responsibilities

Chapter 1: Compliance and Legislation Ch 1-1

ITT criteria and supporting advice Ch 1-1

Legislation Ch 1-1

Equality Act 2010 Ch 1-2

Data protection Ch 1-3

Freedom of Information Act 2000 Ch 1-5

Policies and procedures Ch 1-5

Withdrawal of accreditation Ch 1-5

Chapter 2: Contracts and Agreements Ch 2-1

Alliance Agreement Ch 2-1

Partnership Agreements Ch 2-1

Contracts Ch 2-2

Trainee contract Ch 2-2

Additional contracts for salaried trainees Ch 2-3

Trainee code of conduct Ch 2-3

Initial Teacher Training: a customer-focussed environment Ch 2-3

Cause for concern process Ch 2-4

Grievance procedure, complaints and academic appeals Ch 2-4

Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) ‘for students in higher education’ Ch 2-5

Contractual relationships with HEIs Ch 2-5

Chapter 3: Finance Ch 3-1

Contents 3

Chapter Page

Fee charging Ch 3-1

Financial responsibilities and procedures Ch 3-1

Provider income Ch 3-1

Accounts and auditing Ch 3-2

Student finance Ch 3-2

Higher Education Portal (HEP) Services for student finance Ch 3-3

Trainees paying their own fees without a loan Ch 3-4

Money laundering Ch 3-4

Bursaries and scholarships Ch 3-5

Insurance cover Ch 3-5

Chapter 4: Programme Design Ch 4-1

Assessment Ch 4-2

Chapter 5: Monitoring, Evaluation and Quality Assurance Ch 5-1

Moderation Ch 5-1

Internal moderation Ch 5-1

External moderation Ch 5-1

Examination Board Ch 5-4

Self-evaluation and improvement planning Ch 5-4

Ofsted inspections Ch 5-5

Preparation for Ofsted inspections Ch 5-5

Chapter 6: Key Documentation and Data Ch 6-1

Suggested documentation required Ch 6-1

Data Ch 6-2

Section 2: Applicant Journey

Chapter 7: Routes into Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Ch 7-1

Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) Ch 7-1

Routes to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) Ch 7-1

Programmes available Ch 7-1

Assessment Only (AO) route Ch 7-3

Other training options Ch 7-3

School Direct Training Programme: Lead Schools and partnerships Ch 7-4

Contents 4

Chapter Page

Chapter 8: Marketing Ch 8-1

Understanding your place in the market Ch 8-1

Partnership vision and ethos Ch 8-1

Unique Selling Points (USPs) Ch 8-1

Marketing strategy Ch 8-2

Marketing methods Ch 8-3

Engagement through your website Ch 8-4

Converting an application Ch 8-4

Events Ch 8-4

Resources Ch 8-5

NASBTT events to support marketing your provision Ch 8-5

NASBTT’s Marketing Support Ch 8-5

Chapter 9: Recruitment Ch 9-1

Safer recruitment Ch 9-1

Recruitment policy Ch 9-1

Equality of opportunity Ch 9-3

GCSE standard equivalent qualifications Ch 9-3

Degree qualifications Ch 9-4

Overseas qualifications criteria Ch 9-4

References Ch 9-5

Fundamental proficiencies in English and mathematics Ch 9-6

Operational aspects of recruitment Ch 9-7

DfE allocations methodology Ch 9-7

Permission to recruit Ch 9-7

Managing your numbers Ch 9-7

DfE Publish and ‘Find postgraduate teacher training’ Ch 9-8

Managing initial enquiries Ch 9-8

Preparing templates for administration, interviews and letters Ch 9-9

Receiving applications Ch 9-9

Managing applications Ch 9-10

Shortlisting Ch 9-10

Contents 5

Chapter Page

Preparing for interviews Ch 9-11

Inviting applicants to interview Ch 9-12

At interview Ch 9-12

Verifying identification documentation Ch 9-13

Verifying qualification certificates Ch 9-14

Following up interviews: informing applicants of rejection or offer Ch 9-15

Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) courses Ch 9-16

Section 3: Trainee Journey

Chapter 10: Pre-Programme Administration Ch 10-1

Trainee administration database Ch 10-1

Pre-programme letters Ch 10-1

Safeguarding Ch 10-2

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks Ch 10-2

Overseas checks Ch 10-4

Prohibition order check Ch 10-5

Childcare disqualification Ch 10-6

Prevent duty guidance Ch 10-7

Health and physical capacity to train to teach Ch 10-7

Student finance Ch 10-8

Arranging school placements Ch 10-8

Trainee induction events Ch 10-9

Mentor training Ch 10-9

Welcome letter Ch 10-10

Letters for trainees Ch 10-10

Student discount cards Ch 10-10

Suggested pre-programme tasks Ch 10-11

Database of trainee information required Ch 10-12

DfE Trainee Teacher Portal (TTP) fields required Ch 10-12

Other information required Ch 10-13

Chapter 11: Registration Ch 11-1

Registration tasks Ch 11-1

Contents 6

Chapter Page

Trainee Teacher Portal (TTP) Ch 11-2

Student finance Ch 11-2

HEI registration Ch 11-2

Suggested tasks following registration Ch 11-2

Chapter 12: On Programme Administration Ch 12-1

Recording trainees’ progress Ch 12-1

Second school placements Ch 12-1

Absence policy Ch 12-1

Programme interruption Ch 12-2

Supporting trainees as they apply for their first job Ch 12-3

Reference guidance Ch 12-4

External moderator visits Ch 12-4

Suggested on programme tasks Ch 12-5

Chapter 13: Exit from the Programme Ch 13-1

Career Entry Development Profile (CEDP) Ch 13-1

NQT induction Ch 13-1

Early Career Framework Ch 13-1

Examination Board Ch 13-1

HEI results and awarding of academic qualifications Ch 13-2

Pre-exit checklist Ch 13-2

Recommending trainees for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) Ch 13-2

Awards ceremony Ch 13-3

Chapter 14: Supporting and Tracking NQTs and Previous Trainees Ch 14-1

Early Career Framework (ECF) Ch 14-1

Supporting NQTs Ch 14-1

Tracking NQTs and previous trainees Ch 14-1

NQT survey Ch 14-2

Appendices

Appendix 1: Guidance to support writing and reviewing Partnership Agreements

Appendix 1-1

Acronyms Acronyms-1

NASBTT-1

The National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT) The National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT) is a charity which serves to represent the interests of schools-led teacher training provision in relation to the development and implementation of national policy developments. NASBTT’s members include School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) providers, School Direct Lead Schools, Teaching Schools and HEIs, as well as a range of other organisations involved in the education and professional development of teachers.

Constitution of the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT) 3. Objects

3.1 The object of the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT) is the advancement of education of pupils/children in schools through the raising of standards and development of high quality learning and teaching by:

a) Promoting programmes of initial training, education and professional development of teachers

b) Representing, supporting and developing schools-led/driven teacher training c) Facilitating co-operation/communication between member institutions d) Providing a forum for sharing information and evidence-based research e) Representing the interests of schools-led initial teacher training (ITT) provision in

relation to the development, implementation and influencing of national policy to the extent this is permissible within the legal framework for a charity in England and Wales

f) Supporting those with responsibility for the overall management of schools-led ITT provision, schools and other institutions present or future.

Membership benefits Membership of NASBTT brings a wide array of benefits, the most immediate of which is full access to ongoing support and guidance from the expertise of the NASBTT team.

Key benefits of membership • Representation of the sector in relation to the development and implementation of national

policy developments • Access to member-only tailored content and resources through the NASBTT website including

publication libraries, stakeholder resources and useful links • Opportunities to discuss and give feedback on matters relevant to the sector through polls and

events • Opportunity to engage with other members through NASBTT forums and workshops • Access to a wide and extensive range of CPD opportunities • Reduced member rates for NASBTT Events • Phone and email support, advice and guidance from the NASBTT team on all aspects relating

to ITT • Direct access to colleagues at the DfE to obtain updates and information, provide feedback

and ask questions at NASBTT stakeholder meetings • Use of the NASBTT Teacher Educator and Mentoring Zone (TEMZ) • Occupational Health (OH) and widening access support package including discounted OH

services and NASBTT funded support for understanding reasonable adjustments

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• Legal advice and support including an initial half hour consultation funded by NASBTT

Access to: • Member Blog • Weekly email newsletter through which relevant updates and news is shared • NASBTT’s Teacher Educator Programmes (TEPs) • NASBTT’s Administrator Training Programmes (ATPs) • NASBTT’s Curriculum Design and Assessment Toolkit • NASBTT’s Subject Knowledge and Curriculum Design Toolkit • NASBTT’s ITT SEND Toolkit • Personalised support and guidance • NASBTT’s Management Support Partner (MSP) service • NASBTT's Administrator Support Partner (ASP) service • NASBTT’s Elevate My Maths (NASBTT EMM) (FOC) • NASBTT Learn • Free membership to the UK NARIC Premium service to access international databases

(usually at a cost of £7,500 plus VAT) • Free Silver Membership of nasen (usually at a cost of £99) • Sector-related special offers

NASBTT website and Member Hub NASBTT’s website can be found here. In addition to the public information, the website includes member-only content. If you do not have a login for the website or you have a new colleague who would benefit from access to the website, please register for access via the form here. The dedicated Member Hub contains the member-only content. In this section of the website, you will find NASBTT’s key resources, support and member offers, as well as essential stakeholder information and publications.

Member Blog and weekly newsletter The Member Blog serves to keep members informed of news and updates relevant to the current ITT picture. Blog posts are categorised by importance so that members can see if action is required or if it is just for background information. Every Monday afternoon, members receive the weekly newsletter by email which will include the latest blog posts categorised by importance and date.

Members’ Facebook Work Group The Members’ Facebook Work Group provides a secure and dedicated space for the exchange of ideas, sharing of practice and an opportunity for members to connect with ITT professionals across the NASBTT network. You can request to join the group here.

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Events NASBTT offers an extensive programme of conferences, meetings, workshops and CPD opportunities supporting all SCITT personnel. The events calendar can be found here.

Member support The NASBTT team is contactable by email and phone to answer questions and provide advice and guidance. Staff contact details can be found here. NASBTT recognises the importance of offering ongoing support to administrators. NASBTT’s Administrator Support Partners are the first point of contact to answer any administrative enquiries, particularly where these relate to stakeholder portals. Contact details for the Administrator Support Partners can be found here.

Member support services NASBTT is also pleased to offer bespoke services dependent on individual requirements to members where more-in depth support is required; these services are subject to additional charges. NASBTT’s Management Support Partner (MSP) service is designed to support:

• recently accredited schools-led providers of ITT;

• established accredited schools-led ITT providers with newly appointed leaders;

• established accredited schools-led ITT providers facing challenging or complex management issues;

• established schools-led ITT providers wishing to raise standards in a particular aspect of their provision.

Management Support Partners (MSPs) have significant experience of leading schools-based ITT provision which has been graded at least good by Ofsted under their leadership. NASBTT’s Administrator Support Partner (ASP) service is designed to support:

• recently accredited schools-led providers of ITT;

• newly appointed SCITT or School Direct administrators;

• established SCITT or School Direct administrators seeking to review their practice;

• administrators facing new areas of challenge. Administrator Support Partners (ASPs) are experienced and successful ITT administrators with a wealth of knowledge and skills in the schools-based ITT sector. NASBTT’s Marketing Support service is designed to support:

• recently accredited schools-led providers of ITT seeking to market their offering for the first time;

• established SCITT or School-Direct provision seeking to review their marketing activities;

• provision facing recruitment challenges;

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• individuals who have had marketing included in their remit;

• individuals who have taken responsibility for marketing. The Marketing Support service is delivered by NASBTT’s highly experienced marketer and digital communications professional.

Administrator Training Programmes (ATPs) NASBTT is proud to offer this suite of tailor-made programmes designed to provide professional development for ITT Administrators. These programmes are designed to develop the skill set of Administrators who are essential to the smooth operational running of ITT provision. Further information about NASBTT’s Administrator Training Programmes can be found here.

Teacher Educator Programmes (TEPs) NASBTT is proud to offer this suite of tailor-made programmes designed to provide professional development for Teacher Educators at all stages in their careers. The programmes range from introductory mentoring and coaching programmes through to tailored CPD for SCITT and School Direct Managers. There is also an opportunity for individuals to become Licence Holders to offer mentoring and coaching programmes across their own provision. Further information about NASBTT’s Teacher Educator Programmes can be found here.

Teacher Educator and Mentoring Zone (TEMZ) The Teacher Educator and Mentoring Zone (TEMZ) is dedicated to supporting the professional learning and development of Teacher Educators individually and as a profession. NASBTT believes it is vital to recognise the role of a Teacher Educator as a professional who is instrumental to the development of early career teachers. NASBTT is determined to support, develop and empower mentors by providing accessible guidance in key areas of mentoring. These 19 tailored key areas comprise the Professional Framework for Teacher Educators. The advice is easily accessible and designed to be a starting point for mentors who are keen to develop their own practice and knowledge. The content is built on existing theory and research, as well as first-hand practical advice that can be implemented in a short space of time. The dedicated TEMZ area provides a pool of resources, helpful tips and advice, links to relevant articles, further reading and videos, handy printable guides and access to dedicated online learning CPD modules. Further information on the Teacher Educator and Mentoring Zone, including how to register for this free resource, can be found here.

External moderator directory Members can find a list of potential external moderators here.

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The directory is not an exhaustive list of individuals who are external moderators. Inclusion in this directory does not imply any recommendation, endorsement or guarantee of suitability for the role on the part of NASBTT and providers seeking to use any of the individuals listed are entirely responsible for any consequence arising from their employment. If you wish to be added to the directory, subject to an annual fee, please email info@nasbtt.org.uk.

NASBTT publications NASBTT publications include a range of documents which support providers in the establishing and ongoing management of their provision. Publications to support ‘Programme Management and Administration’ include this Handbook, guidance on governance, compliance and policies and procedures. In addition, the ‘Ofsted Inspection Reports Analysis’ supports providers in identifying the key strengths, aspects for improvement and emerging themes from Ofsted inspections annually. Publications to support ‘Training and Assessment’ include the Curriculum Design and Assessment Toolkit, the Subject Knowledge and Curriculum Design Toolkit and the ITT SEND Toolkit.

Occupational Health services ITT providers have a responsibility to ensure that trainees have ‘the health and physical capacity to train to teach and will not put children and young people at risk of harm’ and that ‘only trainees who have the capacity to teach remain on the programme’ (ITT criteria and supporting advice, C1.3 Suitability) whilst meeting the expectations of the Equality Act 2010 in relation to the offer of reasonable adjustment(s). NASBTT has worked with Corazon Health to offer an Occupational Health process specifically designed to determine the adjustment(s) a trainee might need in order to fulfil the typical demands of the teaching role they are to undertake. The use of a single Occupational Health provider offers consistency of assessment, which is important in preventing contradictory judgements, across different ITT providers, but also means that economies of scale have enabled NASBTT to negotiate a heavily discounted rate. Members can find the guidance and specific information about the services with Corazon Health, including information on how to register, here.

Legal advice NASBTT can seek legal advice on behalf of its members, including an initial half hour consultation funded by NASBTT. A charge does have to be made for this service which is dependent on the extent to which the individual advice is of relevance to the wider membership. The speed at which this advice can be obtained depends on the level of investigation required. Please contact the Executive Officer should you require NASBTT to seek legal advice on your behalf.

Template Alliance Agreement NASBTT has taken legal advice and developed a template Alliance Agreement, a detailed ‘memorandum of understanding’ which, following the requirement for SCITT’s to be managed by

NASBTT-6

a single legal entity, re-establishes some collective responsibility and clarifies the role of the partners and the distribution of funding in the necessary detail. This is followed by a ‘service level agreement’ which can be used to specify in detail the responsibilities and remuneration for each individual school. The Alliance Agreement template can be obtained from the Executive Officer for a cost of £50.00 plus VAT.

Template Trainee Contract for Fee-Paying Trainees NASBTT has taken legal advice and developed a template Trainee Contract for Fee-Paying Trainees which serves as a template for contracts with fee-paying trainees. The template Trainee Contract for Fee-Paying Trainees can be obtained from the Executive Officer for a cost of £50.00 plus VAT.

Advertisements NASBTT is pleased to offer both members and non-members the opportunity to advertise vacancies and promote relevant products, services and offerings. All advertisements appear on the Advertisements page of the website which is available to both members and non-members, the Member Blog, the weekly newsletter and are also shared via NASBTT’s social media platforms, Twitter and LinkedIn, and the Facebook page and Members’ Facebook Work Group. Details on how to place an advertisement, and the cost of doing so, can be found here.

UK NARIC Membership UK NARIC is the UK’s national agency responsible for providing information, opinion and advice about worldwide vocational, academic and professional skills and qualifications. NASBTT is pleased to offer members free membership to the UK NARIC Premium service, usually at a cost of £7,500 plus VAT. Members can access NARIC’s international databases helping them make accurate judgements about eligibility for entry and funding criteria. Further information on UK NARIC membership can be found here.

nasen (National Association of Special Educational Needs) nasen, The National Association of Special Educational Needs, is a charitable organisation whose mission is to promote the advancement and development of all individuals with SEND/Additional Learning Needs (ALN). Their aim is to achieve this by supporting thousands of educational practitioners, equipping them with the most effective and current resources and training. NASBTT is pleased to offer members free Silver Membership of nasen (usually at a cost of £99). Further information on nasen membership can be found here.

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Essential Guides for Early Career Teachers The Essential Guides for Early Career Teachers, edited by Emma Hollis, provide accessible, carefully researched, quick reads for early career teachers covering the key topics they will encounter during their training year and first two years of teaching. The Guides complement and are fully in line with the ITT Core Content Framework and the Early Career Framework and assist ongoing professional development by bringing together current information and thinking on each subject in one convenient place. Copies of the Essential Guides are available to purchase from NASBTT at an exclusive member price. Further information, including the order form, can be found here.

NASBTT Elevate My Maths (NASBTT EMM) Under new legislation from the DfE, ITT providers are expected to make an assessment of the English and mathematics knowledge of applicants. To support its members in this new system of provider-led assurance in the area of maths, NASBTT has developed a partnership with Vretta, an educational technology company specialising in maths, to provide members access to its award-winning programme Elevate My

Maths.

Further information on NASBTT EMM can be found here.

NASBTT Learn NASBTT Learn, in partnership with Anspear, offers a wide range of online CPD modules to support and enhance your training offer for trainees and NQTs through a digital library of training and development courses. Discounted costs are available for NASBTT members. Further information on NASBTT Learn can be found here.

Critical Publishing Critical Publishing’s education catalogue can be found here. Included in the catalogue are two ebooks compiled by NASBTT, Themes and Issues in Primary Education and Primary Subject Knowledge and the Core Curriculum. Members can receive a 20% discount on these publications using the discount code included on NASBTT’s website here.

The Bristol Guide and Document Summary Service The Bristol Guide offers a user-friendly, comprehensive guide to the English education system and the professionals’ duties, legal responsibilities and rights. The Document Summary Service is a unique monthly digest of education research and policy documents with a searchable archive.

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NASBTT has negotiated a 10% discount for all NASBTT members. Further information can be found here.

Stakeholders-1

Stakeholders The following serves as an indicative, although not exhaustive, list of the key stakeholders that providers will have relationships with.

Department for Education (DfE)

Secretary of State for Education Gavin Williamson MP

ITT Minister of State Nick Gibb MP

Website https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education

The Department for Education (DfE) is the government department, led by the Secretary of State for Education, which provides the policy direction for Initial Teacher Training (ITT) which is the particular responsibility of the ITT Minister of State at the DfE.

Trainee Teacher Portal (TTP) The DfE’s Trainee Teacher Portal (TTP) is in place to help providers manage the collection of various data returns using one system. Providers should ensure that they download the user manual for guidance on how to use the TTP. Providers will use the TTP to:

• manage their trainee numbers;

• manage their trainee records;

• complete census returns;

• publish their performance profiles data;

• check bursary and salary funding forecasts. The data collections are used by the DfE to award Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) to trainees that have successfully completed their ITT programmes, and to inform them of trainees who have deferred or left the programme before completion.

DfE networks The Initial Teacher Training Advisory Group (ITTAG) meets prior to the regional networks and consists of the elected chairs from each of the regional networks together with representatives from NASBTT and UCET. The group offers expert operational advice to the DfE on areas of policy and delivery by consulting on a regional basis with providers and schools to highlight aspects of policy implementation, regional needs and responses to DfE initiatives. The regional ITT networks offer expert operational advice to the DfE through the ITTAG chairs by:

• sharing good practice and providing support between providers;

• offering feedback on policies and communications between the DfE, providers and schools;

• communicating regional needs and responses to the DfE.

Stakeholders-2

Meetings of the regional ITT networks are held termly following an agenda agreed jointly by the Chairs and the DfE. To attend your regional meeting, email the appropriate network Chair for further details.

Regional network Chair

East 1 Jane Adamson

London & South East 1 Ed Boyle

London & South East 2 Jonathan Bach

London & South East 3 Claire Harnden

London & South East 4 David Kerr

London & South East 5 David Maynard

Midlands 1 Helen Yorke

Midlands 2 Dr Jo McIntyre and Stef Sullivan

North 1 and 3 Gemma Firmin

North 2 Dr David Owen

North 4 David Spendlove

South West 1 Laura Mansion Shore

South West 2 Georgina Verrinder

South West 3 Alison Smith

Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA)

Chief Executive and Accounting Officer Alan Meyrick

Email misconduct.teacher@education.gov.uk

Website https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/teaching-regulation-agency

The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department for Education (DfE). The TRA holds responsibility for the regulation of the teaching profession, including misconduct allegations and hearings and the maintenance of the database of qualified teachers.

Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted)

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman

Specialist Adviser – Initial Teacher Education Helen Matthews, HMI

Stakeholders-3

Email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk

Website https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ofsteds-inspections-of-initial-teacher-education-providers

The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people, and services providing education and skills for learners of all ages. Ofsted has a remit to report regularly on the quality of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) provision and, as such, ITE is subject to inspection by Ofsted. Inspection of an ITE partnership gives an independent evaluation of its effectiveness and how it should improve. Refer to the section on Ofsted inspections for further information.

UCAS Teacher Training (UCASTT) UCAS Teacher Training National Relationship Manager – SCITTS & Lead Schools

Hannah Martin

Email ucasteachertraining@ucas.ac.uk

Website https://www.ucas.com/ucas/teacher-training Provider section: https://www.ucas.com/providers

Providers should refer to the providers’ section of the UCASTT website for current news, online support materials, training materials and relevant manuals and user guides. The UCAS bulletin also contains current news and details of actions required by providers. It is possible to arrange training, both at UCAS’ headquarters in Cheltenham or at a provider’s own premises. At the current time, UCAS Teacher Training (UCASTT) is one of the two admissions system for the main postgraduate routes into teaching including:

• one-year professional graduate and postgraduate teacher training programmes based in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) providers;

• School Direct (fee-funded) and School Direct (salaried) teacher training programmes;

• Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeships. Providers should be aware that UCASTT will be replaced by the DfE Apply service for programmes starting in September 2022.

Student Loans Company (SLC) Account Manager, Partner Services (responsibility for SCITTs)

Anne Thomson

Email HEP_Services@slc.co.uk

Website Student Loans Company: https://www.slc.co.uk/ HEP Services: https://www.heinfo.slc.co.uk/

Stakeholders-4

Providers should refer to the relevant manuals and user guides for further information. It is possible to arrange face-to-face training and support with the SLC either at a provider’s own premises or through key partner training events. Student Finance is managed by the Student Loans Company (SLC). Students who are not applying for a salaried position can apply for a tuition fee loan and a maintenance loan through the relevant Student Finance organisation, usually Student Finance England (SFE). The Student Loans company also manages financial support for trainees registered with a disability or a specific learning difficulty (DSA – Disabled Students Allowance).

Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) ‘for students in higher education’

Independent Adjudicator Felicity Mitchell

Chief Executive Ben Elger

Email membership@oiahe.org.uk Online contact form

Website http://www.oiahe.org.uk/

The Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) is an independent body which processes individual complaints against Higher Education Providers (HEPs) in England and Wales. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires that all SCITTs must have membership. The Good Practice Framework: handling student complaints and academic appeals provides an overview of the key factors to include in effective complaints and academic appeals processes. It articulates the underlying principles and operational guidance to support institutions in areas including:

• time frames;

• progression between informal, formal and review stages;

• record keeping. Refer to the sections on grievance procedure, complaints and academic appeals and the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) for further information including the OIA’s annual document submission requirements.

Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham CBE

Email casework@ico.org.uk

Website https://ico.org.uk/

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the United Kingdom’s independent authority established to uphold information rights in the public interest promoting openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals.

Stakeholders-5

Refer to the section on data protection for further information.

Chartered College of Teaching (CCT)

Chief Executive Officer Professor Dame Alison Peacock

Email hello@chartered.college

Welcome https://chartered.college/

The Chartered College of Teaching (CCT) opened in January 2017 as the new professional body for the teaching profession. Membership is voluntary and provides access to research, events, a wide community of educators and high-quality professional learning. The College aims for its members to be:

• connected;

• informed;

• recognised;

• inspired;

• agents of change. Membership for trainee teachers is free in their first year. Further details on membership can be found here.

Teaching Schools and Teaching Schools Council (TSC)

Chair Richard Gill

Welcome https://tscouncil.org.uk/

Teaching Schools are outstanding schools designated by the DfE to work with other schools to provide high-quality training and development to new and experienced school staff. They are part of the government’s plan to give schools a central role in raising standards by developing a self-improving and sustainable schools-led system. There are plans to rationalise the Teaching School sector into a number of larger Teaching School Hubs and NASBTT awaits further updates on how this will proceed.

Universities Council for the Education of Teachers (UCET)

Executive Director James Noble-Rogers

Email info@ucet.ac.uk

Welcome http://www.ucet.ac.uk/

Stakeholders-6

The Universities Council for the Education of Teachers (UCET) acts as a national forum for the discussion of matters relating to the education of teachers and professional educators, and to the study of education in the university sector and contributes to the formulation of policy in these fields. Its members are UK universities involved in teacher education, and a number of colleges of higher education in the university sector.

Stakeholders-7

DfE contact team inboxes

DfE Team Contact Inbox

Accreditation ITT.ACCREDITATION@education.gov.uk

Allocations Team, includes permission to recruit ITT.ALLOCATIONS@education.gov.uk

Find Postgraduate Teacher Training courses (DfE Search service) (For technical queries about the service, not for policy queries)

becomingateacher@digital.education.gov.uk

Future Teaching Scholars A-Level.GRANTS@education.gov.uk

ITT funding including training bursary funding ITT.Funding@education.gov.uk

Maths and Physics Chairs programme Chairs.GRANTS@education.gov.uk

NQT induction Teacher.INDUCTION@education.gov.uk

Paid Internships ITT.RECRUITMENT@education.gov.uk

QTS/NQT/Early Career Teachers (ECT) (Policy queries only)

career.progression@education.gov.uk

Register for apprenticeship providers (RoATP) RoATP.MAILBOX@education.gov.uk

Register for end-point assessment organisation Apprentice.ASSESSMENT@education.gov.uk

Returning Teachers ReturnTo.Teaching@education.gov.uk

Stakeholders-8

DfE Team Contact Inbox

School Experience Programme (SEP) schoolexperience@ta-recruit.education.gov.uk

School-Led Train to Teach Events, pop up events, graduate recruitment fairs, brand ambassadors, application workshops and online events

WhatsOn.WHERE@education.gov.uk

Skills tests (For delivery/availability related queries, not policy related)

Skills.TESTS@education.gov.uk

Subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) (Funding and policy related queries)

ske.inbox@educaiton.gov.uk.

System leaders (Replaced all Teaching Schools mailboxes)

System.LEADERS@education.gov.uk

TRN numbers, early candidate issues QTS.ENQUIRIES@education.gov.uk

Troops to Teachers Troopsto.TEACHERS@education.gov.uk

Trainee Teacher Portal (TTP) ITT.DataManagement@education.gov.uk

Undergraduate QTS opt-in ITT.RECRUITMENT@education.gov.uk

Chapter 1-1

Section 1:

ITT Provision

and Responsibilities

Chapter 1: Compliance and Legislation

Chapter 2: Contract and Agreements

Chapter 3: Finance

Chapter 4: Programme Design

Chapter 5: Monitoring, Evaluation and Quality Assurance

Chapter 6: Key Documentation and Data

Personnel who are new to the role of managing a SCITT or School Direct Lead School may find NASBTT’s Level 4 Teacher Educator Programmes, Effective SCITT and School Direct Management and Finance for SCITT and School Direct Managers, helpful in supporting them in their role.

Chapter 1-1

Chapter 1: Compliance and Legislation This chapter sets out the criteria, legislation and advice which constrain the way SCITT management is organised. In addition to what follows, governance is also central to SCITT management. Further advice for providers setting up or reviewing their own governance arrangements can be found in NASBTT’s publication Governance for Initial Teacher Training (ITT) which can be found here. Personnel who are new to the role of managing a SCITT or School Direct Lead School may find the Level 4 Teacher Educator Programme Effective SCITT and School Direct Management helpful in supporting them in their role. This Handbook is written for accredited training providers. If you are currently seeking accreditation as a SCITT, you should refer to the DfE guidance Arrangements for ITT accreditation submissions. You might also consider seeking support via NASBTT’s Management Support Partner (MSP) service.

ITT criteria and supporting advice

Overview This document contains mandatory guidance and accompanying advice from the Department for Education (DfE). This means that accredited initial teacher training (ITT) providers must have regard to the mandatory guidance when carrying out their duties relating to ITT. You should note that the arrangements set out in this guidance are subject to agreement by Parliament. DfE will confirm when this agreement has been reached. Accredited ITT providers must ensure they meet these criteria to remain compliant. ITT providers who do not comply with these criteria may be subject to withdrawal of accreditation.

The primary document which providers must consult is the Initial Teacher Training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice. This document is central to the requirements under which a provider must operate. Being found to be non-compliant with the ITT criteria can result in the withdrawal of accreditation. It is highly recommended that all provider staff, managers and the strategic board familiarise themselves with the full content of the ITT criteria and supporting advice and ensure it is regularly reviewed through governance processes to ensure provision is, and continues to be, compliant. To support compliance with the ITT criteria, NASBTT has published an ITT Criteria Compliance Audit which can be found here. Providers can also engage the services of a Management Support Partner (MSP) to review their compliance with the ITT criteria and supporting advice.

Legislation

This section must be read in conjunction with sections C3.3 Legislation and Relevant legislation of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice.

The ITT criteria also signposts providers to other relevant legislation and states that:

Chapter 1-2

C3.3 Legislation

All accredited ITT providers must ensure: that they comply with all current legislation relevant to ITT.

In order to be accredited a provider must satisfy the criteria specified by the Secretary of State. ITT partnerships must review and update their provision so that it continues to meet these criteria and associated legislation. Where there is evidence of an ITT provider’s non-compliance with current ITT criteria, DfE will consider withdrawal of accreditation.

It is beyond the scope of this Handbook to explore in depth all of the relevant legislation which is signposted in the ITT criteria and support advice, but providers are advised to read sections C3.3 Legislation and Relevant legislation of that document and ensure that the principles of the relevant pieces of legislation are upheld. Providers may wish to work with their single legal entity’s legal and HR teams where there is any doubt over the implications of any of this legislation.

Equality Act 2010 Under the Equality Act 2010, applicants and trainees1 have protection against discrimination on the basis of a number of protected characteristics. These are:

• age;

• disability;

• gender reassignment;

• marriage and civil partnership;

• pregnancy and maternity;

• race;

• religion and beliefs;

• sex;

• sexual orientation. You will need to make appropriate arrangements to meet the specific requirements for trainees with protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act. Although, in the majority of cases, you are not an employer, NASBTT’s advice is, as far as possible, to follow the requirements as though you were the employer. This occasionally causes tensions with programme requirements and legal guidance may need to be sought. It should be noted that the Equality Act recognises that there are usually ‘intrinsic competences’ that applicants for a particular employment must be able to meet; the example that it can be expected that a scaffolder can climb a ladder is often quoted. A reasonable adjustment is something that enables an individual to meet the requirement, it is not an adjustment to the requirement itself. Further information around the possible intrinsic competencies for teaching can be found in the section on health and physical capacity to teach.

1 The Act makes a distinction between applicants applying for a position and those who have subsequently been recruited. Once an applicant has accepted a place on your programme they are a recruit and not an applicant.

Chapter 1-3

Data protection

This section must be read in conjunction with sections C3.3 Legislation and Relevant legislation of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice.

Any information held by you as the provider is subject to the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA). All providers are data controllers as defined by the DPA and, as such, are subject to all its regulations and any other relevant legislation. Further information about data protection can be found on the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) official website here. Assuming the SCITT’s single legal entity is a school or Local Authority (LA), it will almost certainly be registered as a data controller for the purposes of the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), although it would be good practice for the provider to check. This will cover all staff employed or under contract to the school. You should ensure that you know who the Data Protection Officer (DPO) is in the school, MAT or Local Authority (LA) which forms the single legal entity; they can be a good source of information and support. It is possible for a SCITT to register independently with the ICO and NASBTT would recommend that all providers consider doing so. A guide to the General Data Protection Regulation can be found here. In addition, you might find the following documents useful:

Preparing for the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): 12 steps to take now

Preparing for the law enforcement requirements (part 3) of the Data Protection Act 2018: 12 steps to take now

Data protection: a toolkit for schools and Data protection: annual review checklist (DfE, August 2018)

The GDPR sets out seven key principles which providers must follow:

• Lawfulness, fairness and transparency; • Purpose limitation; • Data minimisation; • Accuracy; • Storage limitation; • Integrity and confidentiality (security); • Accountability.

These principles should lie at the heart of your approach to processing personal data. You should only hold information:

• that is relevant for the purpose for which it was obtained;

• for a period of time that is necessary and for only as long as you have a clear business need for it;

• only share information with relevant parties in the course of specific duties relating to recruitment and employment decisions.

Chapter 1-4

You must have a written policy relating to why you are collecting and storing personal data and how you intend to use and store it. The policy should include a retention schedule regarding paperwork which refers to the application process, personal documentation and financial information. Under data protection regulations, individual trainees will be regarded as owning any data about themselves. An individual about whom a training provider holds data has the right to make a ‘subject access request’ to see all of the data held about them.

Personal Data Breaches GDPR introduced a duty on all organisations to report certain types of personal data breaches to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Where feasible, this must be done within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach. If the breach is likely to result in a high risk of adversely affecting individuals’ rights and freedoms, those individuals must also be informed without undue delay. Providers should ensure that they have robust breach detection, investigation and internal reporting procedures in place. This will facilitate decision-making about the need to notify the relevant supervisory authority and the affected individuals. Providers must also keep a record of any personal data breaches, regardless of whether the relevant supervisory authority had to be notified.

You must ensure all sensitive or personal data is always stored securely; this includes paper and electronic documentation.

You should recognise the risk of having any personal information unencrypted on a laptop. You should also consider your use of passwords.

You should consider referring to trainees as numbers on records with the link to the name only contained on a single central record.

The DfE asks providers to refer to trainees using their Teacher Reference Number (TRN) or Trainee ID in any correspondence.

During training sessions, you might take photographs of trainees working and collect statements or quotations from applicants and trainees that you might consider using in your marketing materials. You should ensure that you obtain signed consent from individuals, both trainees and staff, to their photographs, statements and other personally identifiable data such as their name being used in any marketing materials. With the introduction of GDPR, data protection implications are wide reaching and providers will want to ensure that they have given considerable thought to how this might affect all aspects of their provision. For example:

• A trainee with special needs is given permission to record training sessions. Should that trainee sign to acknowledge the security of the content recorded, which will be owned not

Chapter 1-5

just by the trainer but also by any trainee contributing comments or answering questions? Are all participants in that session aware that it is being recorded?

This highlights the need for clear statements of your policy and procedures describing how you intend to use data and having a signature of acceptance from all trainees.

Care should be taken to secure agreement from others who might be affected by the adjustments made for an individual.

Freedom of Information Act 2000

This section must be read in conjunction with sections C3.3 Legislation and Relevant legislation of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice.

As a part of the public sector, providers are affected by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) legislation. FOIA legislation has given the public a right of access to public documents, both electronic and paper-based, since 1st January 2005. However, some types of information are exempt, such as information covered by the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) or information covered by another FOIA exemption. This means that providers may refuse requests for access. Further information about the FOIA, including a list of exemptions, can be found here.

Policies and procedures All policies and procedures need to be informed by and reflect legislation in relation to:

• disability rights;

• equal opportunities;

• racial discrimination. Providers of ITT are also required to comply with the current ITT requirements as detailed in the Initial teacher training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice. A SCITT’s policies are likely to relate closely to the policies adopted by the school, MAT or Local Authority (LA) which forms the single legal entity. However, you will need to create a range of policies relating specifically to your provision. It is essential that the SCITT’s governing board has responsibility for ensuring that the relevant policies are in place, implemented, adhered to and reviewed as required. NASBTT has produced guidance materials for school-based providers setting up or reviewing their policies and procedures in its publication Policies and procedures for Initial Teacher Training (ITT) which can be found here.

Withdrawal of accreditation It is essential that SCITT management structures and operations comply with the DfE’s requirements and procedures. The consequence of failing to do so could result in the withdrawal of the provider’s accreditation.

Chapter 1-6

Withdrawal of accreditation criteria DfE will consider withdrawal of the accreditation of a provider where: • provision is not financially viable • the provider demonstrates impropriety or inadequate controls in its financial management,

or does not comply with relevant financial reporting or governance requirements • the provider fails to comply with DfE data and reporting requirements • the provider fails to adhere to any DfE guidance relating to ITT • the provider acts unreasonably in regulating their volume of trainees, and not in accordance

with their DfE allocation of trainee numbers • qualified teacher status (QTS) provision is repeatedly of requires improvement or lower

quality (see note 1) • provision is non-compliant with one or more of the specified ITT criteria, or • the provider ceases to offer provision

Note 1 – As determined by Ofsted inspection grade criteria

Further information about the accreditation withdrawal process can be found here.

Chapter 2-1

Chapter 2: Contracts and Agreements In the course of their work, it will be necessary for providers to have a number of contracts and agreements in place to manage their professional relationships with various stakeholders which will serve to ensure the smooth operation of their provision.

Alliance Agreement The current regulations place a very high responsibility on the single legal entity and its governors. Despite this, SCITTs are encouraged to work in partnership with other schools. Most providers will form a close alliance with a select group of schools who will collaborate to develop all aspects of their provision. NASBTT has sought legal advice and developed a template Alliance Agreement which articulates the decisions and sharing of responsibilities between those schools in this close alliance. This is followed by a ‘service level agreement’ which can be used to specify in detail the responsibilities and remuneration for each individual school. The template Alliance Agreement was developed more as a ‘memorandum of understanding’ rather than a document which could provide the basis for future legal challenge and, as such, does require ‘personalisation’ to ensure it meets the needs of your partnership; therefore, clauses may be added, omitted or altered as your circumstances dictate. Details on how to obtain a copy of the Alliance Agreement template can be found here.

Partnership Agreements

This section must be read in conjunction with section C3.2 Partnerships of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice.

In addition to your partnership alliance, you will also enter into agreements with other schools who will offer placements and training opportunities for your cohort. A Partnership Agreement is an important way to clarify the expectations of partnership working. You will find it useful to refer to the information in the Initial Teacher Training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice and the School Direct: guidance for schools when writing or reviewing your Partnership Agreement. In addition, NASBTT has developed further guidance to support you in structuring the Partnership Agreement which can be found here. For salaried trainees, HR and employment issues are the responsibility of the employing school who should fully understand their responsibilities to avoid any issues that may arise. Providers should ensure that Partnership Agreements reflect the employing school’s responsibilities.

You should ensure that you have a detailed Partnership Agreement with each school that you are working with and, in particular, schools where the relationship comes under the terms of School Direct.

You should ensure that each school returns a copy of the signed Partnership Agreement to you for central filing.

Chapter 2-2

Contracts A good way to avoid many of the potential pitfalls associated with the customer-focussed environment is to have a signed, detailed contract with everyone, both at institutional and individual levels. All contracts should include a statement about how you intend to use any personal data you may acquire as part of the work involved.

Ensure that signed contracts are in place at both institutional and individual levels.

When issuing contracts for non-payroll employment, the payee must complete the appropriate forms to take responsibility for their own tax and National Insurance. Partnerships will need to be aware of the iR35 regulations which are due to come into effect in 2021.

Trainee contract It is vital that you have a signed, detailed contract with each trainee. Any trainee contract should include clear definitions of your expectations of their professional behaviour expressed, perhaps, as a ‘trainee code of conduct’. Potential complaints and appeals can be averted by ensuring that the trainee is aware of regulations and procedures before they are applied. This is particularly true of regulations and procedures around finance and absence that might be applied before the trainee commences day-to-day attendance. The contract should clearly state the programme dates. It is wise for the contract to state or include a link to where the full programme documentation, including policies and procedures, can be found. NASBTT has sought legal advice and developed a template Trainee Contract for Fee-Paying Trainees. Details on how to obtain a copy of the template can be found here. Providers will want to adapt this template for salaried trainees who will also enter into a contract of employment with their employing school. Any trainee contract should state that whilst you consider that a trainee is suitable to train with you, they may not necessarily be suitable for employment. It is suggested that the trainee contract includes a statement to this effect. The contract should also make reference to the possibility that the programme you are offering may be subject to change if regulations or legislation dictates or where force majeure applies. NASBTT has sought legal advice from its solicitors and it seems clear that the responsibility for meeting any debts to the provider lies personally with the trainee, regardless of the source of the funding. You may not charge fees greater than the fee cap imposed by the Department for Education. It is for you to decide whether a trainee paying their own fees without a loan by arrangement with the provider, should be offered the opportunity to pay by instalments and how those instalments are defined.

At the point that your Examination Board makes its recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), you should ensure that the trainee has no outstanding debts and any contract should clearly state that the recommendation for the award of QTS will be withheld until all debts are paid.

Chapter 2-3

Additional contracts for salaried trainees Where a trainee is on a salaried programme, three contracts are required:

1. contract of employment between the trainee and the employing school (this will be the employing school’s responsibility although you may wish to agree in advance certain conditions of employment);

2. contract between the trainee and the provider (the fee-paying trainee contract could be adapted for this purpose);

3. contract between the provider and the employing school which will refer to the division of responsibilities, finance arrangements and payment schedules.

For salaried trainees, HR and employment issues are the responsibility of the employing school who should fully understand their responsibilities to avoid any issues that may arise. Providers should ensure that Partnership Agreements reflect the employing school’s responsibilities.

Trainee code of conduct In addition to the trainee contract, you will benefit from having a ‘trainee code of conduct’ signed by the trainee at the start of the programme which outlines the professional standards, behaviour and attitudes they are expected to maintain. The code of conduct should make particular reference to Part Two: Personal and professional conduct of the Teachers’ Standards which states that:

‘A teacher is expected to demonstrate consistently high standards of personal and professional conduct.’

You should ensure that trainees understand the wider implications of this aspect of the Teachers’ Standards to their personal lives, including their use of social media. The trainee should be expected to conduct themselves as befits someone engaged on a professional programme of study and must always be aware of the example they are setting to the pupils with whom they are working. Breaches of the code of conduct should be investigated and result in disciplinary action being taken as appropriate to the severity of the offence. An example of a trainee code of conduct can be found here. Individual schools will have their own policy on dress code, body jewellery, smoking, etc., which must be explained to the trainee by the placement school and to which they must adhere.

Initial Teacher Training: a customer-focussed environment It is important to recognise from the outset that the financial investment made by trainees makes Initial Teacher Training (ITT) a customer-focussed environment so much so that trainees have rights afforded to them by the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Useful guidance on how this affects providers can be found in the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) publication on UK higher education providers – advice on consumer protection law. In addition, there are expectations from both Parliament and the public in that delivering a public service you adhere closely to the seven principles of public life which are:

Chapter 2-4

• selflessness;

• integrity;

• objectivity;

• accountability;

• openness;

• honesty;

• leadership. It is important to ensure that the way you handle all relationships and issues with trainees is completely open and fair such that there will be no grounds for a complaint or appeal. The OIA’s publication The Good Practice Framework: handling student complaints and academic appeals provides useful guidance on such processes and sets out the operational good practice and core principles which are:

• accessibility;

• clarity;

• proportionality;

• timeliness;

• fairness;

• independence;

• confidentiality;

• improving the student experience.

Openness and fairness in decision taking and painstaking record keeping are essential in the smooth running of schools-led ITT. The importance of a secure audit trail cannot be over-emphasised.

Cause for concern process A cause for concern is initiated where the provider or placement school raises a concern over the trainee’s progress, attainment or conduct. The cause for concern process usually involves initiating an action plan designed to help the trainee to progress. In exceptional circumstances, usually related to breaches of professional conduct, it may lead to immediate suspension from the programme pending an investigation. Providers must make their cause for concern process available to all stakeholders. An example cause for concern process can be found in NASBTT’s Curriculum Design and Assessment Toolkit which can be found here.

Grievance procedure, complaints and academic appeals Providers must make their grievance, complaints and academic appeals procedure available to all stakeholders. A grievance or complaints procedure is the process through which a trainee or other stakeholder can raise a grievance against the provider.

Chapter 2-5

Potential difficulties with trainees can be eased by ensuring the clarity and completeness of information provided to trainees, including detailed ‘contracts’, openness and fairness if things start to go awry and excellent record keeping of all discussions, meetings, etc., with any of the trainees. Poor record keeping is a key factor in difficulties experienced in resolving disputes. All parties need to be aware of the disciplinary process and the terms and methodology of appealing a decision. The OIA’s publication The Good Practice Framework: handling student complaints and academic appeals provides an overview of the key factors to include in effective complaints and academic appeals processes. It articulates the underlying principles and operational guidance to support institutions in areas including:

• time frames;

• progression between informal, formal and review stages;

• record keeping.

Openness and fairness in decision taking and painstaking record keeping are essential in the smooth running of schools-led ITT. At the same time, the importance of a secure audit trail cannot be over-emphasised.

Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) ‘for students in higher education’ The contracts and agreements referenced above should offer all parties protection against future complaints. However, where a trainee does make a complaint against a provider, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 determines that they should have access to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) once all internal processes have been exhausted. Providers should refer to the OIA’s website for information about registering with the OIA; there is a fee involved in becoming a member.

Accredited providers must ensure that they become members of the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) and satisfy the annual document submission requirements.

Contractual relationships with HEIs In addition to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), many trainees will expect to have their achievements recognised with an academic qualification. Whilst all postgraduate teacher training programmes lead to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), a number of programmes also award a qualification, most usually a Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE). As the PGCE is a qualification, it can only be awarded by an Higher Education Institution (HEI). However, the majority of SCITTs have an arrangement with an HEI to validate their training, such that the HEI will then award a PGCE to trainees on schools-led programmes. HEIs have effective processes of academic validation and external examination in place and the authority to make awards at PGCE or Master’s level. It should be noted that any qualification which includes the word postgraduate in its title must include work which is beyond first degree (bachelor) level and is defined as having a number of Master’s credits. Most PGCEs award 60 Master’s (Level 7) credits; however, this can range from 30 credits to 120 credits. It should be noted that some universities offer a qualification called the

Chapter 2-6

Professional Graduate Certificate of Education which has no Master’s credits and is awarded at the same level as a first (bachelor) degree (Level 6). This is also called a PGCE but the first letter may appear as a lower case (pGCE).

It is important that, regardless of partnerships with other institutions, the final responsibility for the recommendation for the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) lies with the accredited provider and not the School Direct partnership or HEI awarding any academic award.

You may choose to work with an HEI so that you can draw on the specific strengths of the HEI sector. HEI tutors have the qualifications required to teach and assess up to Master’s Level. At the same time, tutors, who may have extensive school experience themselves, bring specialist knowledge in subjects, phases and key aspects of education to the partnership. HEIs offer specialist library services, including access to journals and online resources and they are equipped with IT systems designed to support ITT, including systems to support distance learning and e-learning. If your provider decides that it wishes to award an academic qualification, you will need to approach a HEI for validation for which a significant charge may be made. Validation can typically take two years to complete. NASBTT recommends that a formal tender process is undertaken with a range of HEIs and that this is repeated every three years in line with best financial practice.

Providers should investigate the provision on offer from various HEIs through a formal tender process; from experience, there is a considerable variation in the fees charged and the service level provided.

It will be necessary to confirm the academic level of study with the validating HEI to ascertain whether the qualification is:

• post graduate (PGCE);

• professional graduate (pGCE). The number of Master’s credits included in any qualification should also be confirmed with the validating HEI.

Providers should check with their HEI regarding their requirements for Master’s study in relation to GCSE and equivalent qualifications and degree classification; some HEIs do not accept equivalent qualifications and many may require a specific degree class for entry to postgraduate study.

Chapter 3-1

Chapter 3: Finance The financial arrangements for managing a SCITT are complex and will require considerable thought. This chapter focusses on compliance with financial regulations, but providers will also need to be skilled in managing their budget and ensuring their financial viability. NASBTT’s Level 4 Teacher Educator Programme Finance for SCITT and School Direct Managers covers these aspects in detail.

Fee charging

This section must be read in conjunction with the Fee charging information in the Initial Teacher Training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice.

The DfE requires that SCITT providers must not charge trainees over £9,250 for full-time programmes of ITT. For part-time programmes, trainees must not be charged over £6,935 per year. NASBTT has championed the SCITT sector to ensure parity with HEIs in the fees they can charge. NASBTT’s strong recommendation to all providers is that the full fees are applied to all programmes in recognition of the true cost of running a high quality programme of ITT. This is especially true for part-time programmes which, in reality, are considerably more expensive to run.

Financial responsibilities and procedures The ultimate responsibility for all finances rests with the Accounting Officer who must be the head of the single legal entity which ‘owns’ all of the funding and assets. The School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) providers financial handbook offers guidance on safe and secure financial procedures and the extent to which the Accounting Officer’s responsibilities can be delegated. Providers should refer to the information on awards ceremonies in respect of the legislation from their Lead School or MAT with regards to the buying of alcohol for such events.

It is worth emphasising that all meetings at which decisions are made which have a financial implication should be scrupulously minuted and a copy of the minutes signed by the Chair and dated. Declarations of Interest should also be taken at each meeting. The importance of a secure audit trail cannot be over-emphasised.

Provider income The DfE’s ITT funding page can be found here. Provider income generally comes from two sources:

• tuition fees;

• grants.

Chapter 3-2

The payment of tuition fees is the responsibility of the trainee and, in most cases, trainees apply to Student Finance England (SFE) for a tuition fee loan which is then paid directly to the provider in three instalments (weighted 25:25:50) by the Student Loans Company (SLC). Some trainees may make individual arrangements with the provider to pay their own fees. Grants are made by the DfE for specific purposes and such monies are ring-fenced for that purpose. In the majority of cases, this will be for the purpose of paying trainee bursaries and scholarships. In order to receive grant funding, the Accounting Officer must sign a Grant Funding Agreement (GFA) which exemplifies in detail how grant funding must be administered and audited. Funding from the DfE for salaried programme is paid as a grant to the Lead School and may only be used for certain purposes. Providers should refer to the relevant year’s salaried funding manual for more information, particularly how calculations are made regarding amounts to be ‘clawed back’ in the event of a withdrawal. It should be noted that tuition fee money is not considered a grant and, therefore, providers have more flexibility about how it is administered. For example, whilst the DfE may require repayment of unspent grants, the same does not apply to unspent tuition fees.

Accounts and auditing

Financial requirements for providers ITT providers who receive DfE funding must submit independently audited accounts each year. The financial statements must confirm that funds provided by DfE were used only in accordance with the provision of the Education Act 1994 (as amended by the Education Act 2005 Act), the financial memorandum and all other terms and conditions that DfE has set. All ITT providers are ultimately responsible to DfE for the proper stewardship of the funds paid to them. Specific requirements set out in the financial memorandum and the associated funding manual. Funding: initial teacher training (ITT), academic year 2020 to 2021

Under the principles of accreditation, the DfE is required to ensure the sound financial management of the provider.

The auditing requirements are subject to change from year to year so you will need to ensure that you follow the instructions on the audit letter issued each year.

Student finance The main student finance application allows the trainee to apply for:

• a tuition fee loan to cover the full cost of their tuition fees;

• a maintenance loan to cover their living costs.

Chapter 3-3

All tuition fee and maintenance loans are repayable and accrue interest. Grants may also be available for eligible individuals. The tuition fee loan is paid directly to the provider in three instalments (weighted 25:25:50) according to the termly liability points. The maintenance loan is the main student loan product for living costs. It comprises:

• a non-financially assessed portion, which all students who are eligible for the loan can receive; and

• a financially assessed portion, which depends on household income. The maintenance loan is paid directly to the trainee in three instalments. Trainees can also receive an estimate of if they will be eligible to receive any extra funding, for example if they have children or are disabled, by using the government's Student Finance Calculator which can be found here. For part time-programmes, trainees will need to complete an application for each year of the training programme. Providers can set bespoke terms dates to reflect different structures for part-time programmes and, therefore, these should be set up as separate programmes and codes on HEP Services. If a trainee needs to apply for student finance, they should be advised to do so as soon as possible after accepting a place on the programme and once the courses have been set up on HEP Services. Trainees should complete their applications for student finance here.

Higher Education Portal (HEP) Services for student finance Higher Education Portal (HEP) Services can be found here. Higher Education Portal (HEP) Services is used to manage the finance you receive from the Student Loans Company (SLC). Providers should set up courses on the ‘Courses Management Service’ (CMS) on HEP Services, including campus codes, course fees and term dates, prior to trainees applying for student finance; this will prevent trainees applying for the wrong course, to the wrong provider or for the wrong course fees. It would be good practice to include course codes in correspondence with trainees to prevent such problems arising. Providers should ask trainees for their SLC confirmation letter during registration. On commencement of the training programme, you will be asked to confirm the trainee’s attendance and registration on ‘Student Information Services’ (SIS) on HEP Services to release funds to both the provider (tuition fees) and the trainee (maintenance loan). Attendance confirmation will also be required in January and March/April. The tuition fee loan is paid directly to the provider in three instalments (weighted 25:25:50) according to the termly liability points.

Chapter 3-4

Providers should complete a Change of Circumstance (COC) as required for trainees that might have applied to the wrong course, the wrong provider or for the wrong course fees. Providers should refer to the SLC guidance carefully in order to complete the COC correctly.

Any trainee change of circumstance (COC), for example deferral or withdrawal, must be communicated to the SLC as soon as practicably possible.

You should follow up any anomalies in respect of any trainee who has not had their application approved or who applied late. It is recommended that you liaise with these trainees at frequent intervals to ensure that the application is approved as soon as possible. You should inform your finance department of monies that will be received from the SLC to enable them to check payments and remittances at the appropriate times.

Trainees paying their own fees without a loan Some trainees may choose to pay their own fees, dependent on partnership arrangements. Payments could be spread in the same way as the fee income received from the SLC (weighted 25:25:50) or you could set up a different payment plan which is set out in a written contract and signed by the trainee. You should ensure that invoices are issued at the appropriate times and payments are made promptly by trainees.

Money laundering Legislation concerning money laundering, the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and the Money Laundering Regulations 2003, requires providers to establish internal procedures to prevent financial transactions being used for the purposes of money laundering. Money laundering is defined as:

• concealing, disguising, converting or removing criminal property from the UK;

• entering into an arrangement which the person who knows or suspects or facilitates (by whatever means) the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property by or on behalf of another person;

• acquiring, using or having possession of criminal property;

• making a disclosure to a person which is likely to prejudice a money laundering investigation. Money laundering regulations apply to cash transactions in excess of the equivalent of 15,000 Euros (around £13,500). However, the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 applies to all transactions: cheques, cash, bank transfers, property and equipment to individuals, agents or third parties, and is probably more relevant to schools-led providers. To counter the risk of becoming accidentally involved in money laundering, the principal risks need to be identified, assessed and procedures put into place to mitigate the risks.

Further advice regarding the proceeds of crime and money laundering can be found here.

Chapter 3-5

Bursaries and scholarships The DfE’s ITT funding page, including information on bursaries and scholarships, can be found here. Information for trainees about bursaries and scholarships can be found here. The DfE provides financial incentives, such as training bursaries and scholarships, to help providers and schools attract high-quality graduates to the teaching profession. Financial incentives are in line with the needs of the sector and national targets set by the Department for Education (DfE). Trainees do not have to apply for a bursary; it is allocated to trainees on tuition fee programmes who meet the eligibility criteria according to that year’s recruitment cycle. Providers should ensure that trainees are paid the appropriate bursary according to their training subject and degree class. Bursaries are paid to trainees in instalments as indicated by the DfE’s guidance. Providers may want to consider using the Bursaries Administration Service, which is operated by Student Finance England, to administer the payment of bursaries. Applicants with a degree from outside the UK should obtain a NARIC statement of comparability and refer to the Overseas degree equivalency: table and methodology to determine if their degree is eligible for a bursary, or they should consult their chosen training provider. Providers should ensure that only trainees eligible for student finance are awarded a bursary.

Insurance cover You will need to consider insurance cover, in particular:

• Employers’ and Public Liability;

• Professional Indemnity;

• contents, including laptops, which may be taken away from the building you occupy. In terms of contents insurance, the single legal entity often has insurance cover in place but you need to check that it extends to cover your context where you are charging fees for your work even though it has an educational purpose.

Ensure that the single legal entity’s contents insurance extends to cover your context where you are charging fees for your work.

Chapter 4-1

Chapter 4: Programme Design

This section must be read in conjunction with C2 Training criteria and C3 Employment-based criteria of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice.

C3.1 Management

All accredited ITT providers must ensure:

that their management structure ensures the effective operation of the training programme.

In becoming an accredited provider, the SCITT provider takes responsibility for the overall design and operation of programmes of Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and early professional development leading to the recommendation for the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). This responsibility will be carried out through:

• the design of individual programmes of learning;

• the shaping of professional learning opportunities;

• implementing a range of formative assessment opportunities leading to the final moderated judgement in relation to the recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

C2.3 Training in schools states that a post-graduate teacher training programme must be designed so that trainees can spend a minimum of 120 days in school. It is important to note that this applies to the design of the programme as a whole and not to individual trainees. In the case where a trainee has absences which result in fewer than 120 days in school, but still satisfies the provider that they have adequately met the Teachers’ Standards, QTS may be still be recommended without the provider being non-compliant. There is a continuing emphasis on providers using schools in challenging circumstances and trainees experiencing contrasting placements during their training. When designing programmes, providers will want to refer to the following documents to ensure that the breadth and depth of their training programme is sufficient and they are compliant with the DfE’s expectations for core content:

• ITT criteria and supporting advice

• ITT Core Content Framework

• Beginning teacher’s behaviour toolkit: summary

• Teachers’ Standards

• NASBTT’s Curriculum Design and Assessment Toolkit

• NASBTT’s Subject Knowledge and Curriculum Design Toolkit

• Addressing workload in initial teacher education (ITE)

• National standards for school-based initial teacher training mentors

• Standard for teachers’ professional development Trainee placements need very significant planning. The requirement for contrasting school placements may have a real impact on the travel that trainees must undertake. Trainees must be made aware of the travel expectations of your placement arrangements as part of your recruitment process. Providers will also need to take account of placements that would be unsuitable for particular trainees, in respect of the trainees’ own or relatives’ children at the school or relationships with any staff, governors, etc.

Chapter 4-2

Behaviour management, particularly in more challenging circumstances, relies quite heavily on the ability to establish secure and consistent pupil-teacher relationships. Such relationships typically establish over time. Therefore, there is a tension between gaining superficial experience of a wide range of settings through a high number of short placements and the provision of longer placements where relationships are more likely to be established and tested. Trainees will spend a significant majority of their time based in schools, but they also need a robust programme of instruction, reading, reflection and study time built into their training, and the importance of their knowledge and understanding of pedagogy and the findings of recent relevant research should not be under estimated. Trainees must also be prepared to perform positively in the classroom and matters such as safeguarding, the health and safety of the pupils they teach, behaviour and classroom management, etc., require that they will need some theoretical input about a context in which they are largely inexperienced. Therefore, theory is very important, but it is wise to carefully consider its relevance and timing to ensure that trainees understand why they are being given this information. For example:

• is the theoretical underpinning regarding planning lessons better presented before, after, or perhaps a mixture of both, some classroom experience?

• how much theoretical preparation is required before the trainee can operate safely in a science lesson?

Trainees also need to understand how aspects of the programme are relevant and enable them to perform well in the classroom. There are many anecdotes from Ofsted inspections where trainees cannot satisfactorily explain how the pieces fit together. The importance of blending centre-based training and school-based experiences is central to the success of a well-designed programme of ITT. Curriculum design and sequencing are complex processes which must be given adequate time and preparation. NASBTT’s Curriculum Design and Assessment Toolkit and Subject Knowledge and Curriculum Design Toolkit are designed to support providers when designing their ITT curricula. The importance of mentoring is absolutely central to high quality provision, but at times the relationship between trainee and mentor can break down, or a mentor can find they have insufficient time and resource to support their trainee effectively. Providers need to ensure that appropriate mechanisms are in place to monitor this kind of arrangement and that:

• they have put in place contractual obligations which are closely monitored to ensure delivery is achieved;

• that they have the authority to act swiftly to address any shortcomings that may arise. You should ensure that your Partnership Agreement makes reference to the expectations of mentors and processes should difficulties arise.

Assessment

This section must be read in conjunction with C2.1 Programmes and C3.4 Quality assurance of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice.

Trainee assessment processes are integral to your programme design. Assessment will take two forms: formative assessment which tracks trainee’s mastery of and progress within your ITT curriculum and summative assessment which determines whether or not they have met the

Chapter 4-3

Teachers’ Standards. Detailed guidance on assessment processes can be found in the Curriculum Design and Assessment Toolkit. In addition to the supporting advice in C2.1 Programmes and C3.4 Quality assurance, it is important to ensure the trainee is aware of all assessments that are made of them and that they have a copy of any judgements made. The trainee and those making judgements should be aware that any judgements or comments that are part of the assessment process, such as mentor reports, will be used in reports and references issued about the trainee in the future. As such, the trainee should have the opportunity to clarify and/or challenge any judgements and/or comments they feel to be inaccurate or unjust as soon as possible and an agreed solution found. This should pre-empt an appeal being upheld at a future date. The importance of a secure audit trail in such matters cannot be over-emphasised. It is important to ensure that assessments of trainees are only undertaken when a trainee is ‘fit to be assessed’. There are times when an observation or other assessment of a trainee could be anticipated to have serious consequences in relation to their future on the programme. Consideration should be given as to whether there are circumstances which, if there were to be a future appeal, would suggest such any assessment was inappropriate at that time. For example, if a trainee returning from a period of illness or bereavement was immediately faced with a classroom observation, a claim that they were fit to work but not yet fit to be assessed could well be upheld. In some circumstances it would be appropriate to ask the trainee to obtain a medical certificate stating their fitness for assessment as well as their fitness to work. It is particularly important that the trainee is aware of how Part 2: Personal and professional conduct of the Teachers’ Standards are to be assessed and that they are aware of their progress in relation to this aspect of the Standards. Any trainee who fails QTS in respect of this Part of the Standards should have had the same monitoring and support that would be exemplified in Part 1 of the Teachers’ Standards.

Openness and fairness in decision taking and painstaking record keeping are essential in the smooth running of schools-led ITT. The importance of a secure audit trail cannot be over-emphasised.

It is important that, regardless of partnerships with other institutions, the final responsibility for the recommendation for the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) lies with the accredited provider and not the School Direct partnership or HEI awarding any academic award.

Chapter 5-1

Chapter 5: Monitoring, Evaluation and Quality Assurance As part of high quality leadership and management, providers are required to implement ongoing monitoring, evaluation and quality assurance processes.

Moderation

This section must be read in conjunction with C3.4 Quality assurance of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice.

There are two strands to monitoring and evaluation:

• internal moderation to ensure consistency of judgements across the partnership;

• external moderation to ensure that internally moderated judgements are consistent with similar judgements from other providers.

The accreditation expectation that providers should be self-improving organisations makes quality assurance a management responsibility.

Internal moderation Internal moderation should ensure consistency of judgements across the partnership. This requires all judgements to be reviewed and standardised according to the partnership hierarchy. For example:

• mentors by lead mentors;

• lead mentors by the partnership lead. It is useful to use headteachers in the monitoring of some of these judgements, and it is particularly helpful for headteachers to make joint monitoring visits to a third partner.

External moderation All accredited ITT providers are required to ensure that their assessment of trainees is subject to appropriately rigorous internal and external moderation. As far as external moderation is concerned, NASBTT takes the view that the following facets are likely to be present in the arrangements made between providers and their appointed external moderators:

• external verification that the evidence held of meeting the QTS Standards is comparable and consistent with that held by providers nationally;

• external verification that the evidence held of individuals meeting the QTS Standards has been effectively internally moderated;

• external quality assurance and identification of strengths and areas for further development;

• the role of ‘critical friend’. Appointing an External Moderator NASBTT recommends that it is best practice to appoint someone who has little or no pre-existing experience of your provision, such that the external moderator is someone who is genuinely

Chapter 5-2

‘external’ and independent. As such, a quid-pro-quo arrangement is not advised as it could bring into question the independence of the relationship. The person appointed is likely either to be an experienced and current ITT partnership lead or someone who has stepped down from leading an ITT programme but who has up-to-date knowledge of the standards being achieved in other schools-led provision. NASBTT also recommends that an agreement is reached regarding the extent of the moderation work; for example, the number of days required and the tenure. Best practice indicates that the tenure should not extend beyond three years in order to maintain the required impartiality; a longer period of time may bring the issue of independence into question. Members can find a directory of potential external moderators here. This is not an exhaustive list of individuals who are external moderators. Inclusion in this directory does not imply any recommendation, endorsement or guarantee of suitability for the role on the part of NASBTT and providers seeking to use any of the individuals listed are entirely responsible for any consequence arising from their employment. Members can also advertise for an external moderator via NASBTT for a small charge; further details about placing an advertisement with NASBTT can be found here. Important note: Where a partnership is seeking more comprehensive guidance and support to develop and improve their provision, NASBTT suggests considering engaging the services of a Management Support Partner (MSP). Agreeing the scope of the work The basic requirement is that the external moderator is able to verify that the partnership’s final assessment of trainees prior to the recommendation for the award of QTS is consistent and compatible with the standards seen regionally and nationally. Agreement should be reached regarding any particular foci for the external moderator’s work to enable appropriate feedback regarding strengths and areas for further development. Careful consideration should be given to the timing of the external moderator’s visits so that their validation is available to support final assessments leading to the recommendation for the award of QTS. It is useful if the external moderator can be present at the provider’s Examination Board meeting to:

• add an additional quality assurance ‘layer’ to the final assessment process;

• offer direct input when individual trainee’s outcomes who they have observed/met with as part of the sampling process are discussed.

The approach to sampling which underpins effective external moderation needs to be agreed as early as possible; NASBTT is aware of significant variations in practice around the numbers of trainees involved in this process often linked to the logistical practicalities present in busy partnerships and the availability of the external moderators themselves. It is, however, important that basic protocols are agreed between the provider and the external moderator at the outset. For example:

• are all ‘borderline’ trainees to be seen?

• does the external moderator, rather than the provider, identify trainees to be ‘sampled’ from the provider’s tracking lists (which might be anonymised for that purpose)?

Chapter 5-3

As a recommended minimum, external moderators should undertake a minimum of two days of visits seeing and observing at least 10% of trainees in their final placement schools. This is likely to be supplemented by:

• a pre-visit pack of provider information;

• discussions with mentors, ITT Co-ordinators and partnership leads, including verbal feedback relating to key findings;

• the opportunity to meet with trainees separately, either singly or in groups. Agreement should be also reached regarding the timescales involved. For example:

• when does the partnership lead require the report?

• is a bulleted ‘early’ summary report needed ahead of the full report and, if so, within what timescale?

NASBTT also recommends that the external moderator should be made aware of any withdrawals and deferrals and given the opportunity to review associated documentation, including exit interviews with the trainee and their mentor. Logistics When designing a schedule for the external moderator’s visits, it is important to factor in sufficient time for travel between schools and suitable space in the day, or arrangements for, a short lunch break. External moderators will expect to have, as part of the schedule, 1:1 time with trainees and other stakeholders so that they can gather their perceptions of the programme. External moderators should not be expected to provide verbal or written feedback to trainees about lessons observed; their role is to observe the quality and consistency of feedback provided for trainees by mentors and other partnership representatives (as appropriate); neither should they be asked to decide which side of a ‘borderline’ pass/fail trainees fall in relation to all of the available evidence. It is your responsibility to ensure any external moderators provide evidence which satisfies the safeguarding requirements of individual schools; if they are unable to provide the paperwork required by the school (for example, some schools require sight of a DBS certificate), care must be taken to ensure that they are suitably chaperoned during school visits at all times. Most external moderators will produce a ‘draft’ report within an agreed timeframe; this is to facilitate corrections usually relating to partnership-specific language and processes. It is important that the partnership lead reviews this and feeds back to the external moderator in a timely manner so that the final report can be produced. It is good practice, as part of the provider’s self-evaluation, for the partnership to prepare its response to the external moderation report which then becomes the starting point for the next external moderation cycle. Likely costs of external moderation Daily rates for moderators are in the range of £350 to £450; many will incur travel and accommodation expenses in addition to this. Providers should appreciate that additional time will be required in reading pre-visit materials and in preparing the subsequent report for which separate charges may be made. The cost of moderation should be factored into the partnership’s budgeting plans.

Chapter 5-4

It should be noted that the ITT criteria and supporting advice does refer to external moderators in the plural. Given the wide scope required of the process, it may be expedient to look carefully at splitting the responsibilities among more than one individual where aspects requiring the most engagement with the trainees, but not requiring national comparison, may be undertaken by appropriately independent personnel who are, nevertheless, geographically closer to the provider.

Examination Board At the end of each academic year, a group of suitably informed individuals, the Examination Board, or its equivalent, should meet to consider the evidence that individual trainees have met the Teachers’ Standards in order for the provider to recommend them for the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). The meeting is normally attended by the external moderator, who will report, sometimes verbally at this stage, on their recent experience of the work of the cohort being examined. The external moderator will also confirm that the quality of assessments being made is commensurate to that of their experience of other providers. The external moderator attends the Examination Board in an inter pares capacity; in some cases, they will chair the Examination Board. Their status gives them the authority to approve and disapprove recommendations for the award of QTS. The external moderator should sign the list of successful recommendations for the award of QTS. It is useful for the Examination Board to formally permit the Chair to make recommendations for the award of QTS in the external moderator’s absence. Decisions of the Examination Board are committee decisions and are made after considerable perusal and discussion of the evidence presented. An external moderator’s report should be submitted in writing to the provider. The Partnership’s strategic board should consider the external moderator’s report and reply to the recommendations in writing in an appropriate time scale.

It is important that, regardless of partnerships with other institutions, the final responsibility for the recommendation for the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) lies with the accredited provider and not the School Direct partnership or HEI awarding any academic award.

Self-evaluation and improvement planning There is no requirement for providers to prepare a self-evaluation document in a particular format. Self-evaluation should be undertaken and, after review, an improvement plan should be devised, enacted and appropriately reviewed ‘in year’ so that improvement may be achieved and sustained. Care needs to be taken to ensure that improvement plans feature success criteria which are clearly linked to impacting on outcomes for trainees and the pupils they teach. At the very least, a summary or the key issues from the improvement plan should be shared with all partnership schools; best practice would involve partners in the development of self-evaluation, improvement planning and regular review.

Chapter 5-5

You may find it expedient to consider engaging with NASBTT’s Management Support Partner (MSP) service whereby the services of an experienced and successful Programme Manager can be accessed to support the ongoing development of your provision.

Ofsted inspections Providers of Initial Teacher Training (ITT) are subject to Ofsted Inspections under the Ofsted Inspection Framework for ITE. Guidance on how Ofsted inspects ITT providers can be found here. Providers will be visited at least once during an inspection cycle (usually lasting six years) and given a grade ranging from 1 (Outstanding) to 4 (Inadequate). Providers who are judged to be grade 3 or 4 during an inspection are re-inspected within one year. Where they fail to secure grade 1 or 2 on the follow up visit, they will be subject to withdrawal of accreditation.

All new providers can expect to be inspected in their second year of operation.

NASBTT produces yearly analysis of Ofsted’s ITE inspection reports noting the key strengths, aspects for improvement and emerging themes. The analysis reports can be found here. NASBTT offers regular workshops and networking events to help providers prepare for Ofsted inspections. See the events calendar for future events.

Preparation for Ofsted inspections Pre-Ofsted planning preparation with the whole SCITT team:

• be familiar with the inspection guidelines;

• ensure paperwork is all in order and easily accessible;

• have a plan of action in place for when the call is received and ensure that everyone understands their role.

When the call is received from Ofsted:

• communicate with the whole partnership as to the expectations and timetable of the visit;

• communicate with Ofsted, planning the visit and providing paperwork;

• organise housekeeping including reserving car parking spaces, booking meeting rooms, organising lunch, etc.

During the visit

• meet the inspectors specifically to discuss compliance in relation to the ITT criteria and supporting advice, safeguarding and recruitment processes;

• meet the inspectors at the end of each day with the SCITT team to hear the day’s outcomes, then plan any changes for the next day’s inspection programme;

• co-ordinate meetings for the inspectors and school visits;

• provide daily updates to the partnership.

Chapter 6-1

Chapter 6: Key Documentation and Data Most providers will collate key documentation and data to ensure the smooth running of their provider. This documentation and data will also facilitate staff in their work with key stakeholders, partners and trainees.

Suggested documentation required We would suggest that you collate the following documentation: Partnership information:

• provider ID and the UKPRN;

• programme handbooks;

• policies and procedures;

• evidence of how the ITT partnership meets the statutory ITT criteria and supporting advice, and all relevant legislation, including that related to promoting equality and diversity, eliminating discrimination, and safeguarding;

• information about the organisation of the partnership, including staff names, roles and responsibilities;

• staff CVs or resumes, contracts and records of any CPD undertaken;

• list of staff names holding enhanced DBS clearance;

• minutes of all meetings (there should be a physical hard copy, signed by the Chair, of all minutes for meetings where financial decisions are made);

• evidence of the quality and effectiveness of the recruitment and selection process;

• evidence of the impact of training;

• evidence of the impact of mentor training and/or CPD;

• a summary of the partnership’s self-evaluation, including an analysis of outcomes for trainees;

• evidence of improvement plans and their impact on provision and outcomes for trainees;

• evidence of internal and external moderation, including the external moderator’s report(s), and how the findings are used to improve outcomes for trainees.

Key stakeholder information:

• provider references for stakeholders such as UCAS and SLC;

• key names (Relationship Managers);

• telephone numbers and email addresses;

• portal log in details which are stored securely. School information:

• details of all schools in the partnership together with the school’s Unique Reference Number (URN) and most recent Ofsted report;

• contact details for key staff including the Headteacher and their PA, mentors and Professional Tutors, finance and HR;

• provision: primary/secondary;

• school type and demographics;

• any specific features that may present training opportunities. Programme information:

• details of current training and assessment programmes offered by the partnership;

Chapter 6-2

• programme handbook(s);

• materials related to any school, college and/or other setting and centre-based training;

• timetables of training, meetings and events. Current cohort information:

• details of current training and assessment programmes offered by the partnership and the number of trainees in each age phase and their subject(s)/specialisms;

• details of trainees’ placements (main placement and contrasting second placement);

• list of trainee names holding enhanced DBS clearance;

• Occupational Health information (including details of any reasonable adjustments);

• a file for each trainee (personnel file) including application form, interview paperwork, qualification certificates and evidence of safeguarding checks;

• a file, which may be electronic, for each trainee (training file) including current progress against your curriculum, end of term assessments and other evidence, as relevant;

• trainee timetables.

Data Providers should collect a range of their own data. For ease, this data will usually be kept in a series of databases.

Under data protection regulations, individual trainees will be regarded as owning any data about themselves. You will need to explain why you need to keep data and how long you intend to keep it. Data of a sensitive or personal nature should always be stored securely. Refer to the section on data protection for more information.

The data providers collect might include the following:

• school data If you are working with a partnership of schools, you may wish to collate the following data to enable you to build an accurate picture of your partnership:

▪ school Ofsted outcomes and reports; ▪ schools’ own evaluations of their strengths and potential to contribute to training; ▪ trainee evaluations of their experiences in schools; ▪ evaluations by schools; ▪ experience of those staff working directly with trainees.

• trainee data This type of data will enable you to make comparisons and track any trends over time, for example in relation to age or gender.

• alumni data You may wish to include:

▪ schools NQTs are employed in; ▪ additional responsibilities held by previous trainees;

Chapter 6-3

▪ career progression in the profession by previous trainees.

Many providers track their previous trainees in order to gather this information for a period of at least five years. The return of this information will be facilitated by the relationships developed with trainees during the programme.

• benchmarking data This data will allow you to compare your performance on a national and local level. You may wish to consider:

▪ completion rates; ▪ recruitment data; ▪ employment data.

Section 2

Section 2:

Applicant Journey

Chapter 7: Routes into Initial Teacher Training (ITT)

Chapter 8: Marketing

Chapter 9: Recruitment

Chapter 7-1

Chapter 7: Routes into Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Individuals should decide which subject and age group they wish to train to teach and consider the various different training options available to them. Applicants may require support and guidance in making these decisions. The choice will depend on the individual’s training subject, qualifications, experience and where they want to train.

Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) To be considered as a qualified teacher in England and Wales, an individual will need to have been awarded Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). This is a status and not a qualification. It is conferred upon trainees by the Department for Education (DfE) upon the recommendation of an accredited provider of Initial Teacher Training (ITT). This accredited provider may be a Higher Education Institution (HEI) which is usually a university, or a School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) provider.

Routes to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) The DfE’s Get Into Teaching website provides information for applicants on routes into teaching. Currently, there are three entry points to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS):

• as an undergraduate at an Higher Education Institution (HEI) or a schools-led partnership working in collaboration with a HEI as part of a degree course, such as:

▪ a Bachelor of Education (BEd); ▪ a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree with QTS; ▪ a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree with QTS.

• as a postgraduate (fee-funded), which is usually a one-year course either at an Higher Education Institution (HEI) or a schools-led partnership;

• as a postgraduate (employment based), such as:

▪ a School Direct salaried programme; ▪ the Apprenticeship Route.

Individuals who successfully complete ITT via one of these routes are eligible for the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England and Wales. Whilst all postgraduate teacher training programmes lead to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), a number also award a qualification, most usually a Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE). As the PGCE is a qualification, it can only be awarded by an Higher Education Institution (HEI). However, the majority of SCITTs have an arrangement with an HEI to validate their training, such that the HEI will then award a PGCE to trainees on schools-led programmes. Some SCITTs are franchised to provide PGCE training and assessment. Further information on contractual relationships with HEIs can be found here.

Programmes available The programmes available are:

Chapter 7-2

• School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT). Providers that have been approved to run school centred programmes are known as SCITTs. They provide practical, hands-on teacher training, delivered by experienced and practising teachers based in their own school or a school in their partnership. Programmes may run both full-time and part-time over one or two years.

• The School Direct Training Programme (fee-funded) is not a route as such, more of a recruitment methodology. A group of more than five schools identifies a Lead School and work together to deliver School Direct programmes in partnership with an accredited provider (HEI or SCITT) which undertakes the responsibility for the compliance and quality assurance of the training offered, and recommends trainees for the award of QTS. The extent to which the programme is designed and led by the group of schools varies, but there is, in conjunction with a HEI or SCITT, the opportunity for the Lead School to design a programme based on the skills the schools require in Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs). As ‘There is an expectation that trainees will be employed as newly qualified teachers (NQTs) in your school partnership once they are qualified’, schools should recruit a trainee to their School Direct programme with the ‘intention’ of offering them a post within the School Direct partnership upon the trainee’s completion of the programme.

• The School Direct Training Programme (salaried) is an employment-based postgraduate programme. Trainees are employed as unqualified teachers and paid a salary during their training. The DfE provides funding to Lead Schools to cover the training costs and (in some cases) to subsidise the trainee’s salary. As ‘There is an expectation that trainees will be employed as newly qualified teachers (NQTs) in your school partnership once they are qualified’, schools should recruit a trainee to their School Direct programme with the ‘intention’ of offering them a post within the School Direct partnership upon the trainee’s completion of the programme.

• SCITT-led undergraduate teacher training. This route is offered by a small number of accredited providers. This programme must always be offered in close collaboration with an HEI.

• University-led undergraduate teacher training. There are two types of degree that lead to QTS, both of which tend to focus on primary school placements, although there are some secondary-level options available:

▪ a Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree; ▪ a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree with QTS.

These courses generally take three or four years full-time, depending on the number and length of school placements.

• University-led postgraduate courses run both full-time and part-time, over one or two years. Training includes spending time in schools as well as at the university or college working with other trainees and being taught by university staff.

• Teach First is a charity that runs a salaried two years’ Leadership Development Programme, placing exceptional graduates in schools in low income areas. Information for applicants can be found here.

• The Apprenticeship route is similar to the School Direct salaried route and is available to graduates whom a school wishes to employ. This route will allow schools to ‘draw down’ their apprenticeship levy funding to pay for the cost of the training. Unlike the School Direct

Chapter 7-3

salaried route, the apprenticeship route lasts for 12 months and includes a second End Point Assessment (EPA) which must be undertaken by an accredited provider independent to the organisation providing the training.

• Early Years ITT leads to the award of Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS). Information for providers wishing to offer this route can be found here.

• Assessment Only: this is a route for experienced unqualified teachers who have a degree to be awarded QTS without having to complete any further training by demonstrating that they already meet all of the Teachers’ Standards. Information for applicants can be found here.

Assessment Only (AO) route The Assessment only route to QTS: criteria and supporting advice can be found here. The Assessment Only (AO) route allows an experienced unqualified teacher with a degree to be awarded QTS without the need for any further training by demonstrating that they already meet all of the Teachers’ Standards. This route is only available to unqualified teachers who have taught in at least two schools, early years’ settings and/or further education settings. Individuals are required to apply directly to the provider approved to offer the Assessment Only (AO) route. Individual providers may have different entry criteria. However, all individuals are required to meet the Entry criteria in respect of qualifications (A1.1 GCSE standard equivalent and A1.2 Degree criteria) and suitability (A1.3 Suitability). Providers will ask a successful applicant to present detailed evidence that they meet the Teachers’ Standards. The applicant’s teaching is assessed in a school by an accredited and approved AO provider. Assessment Only (AO) trainees must be entered onto the DfE’s Trainee Teacher Portal (TTP). Providers should be aware that AO route trainees should be included in any Ofsted inspection data.

Other training options The following options offer different ways for individuals to be awarded QTS depending on their professional or academic background:

• Troops into Teaching: an undergraduate training bursary for those serving, or having served, in the armed forces. Information for applicants can be found here.

• Researchers in Schools: offer a bursary training route or a two-year course that offers a bespoke, salaried teacher training option for high-calibre candidates who have completed, or are finishing, their doctorate. Information for applicants can be found here.

• Now Teach: a programme written specifically for mature career changers and which is focused on specific secondary subjects. Information for applicants can be found here.

Chapter 7-4

• Transition to Teach: a programme for successful professionals retraining as teachers. They offer guidance throughout the training year and first year of teaching in the classroom. Information for applicants can be found here.

• Future Teaching Scholars (Maths and Physics): a six-year, full-time support package comprising undergraduate study, postgraduate employment-based teacher training and employment as a maths or physics teacher after achieving QTS. Further information is available here.

School Direct Training Programme: Lead Schools and partnerships The DfE’s School Direct: guidance for schools can be found here. School Direct (SD) is run by a partnership between a Lead School, other schools and an accredited provider (HEI or SCITT). The Lead School has to be grade 1 (outstanding) or grade 2 (good) for overall effectiveness and must be a Local Authority maintained school, special school, academy, Multi Academy Trust (MAT), free school or sixth form college. Partnerships led by outstanding schools such as Teaching Schools or MATs are encouraged. You need to decide if you want to join an existing partnership or become a Lead School yourself. You could also consider offering placements in your school to existing School Direct partnerships to gain an insight into how School Direct works. Joining an existing School Direct partnership is recommended. This is because it enables greater opportunities to share expertise, meet the employment expectation, and implement the efficient management and administration of the programme. It also brings economies of scale in negotiations with teacher training providers. If you are part of a MAT, you should consider whether to request places through your MAT’s central office rather than as an individual school. Private schools can only be Lead Schools if they are also designated Teaching Schools. In these cases:

• any places requested should benefit a wider partnership that includes state maintained schools;

• salaried trainees should be employed in a maintained school in the partnership rather than in the private school.

School Direct Lead Schools may recruit their own trainees with varying levels of provider involvement in this process. However, providers must ensure that the necessary entry requirements have been met.

Chapter 8-1

Chapter 8: Marketing Organisations of all sizes in all industries need to market their products and services to their target audience. Marketing has become an increasingly important facet of a provider’s work in the competitive marketplace providers now find themselves in and, as such, it is essential in ensuring provider viability. It is important to recognise from the outset that the financial investment made by trainees makes ITT a customer-focussed environment.

Understanding your place in the market Before you can market your offering, there are some questions for you to ask yourself:

• how are you perceived by potential applicants?

• what are your values?

• what are you Unique Selling Points (USPs)?

• do prospective applicants understand your offering?

• is your marketing reflective of your values and offering?

• who are your competitors?

• what are your strengths?

• what are you risks and how do you mitigate against them? You may find it beneficial to conduct market research to gain an accurate insight of how you are perceived. This could be in the form of a trainee graduation survey or a new trainee questionnaire.

Partnership vision and ethos

What is you partnership’s vision for ITT?

How do you want people to feel about your partnership? It is essential that your provider has its own vision for ITT and ethos as a provider, and that all staff and partners ‘buy into’ this vision and ethos. NASBTT has previously shared an example of a provider’s vision:

The Vision: Putting the pupil and the trainee at the heart of teacher education and training Preparing trainees to become outstanding teachers through inspiring training in creative school partnerships, focusing on understanding and promoting effective learning and pupil progress and developing professional expertise.

Unique Selling Points (USPs) Your partnership’s vision and ethos informs your Unique Selling Point (USP).

Chapter 8-2

A unique selling proposition, also known as unique selling point, is a factor that differentiates a product from its competitors. These can include the lowest cost, the highest quality or the first ever product of its kind. A USP could be thought of as:

“what you have that competitors don’t” A successful USP promises a clearly articulated benefit to applicants, offers them something that competitive programmes cannot or do not offer and is compelling enough to attract them to apply. In terms of ITT provision, your USP could arise from the following questions:

• What are the top reasons for applicants choosing to train with you?

• What is your employment rate?

• What is your retention rate?

• Geography: Are you the only SCITT provider in the area?

• Are you the only provider offering a specific programme or pathway?

• What is your approach to well-being/programme design/placements?

• What is your cohort size? Are you small and friendly?

• What types of school are in your partnership?

• What is your Ofsted rating? Your unique selling point should be conveyed in all of your marketing materials and communications you have with applicants, trainees, partners and stakeholders. Your values and offering should be conveyed by your words and actions.

Marketing strategy You will need to develop a marketing strategy. Understanding your ‘marketplace’ is crucial in developing your marketing strategy. This comes from collecting and analysing data; putting in place systems to do this from the outset will be very worthwhile. An analysis of enquiries can reveal a great deal about your potential market, such as gender, age, student/employment status, subject, location and, importantly, how they heard about you. This will enable you to refine your initial marketing strategy. Your initial marketing strategy will probably be based around the following:

• researching your local market: ▪ what are the specific requirements in your locality? ▪ who else is providing ITT in your area? ▪ how are you distinctive from other providers?

• understanding how your target audience is made up: ▪ where do they come from?

Undergraduates, career changers, returning mothers, TAs wishing to progress their careers.

▪ what are their backgrounds? If we know who they are, we can target them appropriately.

• reaching your audience: ▪ we all consume information in different ways

For example, a career changer may seek information through different channels to a recent graduate.

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▪ if you were considering training to become a teacher, how would you find information? One size does not fit all.

• integrating your recruitment activity to gain the biggest impact: ▪ does your strategy use different marketing tools in an integrated way to meet your local

needs and encourage applications?

• segmenting your activities: ▪ Awareness – making people know you exist and what you do/have to offer; ▪ Engagement – website visitors, enquiries, engagement with open events; ▪ Conversion – receiving an application and retaining that application.

Marketing methods How are you making people aware that you exist? You may consider the following marketing methods:

• social media pages/profiles;

• social media targeted advertising;

• blogs;

• Google AdWords advertising;

• utilising your partner schools’ newsletters and social media channels

• utilising national campaigns – Get Into Teaching (guest blog posts, trainee Q&A on Facebook and Twitter);

• local recruitment events and graduate fairs;

• university careers fairs;

• electronic information pack for your partner schools (logo and weblink to your own site)

• leaflets and holder for partner schools’ reception;

• plaque/certificate celebrating partner schools’ involvement with ITT;

• mail shot to parents – A4/A5 size single sheet with key features and date of next open event;

• banners on school fences;

• use your trainees, alumni and teachers as your brand ambassadors;

• newsletters;

• register on Google as a business – appear on map searches and Google rankings;

• branded items;

• fliers or postcards and posters;

• information pack (marketing takeaways/further information);

• provider profiles on UCAS and DfE Apply;

• press releases sharing and celebrating successes;

• outdoor advertising including bus, train stations and roadside;

• engaging with the School Experience Programme. Some forms of advertising are not always effective in terms of their relative cost. For budgeting purposes, it is suggested that you keep a record of response rates to various forms of advertising and events attended to review your return on investment and inform future marketing decisions.

The Advertising Standards Authority monitors programme marketing materials on the UCASTT website and elsewhere. Care must be taken to ensure any claims made in marketing materials can be independently substantiated.

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Engagement through your website

Your website is your most important marketing tool.

Consider if your website:

• contains relevant information;

• is clear, concise and informative;

• is it up-to-date;

• is easy to navigate/find information;

• is responsive/mobile enabled;

• includes a clear call to action - ‘find out more’, ‘apply now’, ‘attend an event’; • includes case studies (peer to peer influence).

It would be helpful for applicants if your website included links to the following information and resources:

• Get Into Teaching;

• Get Into Teaching Line: Freephone 0800 389 2500;

• DfE Find Postgraduate Teacher Training;

• UCAS Teacher Training;

• Student finance and Student Loans Company.

Converting an application One of the best marketing tools is still word of mouth and personal recommendation. Therefore, building genuine relationships is key. Remember:

• a training year will be a financial and emotional investment;

• an applicant’s experience when making enquiries, visiting your website and meeting provider representatives on the phone and in person will impact on their decision making process and how you treat them will be critical to that emotional investment with you;

• if they are kept in the dark, not handled carefully and feel as if they are not valued, they may well take up another offer.

Remember word of mouth is your most important marketing tool. If someone has a good experience, they will share this with others. Building your reputation takes time and effort but if you get this right it can be your greatest asset.

Events It may be beneficial to your programme awareness to attend recruitment fairs such as the Train to Teach events run by the DfE, and others at local universities or schools, to meet potential applicants. This can be an excellent opportunity to ‘sell’ your provision and ensure applicants are aware of the routes available and the entry requirements.

Chapter 8-5

You might also consider running your own events. Open days may attract future applicants so consider handing out promotional items such as branded pens so that they remember you; people attending such events could be some time from making an application to starting teacher training. It may be worth speaking to sixth form students who might be interested in a career in teaching before they leave for university so that they are aware of the qualifications that might be required by a provider for entering teacher training.

Resources

In addition to the information here, you might find the following resources from the DfE useful:

Initial teacher training: marketing and recruitment guide

Initial teacher training marketing resource bank

NASBTT events to support marketing your provision NASBTT runs events to support providers in marketing their provision. These include events to help providers understand the marketing basics, through to workshop sessions concentrating on digital marketing. See the events calendar for future training dates.

NASBTT’s Marketing Support If you need further supporting developing your marketing, you could utilise NASBTT’s Marketing Support service which is designed to support:

• recently accredited schools-led providers of ITT seeking to market their offering for the first time;

• established SCITT or School-Direct provision seeking to review their marketing activities;

• provision facing recruitment challenges;

• individuals who have had marketing included in their remit;

• individuals who have taken responsibility for marketing. The Marketing Support service is delivered by NASBTT’s highly experienced marketer and digital communications professional. Further information about NASBTT’s Marketing Support service can be found here.

Chapter 9-1

Chapter 9: Recruitment

The importance of a secure audit trail cannot be over-emphasised.

Developing effective procedures and processes to support recruitment is a key priority.

This chapter must be read in conjunction with C1 Entry criteria of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice.

Safer recruitment

This section must be read in conjunction with C1.3 Suitability of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice.

Schools and education settings share with others a duty to safeguard the children in their care. Implementing safer recruitment practices is one way of discharging this safeguarding obligation.

Providers are responsible for ensuring that they do not admit individuals to ITT who are not suitable to work with children and vulnerable adults.

Any staff with responsibility for shortlisting and interviewing should have up-to-date safer recruitment training. At least one individual on any recruitment panel should have up-to-date safer recruitment training. Due regard must be given to the advice and guidance on the recruitment of teachers in Keeping Children Safe in Education.

NASBTT offers ‘Safer Recruitment in Education Settings’ training which is specifically tailored for ITT. See the events calendar for future training dates.

Recruitment policy

This section must be read in conjunction with C1.3 Suitability of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice.

You must have a recruitment policy which is written, and then reviewed in subsequent years, by your governing board. Your recruitment policy will inform your whole recruitment practices and procedures with reference to ensuring that all applicants have ‘taken part in a rigorous selection process’ (C1.3 Legislation). It is vital that anyone involved in your recruitment process, including staff from partner schools, are fully aware of the recruitment policy and able to make decisions with its principles in mind. Your policy should consider the provision being offered by your partnership:

• provision: core SCITT, School Direct (fee-funded), School Direct (salaried), Apprenticeship, Assessment Only (AO);

Chapter 9-2

• phases: primary or secondary;

• subjects: secondary only;

• school type: special schools. In addition, you should also consider the following questions:

• what skills, experience and personal attributes are you looking for in your trainees as described in the person specification;

• what are your minimum entry requirements? ▪ will you accept GCSE equivalent qualifications? ▪ will you accept applications from those with GCSE qualifications pending? ▪ do you require a specific degree class? ▪ does the validating HEI for the PGCE have specific entry requirements?

• does the interview process fully reflect the partnership’s vision for ITT?

• how will you ensure that you are recruiting in a way that complies with the requirements of equality and anti-discriminatory legislation by ensuring that interview procedures promote equal opportunities and avoid discrimination?

• are you giving candidates adequate opportunities to disclose any adjustments that might need to be made to the interview process and/or programme to accommodate any disability?

• how will you offer feedback to unsuccessful applicants?

• how will you ensure that trainees and schools are appropriately matched, particularly in the case of School Direct salaried trainees and for programmes in special schools?

You should also consider the activities you want to include as part of the interview process which might include:

• teaching activities with classes or groups of children;

• presentations;

• formal interviews with panel members;

• written tests in core subjects (primary) or assessments in specialist subjects (secondary);

• a task to assess the applicant’s use of standard written English, including spelling, punctuation and grammar;

• assessment of the applicant’s fundamental proficiencies in English and mathematics. You might also score the applicant’s against non-cognitive skills at the end of the interview day:

• oral communication;

• written communication;

• relationships;

• motivation;

• self-evaluation;

• flexibility;

• sensitivity;

• enthusiasm;

• intellect;

• emotional resilience;

• professional potential. Providers should make an individual judgement about the validity of assessing applicants’ non-cognitive skills and decide whether to use them as part of the interview process. The recruitment policy should specify which staff should attend interviews and their role. The interviewing panel may include a range of staff, including headteachers, governors, partnership

Chapter 9-3

leads and school mentors. The role of the administrator should be considered to ensure the smooth running of interview days. In writing the recruitment policy, you should also consider the time scales imposed by UCASTT and DfE Apply in interviewing or rejecting applicants (40 working days) and for applicants accepting or declining offered places (10 working days once all providers have reached a decision to reject or offer a place). Providers should refer to the relevant manuals and guidance for further information.

NASBTT suggests that providers pay particular attention to UCASTT and DfE Apply information regarding time scales, making offers and for details regarding the wording and coding of offers.

Ensure that all staff involved in recruitment are aware of your recruitment policies and make all decisions in line with its principles.

Equality of opportunity

This section must be read in conjunction with the ‘Equality’ information in C1.3 Suitability of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice.

Applicants have an opportunity, as part of their application, to inform providers of any disabilities or individual needs they think they have. You should note that there is no requirement for them to do this, so the lack of information in the application should not be taken to mean that they do not have a disability or individual need. At the point of inviting applicants to interview, you should ask them whether any adjustments are required in order that they can access your interview process. Your recruitment process may vary between different programmes in order that it can be tailored to the anticipated demands of that particular programme. However, the guiding principle underpinning all recruitment activities has to be offering an equal opportunity to every applicant at every stage of the recruitment process. Although challenges to recruitment decisions are not the norm, you should expect some and, therefore, you should be readily able to demonstrate that individual applicants have been treated fairly.

The guiding principle underpinning all recruitment activities has to be offering an equal opportunity to every applicant at every stage of the recruitment process.

GCSE standard equivalent qualifications

This section must be read in conjunction with C1.1 GCSE standard equivalent of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice.

Providers must ensure that applicants have the appropriate qualifications in GCSE English and mathematics, and science for primary applicants. The provider must determine that the applicant has the standard equivalent to GCSE grade 4.

Chapter 9-4

Information on grade equivalents awarded under the new GCSE grading structure can be found here. Some applicants may not have the required GCSE qualifications at the time of applying if you have stated that you will accept applicants where GCSE qualifications are pending. Such applicants will need to sit either a GCSE exam or an equivalent qualification prior to the start of the programme. There are various companies offering equivalent qualifications with either an exam only service or a study and exam service. Providers should make a decision as to acceptable equivalent qualifications. This information should be clearly stated in the recruitment policy, the DfE ‘Find postgraduate teacher training profile’ and on the provider’s website.

The provider should confirm with its validating HEI which equivalent qualifications they will accept as some may not accept equivalencies at all or those from particular organisations.

Degree qualifications

This section must be read in conjunction with C1.2 Degree criteria of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice.

A first degree, or equivalent qualification, is an entry requirement to ITT. Providers must be assured that all applicants hold an appropriate qualification. For secondary ITT, applicants are not required to have a degree in the subject they are applying to teach. However, providers will need to be assured that their subject knowledge is sufficient to meet Teachers’ Standard 3 by the end of the programme.

The provider should confirm with its validating HEI which degree classes they will accept for entry to postgraduate study.

Overseas qualifications criteria

This section must be read in conjuction with C1.1 GCSE standard equivalent and C1.2 Degree criteria of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice.

The National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom’s website can be found here. UK NARIC is the UK’s national agency responsible for providing information, opinion and advice about worldwide vocational, academic and professional skills and qualifications. It provides advice on the equivalence of overseas qualifications and whether they can be considered to be equivalent to those required for entry to ITT. Applicants should apply to UK NARIC for information regarding the comparability (Statement of Comparability) of any overseas qualifications, preferably before making an application. It is suggested that you request a copy of the statement(s) when the application is received so that you can ensure that the applicant meets the entry criteria when you are shortlisting applications.

Chapter 9-5

Get into Teaching will provide applicants with guidance on their overseas qualifications, including a free UK NARIC statement of comparability once an application has been submitted. Further information can be found here. The DfE has published guidance to support ITT providers and applicants in making judgements about the equivalent UK degree classification of overseas qualifications. This is particularly useful in identifying the bursary an applicant may be eligible for. The guidance can be found here. NASBTT is pleased to offer members free membership to the UK NARIC Premium service, usually at a cost of £7,500 plus VAT. Members can access NARIC’s international databases helping them make accurate judgments about eligibility for entry and funding criteria. Further information on UK NARIC membership, including details on how to register for access, can be found here.

References

This section must be read in conjunction with C1.3 Suitability of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice.

References must be checked as part of the shortlisting process to ensure the applicant’s suitability. You will need to check that the referees are persons of appropriate professional standing and not relatives or friends of the applicant. References must state that the referee:

“knows of no reason why the applicant should not work with children of vulnerable adults”

If the above phrase is not stated exactly, the provider can use their discretion to ascertain whether words to an equal effect have been used. Whilst an applicant’s UCASTT application will provide you with two references, referees are under no obligation to make such a statement. If the reference does not explicitly confirm the above, safer recruitment practices dictate that these must be followed up for this confirmation to be ascertained. Therefore, you should seek additional references to ensure that you have two references which give this undertaking. In contrast, the DfE Apply service asks referees to answer yes or no to the following statement:

“Does the referee know of any reason why this candidate should not work with children?”

If a reference does not explicitly confirm that the referee “knows of no reason why the applicant should not work with children or vulnerable adults” (or words to an equal effect), safer recruitment practices dictate that these must be followed up for this confirmation to be ascertained.

Chapter 9-6

Fundamental proficiencies in English and mathematics

This section must be read in conjuction with Intellectual and academic capabilities information in C1.3 Suitability of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice.

ITT providers should consider the full range of applicants’ knowledge, skills, academic background and prior experience to judge whether they have the capability to meet the teachers’ standards in the time planned for their training. Prior to the recommendation for the award of QTS, providers must assure the trainees’ English and mathematics. Providers must assure that trainees demonstrate competence in the following areas.

Providers can take a variety of approaches to assuring themselves of trainees’ fundamental proficiencies in English and mathematics. It is the trainee’s responsibility to develop these proficiencies should any gaps be identified. Providers will want to consider at the recruitment stage whether the applicant will have sufficient time and capacity to develop these alongside the ITT programme.

Chapter 9-7

Operational aspects of recruitment Most providers will employ a staged, methodical process to recruitment. The processes described here will allow staff to identify what needs to be completed as applicants move through the recruitment journey.

DfE allocations methodology The Teacher Supply Model (TSM) estimates the number of postgraduate ITT places needed to provide qualified teachers for the state-funded teaching sector in any given year. The DfE is responsible for allocating these places to providers. Further details about the TSM and allocations for 2020-2021 can be found here. The current recruitment to most courses is unlimited allowing providers to recruit according to local need. However, places are allocated for postgraduate Physical Education (fee-funded courses only), undergraduate (all courses) and Early Years (courses leading to Early Years Teacher Status). Further details about the allocation methodology for 2020-2021 can be found here. If you have any queries regarding the allocations methodology, you should email the DfE Allocations Team.

Permission to recruit Although recruitment for most subjects is unlimited, providers are still required to specify their minimum viability and forecast sizes for their training programmes for each ITT course their partnership will offer. Providers are also required to submit three-year indicative forecast information reflecting the partnership’s plan over a longer period. This allows the DfE to ensure there is sufficient capacity within the system and informs policy moving forward. Provider-led training places are held by ITT providers (SCITTs and HEIs). School Direct and Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship places are held by Lead Schools, but requests must be submitted by the ITT provider. Further detail about requesting places for 2020-2021 can be found here.

Managing your numbers In order to ensure you are training sufficient teachers for your partnership, it will be necessary for conversations to take place with partnership schools and School Direct Lead Schools in regard to their initial thoughts of being able to host placements for the academic year a year hence; for example, conversations begin in May for programmes beginning the following September. This will enable you to prepare target numbers and set budgets for the year ahead and will ensure you do not over or under recruit. Further conversations will then be required once permission to recruit is granted, as interviews take place and as placements are agreed during the year. In addition, approved providers may also recruit for the Assessment Only (AO) route; this can take place at any point during the year.

Chapter 9-8

DfE Publish and ‘Find postgraduate teacher training’ Providers should refer to the relevant manuals and user guides to support them in navigating DfE Publish. Once permission to recruit has been received from the DfE, you will need to set up entry profiles for your courses for the coming recruitment cycle on DfE Publish so that they appear in ‘Find postgraduate teacher training’. The entry profiles are extremely important in promoting your programmes and, alongside your website, they are your main marketing tool. As such, it is necessary to make them ‘stand out’ from those of other providers, whilst ensuring that the information is specific, current and accurate.

The Advertising Standards Authority monitors programme marketing materials on ‘Find postgraduate teacher training’ and elsewhere. Care must be taken to ensure any claims made in marketing materials can be independently substantiated.

See the chapter on marketing for further information on marketing your provision. You will need to set programmes to run and close as appropriate.

Managing initial enquiries Although fielding initial enquiries can be a time-consuming task, the initial contact between a potential applicant and the provider is an important public relations opportunity for the provider and a significant aspect of the administrator’s role. Carefully handled at this stage, the enquiry can save considerable time later as applicants are fully informed. Providers may wish to prepare a crib sheet for all staff who respond to enquiries, either by telephone or by email. Such a crib sheet could include information about:

• the provider, including location and experience of ITT;

• the phases (primary/secondary) and/or subjects (secondary only) offered;

• the different programmes offered, including SCITT, School Direct Training Programme (fee-funded), School Direct Training Programme (salaried) and Apprenticeships;

• Lead Schools for School Direct;

• programme outlines;

• the entry requirements, particularly in relation to GCSEs (C1.1) and the first degree (C1.2);

• qualifications commonly accepted as equivalent to GCSE (C1.1);

• verifying any overseas qualifications with UK NARIC;

• fundamental proficiencies in English and mathematics;

• the award on completion of the programme (QTS);

• details of any academic qualifications (postgraduate or professional graduate) included;

• the course fees;

• financial support available from the Student Loans Company (SLC);

• bursaries and scholarships available for eligible trainees;

• the application process via UCASTT or DfE Apply, including references, the three simultaneous applications, Apply 2, the application fee and the time scales for providers dealing with applications;

• interviews;

Chapter 9-9

• useful websites or phone numbers:

• Get Into Teaching

• Get Into Teaching Line: Freephone 0800 389 2500

• DfE’s ‘Find postgraduate teacher training’ • UCAS Teacher Training

• Student finance and the Student Loans Company

• UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA), helpful for overseas applicants understanding student finance eligibility

• a contact name and contact details for further questions;

• details of your own website. You may wish to refer potential applicants to the UCASTT guidance on writing the personal statement and references for teaching to ensure quality applications are received. It would also be useful to remind potential applicants to seek permission from their two referees before naming them on their application form; experience tells us that references often delay applications being received. You might also wish to remind applicants that you will not receive their application until the two references have been completed and the application fee paid. You may also wish to inform applicants that, with the exception of Physical Education, they will be entitled to personalised support from the Teacher Training Adviser service through the DfE’s Get Into Teaching service. For applicants for Physical Education, support is available from the Get into Teaching service’s agents via Freephone 0800 389 2500 or their online chat service. Providers may wish to refer potential applicants to their own website for further information or forward an information pack or brochure to the applicant by post or email including details about the provider, the training programmes on offer and details of the application process.

Preparing templates for administration, interviews and letters Once the recruitment policy has been written, or reviewed, the necessary administrative paperwork, interview paperwork and letters to be sent to applicants at all stages of the recruitment process should be written or amended, being mindful of promoting equality of opportunity for all applicants. Templates, including guidance for the interview panel, should be prepared for all programmes and all aspects of the recruitment process including any activities, observations and interview questions; this will save a considerable amount of time later when the recruitment cycle begins.

Whilst providers can purely use UCASTT and DfE Apply to inform applicants of rejection and offers, good practice suggests that personalised letters to applicants are preferable; think again about the customer-focussed environment.

Receiving applications

All applications for SCITT and School Direct programmes must be received via UCASTT or DfE Apply to ensure equality of opportunity for all applicants.

Providers should be aware that applicants can make three simultaneous applications in the first round of applications; all three applications will be considered at the same time by all three providers. For applicants unsuccessful in the first round, subsequent applications are made to one provider at a time in Apply 2.

Chapter 9-10

Providers will receive notifications of new applications that have been received. These should be downloaded, and printed if required.

You must ensure that you consider data protection in the storage of electronic and printed application forms.

It would be good practice to acknowledge applications by email as they are received being mindful of the customer-focussed environment in which you are working. This also allows you to establish a personalised channel of communication with the applicant. This acknowledgement might also include reference to the time scale of 40 working days which providers have to interview applicants successful at shortlisting.

Managing applications You should record details of applications received on a database; this will enable you to maintain an overview of applicants and where they are in the recruitment journey and produce any information or data that may be required for meetings or self-evaluation purposes. It is suggested that you include the following fields in your database to facilitate recruitment and future programme administration for any successful applicants

• name (title, first name, surname and preferred name);

• address;

• telephone numbers (home and mobile);

• programme applied for (SCITT, School Direct Training Programme (fee-funded), School Direct Training Programme (salaried) or Apprenticeship);

• phase (primary/secondary);

• subject (secondary only);

• disability (yes/no) and details if a disability has been declared including any special/access requirements required for interview;

• date application received;

• proceed to interview following shortlisting (yes/no);

• interview date;

• interview accepted/declined;

• interview result (place offered/applicant rejected). Further information on the data that will be required for trainees on programme can be found here.

Shortlisting

Any staff with responsibility for shortlisting should have up-to-date safer recruitment training. Due regard must be given to the advice and guidance on the recruitment of teachers in Keeping Children Safe in Education.

Providers have 40 working days in which to interview any applicants successful at shortlisting. If the applicant has not been rejected or offered a place within this time, the applicant will be ‘Rejected by Default’ (RBD).

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You should initially check applications received to ensure that they have been completed correctly and contact applicants for queries about any information missing from the application form. You are also required to ensure that the entry requirements have been met regarding the qualification requirements (GCSE standard equivalent qualifications and degree qualifications). You should note any declaration of disability. Applications should then be subject to the provider’s own shortlisting criteria according to their recruitment policy. Applications should be considered by the relevant decision makers. References must be checked as part of the shortlisting process. Further information on checking references can be found here. The provider’s shortlisting paperwork or proforma for recording the outcome of shortlisting should be completed during the shortlisting process. Applicants should be informed of the outcome of shortlisting by either being rejected or being invited to interview. The relevant application portal (UCASTT or DfE Apply) should be updated indicating the provider’s decision.

All offers and rejections must be recorded on the relevant application portal (UCASTT or DfE Apply)

At each stage of the recruitment process, the relevant application portal (UCASTT or DfE Apply) should be updated accordingly to keep applicants informed of your decisions.

Preparing for interviews A considerable amount of organisation is required to ensure the smooth running of any interview day, particularly where a number of applicants have been invited to attend. Partnership staff will need to liaise closely with the hosting school and the interviewing panel to ensure that the day is planned and organised effectively. Much can be done to ease the burden of the interview day itself by the making of efficient arrangements well in advance to:

• identify a host school;

• set a mutually convenient date;

• book the venue to include the appropriate number of rooms, refreshments, lunch and any equipment required;

• arrange the staffing and interview panel;

• prepare the schedule for the day, building in discussion and review time for the interview panel;

• prepare any paperwork required by the applicants;

• prepare files for the interviewing panel, including the application forms and the required interview paperwork;

• prepare the administrative paperwork, including any proformas for recording qualifications and score sheets;

• ensure that the interview procedures promote equality of opportunity and avoid discrimination.

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The provider’s recruitment policy will have specified which staff should attend interviews and their role. The interviewing panel may include a range of staff, including headteachers, governors, partnership leads, subject leaders and school mentors. Partnership staff should prepare a file for each applicant invited to interview to include, at this stage, the application form. The applicant’s identity documentation, certificates, interview paperwork and any tasks completed at interview can be added on the interview day. For successful applicants, this file can then be used to ensure that all checks have been administered and signed off prior to the start of the programme.

Inviting applicants to interview Partnership staff should invite any applicants successful at shortlisting to interview. Invites should include:

• the date, time and location of the interview;

• a programme for the day;

• details of any activities and tasks to be completed on the day;

• information of any documentation that the applicant should bring with them such as identity documents, certificates and photographs;

• a request to inform the provider of any special arrangements that may be required in relation to any declaration of disability.

It is also useful to advise applicants at this point of the implications of travel once on the programme. Sometimes, it is possible in the letter inviting applicants to interview to identify particular areas in which placements are likely to be made; this is particularly true later in the recruitment cycle when you will know more specifically the schools in which applicants might be placed. Letters should ask applicants to confirm their attendance at interview. This will allow you to invite additional applicants to interview if an applicant declines an interview.

At interview

At least one person on any recruitment panel should have up-to-date safer recruitment training. Due regard must be given to the advice and guidance on the recruitment of teachers in Keeping Children Safe in Education.

During the interview day, a member of staff should be allocated to:

• ensure equality of opportunity for all applicants;

• ensure the smooth running of the day;

• welcome applicants;

• check identity documentation and qualification certificates;

• administer the relevant selection tasks;

• support the interviewing panel by ensuring that the appropriate paperwork is available. Application materials should be issued to the interviewing panel at the start of the interview day. You should collect all application materials and interview paperwork from all members of the

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interviewing panel at the end of the interviews to ensure data protection. You must also ensure that all interview paperwork, including notes, are retained for feedback and any possible appeals.

Ensure that all application materials and interview paperwork from all members of the interview panel are returned to the relevant person at the end of the interviews to ensure data protection.

At the end of the interview day, you should complete the relevant score sheets. Discussions should take place with all members of the interviewing panel to decide which applicants should be offered places and which should be rejected. You may want to make some additional notes regarding the conditions of any offers, such as the need to undertake a Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) course, or information that might be useful for feedback. The interview is also a useful opportunity to glean information which might be helpful later when deciding on placements for trainees. Informal questions can be asked about the applicant’s ability to drive, whether they have the use of a car, any relationships the applicant has with staff, governors or pupils in your locality, and whether they have any holidays planned. It should be explained that their answers will not affect their application but will be helpful in assisting you if you decide to offer a place.

Verifying identification documentation At the interview day, you must verify the applicant’s original identity documentation to establish the applicant’s true identity. You may also ask the applicant to bring copies of these documents with them for you to retain; you should initial and date these copies to say that you have seen the original documents and may write ‘certified to be a true copy of the original seen by [name]’ on the copy. You should destroy the copied documentation for any applicants unsuccessful at interview. Some of the identity documents seen at the interview day may be used to complete the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at a later date for successful applicants; however, it may be necessary to see additional documents if the applicant changes their name, moves or provides a document that has to be dated within a specific period of time such as an utility bill. See the information on Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks for further information on the documentation required for completing DBS checks. These are some points to remember when verifying identity documentation:

• you must only accept valid, current and original documentation;

• you must not accept photocopies to establish the true identity;

• you must not accept documentation printed from the internet, for example bank statements;

• you should, in the first instance, seek documents with photographic identity, and compare these against the applicant’s likeness;

• all documents must be in the applicant’s current name; • you must ensure that the applicant declares all previous name changes, and provides

documentary proof to support the name change(s);

• at least one document must confirm the applicant’s date of birth;

• you must see at least one document to confirm the applicant’s current address. The original identity documentation that you are verifying may have some specific security features which will help determine its authenticity. Information on checking driving licences, passports, photo driving licenses, birth certificates, EU photo identity cards, HM Forces ID cards,

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firearms licences, biometric residence permits and other types of identity documents can be found here. Providers should always check for signs of tampering when verifying identity documents. Documents should be queried if they display any signs of damage, especially in the areas of personal details such as the name and the photograph. Your DBS lead counter signatory may be able to provide training on verifying original identification documentation.

Verifying qualification certificates

C1.2 Degree criteria ITT providers should view original certificates in order to validate an applicant’s degree status. However, they should exercise discretion for recent graduates where there is a delay in receiving the original certificate. In these cases, providers should obtain written confirmation from the relevant degree-awarding institution that the applicant has achieved graduate status. Providers should view the original certificate as soon as it is available. In cases where an original certificate is no longer available, providers must gain assurance of graduate status and must keep an audit trail of the evidence obtained.

At the interview day, you must verify the applicant’s original GCSE and degree certificates. You may ask the applicant to bring copies of these certificates with them for you to retain; you should initial and date these copies to say that you have seen the original documents and may write ‘certified to be a true copy of the original seen by [name]’ on the copy. You should destroy the copied documentation for any applicants unsuccessful at interview. You must ask to see all qualification certificates, not just the required GCSE and first degree certificates, in relation to misrepresentation. Qualifications should be matched to the application form. For applicants who are still studying and are in their final year of study, you should request confirmation from the degree provider stating the predicted grades.

Providers should be aware that there is reported to be a growing number of instances of misrepresentation and forgery in the production and reporting of degree results and other academic qualifications. Academic qualifications have gained increasing commercial value, whilst modern technology and the rise of the internet have undoubtedly contributed to the wide-spread trend of educational fraud and fake degrees.

The original certificates that you are verifying may have some specific security features which will help determine its authenticity. These include:

• official stamps/official seals: degree certificates come with official seals or stamps. These may be embossed, stamped or raised seals;

• paper quality: what is the paper quality of the certificate?

• fonts: the majority of degree certificates do not use more than three or four font styles;

• alignment: degree certificates are generally aligned down the centre of the page;

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• handwriting: if there is handwriting on the certificate, there should generally be no more than one style of handwriting. There should be no alterations or corrections on the document;

• signatures: signatures should not be pixelated; this would indicate that they have been taken from websites or scanned from other documents;

• informal or inaccurate language: the language used on degree certificates is very formal; read the text carefully and ensure that it makes sense and that the correct grammar has been used;

• awarding bodies: can the institution in question award that given qualification? Is the institution accredited?

You might find the following documents from UK NARIC useful:

How to spot fraudulent education documents and fake degrees

Fraud: a growing problem in education, and how to guard against it The Higher Education Degree Datacheck (HEDD) is the UK Higher Education’s official service for candidate verification and university authentication. It provides enquirers with the ability to verify a candidate’s academic credentials or authenticate a university or college in the United Kingdom. The remit of the service is to protect UK universities, employers and graduates from degree fraud. Further information on HEDD’s services can be found here. Applicants may have lost their original GCSE certificates and you may need to advise them on how to request a certified statement of results from the relevant examining board.. Useful information can be found here. A school’s exam officer might also be a useful source for this information. It would be particularly useful to remind applicants that they will require their certificates for future interviews as they apply for qualified teacher posts.

Following up interviews: informing applicants of rejection or offer Once the interviewing panel has agreed the outcomes of the interviews, there will be a number of tasks to complete. You should write to applicants informing them of the decision following interview: that they have either been unsuccessful or that they have been successful and will be offered a place on the programme. For those applicants who have been successful, this stage in the process should be seen as smoothing the transition process as applicants become trainees.

At each stage of the recruitment process, the relevant application portal (UCASTT or DfE Apply) should be updated accordingly to keep applicants informed of your decisions.

A letter, email or phone call informing an applicant that they have been unsuccessful at interview may do no more than inform the applicant that they have been rejected. Some providers offer an opportunity for unsuccessful applicants to request and receive feedback. A letter to a successful applicant should offer them a place on the programme and state clearly the nature of the conditions of the offer. The offer letter should make clear that the offer is conditional and dependent upon certain conditions being met. All offers are conditional upon:

• all suitability checks related to safeguarding;

• Occupational Health check;

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• satisfactory references;

• original certificates for GCSE, or equivalent qualifications, in English and mathematics, and science for primary trainees, at grade 4 or above;

• original certificate for a UK first degree, or equivalent. In addition, the offer might also be conditional upon the completion of specified qualifications at the required level, for example an SKE course. Any communication which could be deemed to form a ‘contract’ with the trainee should state that whilst a trainee is suitable to train with you, they may not necessarily be suitable for employment. You should advise the applicant of their next steps in terms of the time period of ten working days to accept an offer once all of their choices have either offered a place or rejected their application. Applicants can decide to accept any offer that is made to them prior to their other choices either rejecting their application or offering them a place; however, providers must not pressure applicants in to accepting any offer. Remember, an offer can still be accepted once it has been ‘Declined by Default’ (DBD) if the applicant has not accepted the offer within ten working days with the agreement of the provider although the applicant must contact UCASTT or DfE Apply to do this. It would also be advisable to include brief details of the following in the offer letter:

• fundamental proficiencies in English and mathematics;

• programme dates;

• fees and student finance;

• training bursaries and scholarships;

• when the Disclosure and Barring (DBS) check will be instigated.

The relevant application portal (UCASTT or DfE Apply) should be updated to show that a place has been offered. Providers should refer to the relevant manuals and user guides regarding the wording and coding of offers. Conditions of the offer made in the application portal must match the offer letter.

The offer letter may ask the applicant to accept the offer in writing. Administrators should check the relevant application portal (UCASTT or DfE Apply) for confirmation that offers have either been accepted or declined.

Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) courses An introduction to Subject Knowledge Enhancement can be found here. An overview and directory of Subject Knowledge Enhancement courses can be found here. Information for applicants on Subject Knowledge Enhancement courses can be found here. A provider may ask an applicant to take an SKE course if it feels that the applicant has the right qualities to become a teacher, but thinks that they need to complete additional subject training first because they:

• have a degree that is not in the chosen training subject, but was in a closely related subject;

• studied the subject at A Level, but not at degree level;

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• have the relevant professional experience, and an SKE course would show them how to apply that to the curriculum and their teaching.

Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) courses allow applicants to build upon or refresh their existing subject knowledge. Providers should note that the entry criteria does not require trainees to have a degree in a particular subject (C1.2 Degree criteria). SKE courses are available in the following subjects:

Maths; Physics; Languages; Chemistry; Computing; Biology; Geography; English; Religious Education; Design and Technology; Primary Maths.

SKE courses are available all over England at universities, schools or third parties such as Science Learning Centres. Courses can be completed before the teacher training programme commences or in parallel with some or all of the training programme dependent on the provider’s requirements. SKE course length depends on the applicant’s needs; from eight-week ‘refresher’ or ‘booster’ programmes, through to more extensive 28-week courses. Study can be:

• full-time classroom-based study;

• part-time and evening/weekend study;

• delivered online;

• be a combination of these approaches. SKE courses are fully funded so there are no tuition fees for the applicant, and they could be eligible for a training bursary of £200 per week to support them throughout the course. The SKE provider may pay applicants directly or the provider may be required to apply for the funding and administer this themself.

Section 3

Section 3:

Trainee Journey

Chapter 10: Pre-Programme Administration

Chapter 11: Registration

Chapter 12: On Programme Administration

Chapter 13: Exit from the Programme

Chapter 14: Supporting and Tracking NQTs and Previous Trainees

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Chapter 10: Pre-Programme Administration

The importance of a secure audit trail cannot be over-emphasised.

Once an applicant accepts a place on any of your programmes, it is important to maintain communication with them on a regular basis. Maintaining communication will encourage an open dialogue with the trainee such that any issues or problems are brought to your attention as soon as possible which will hopefully allow both parties to find a solution. Between accepting a place and the start of the programme, the trainee should know that no question or problem is too small. This will ensure that the trainee feels welcomed and is kept informed of what is required of them at any particular time. You could consider newsletters, an online forum, welcome events or emails which contain regular snippets of information or reminders phrased as ‘If you haven’t already done so, don’t forget to …’. This is an important phase of preparation prior to the start of the programme. Staff will play an important role in liaising with trainees, forwarding documentation to them and collating returns. Staff are also responsible for ensuring that, prior to the start of the programme:

• all relevant checks have been completed;

• all conditions of the offer have been met.

Trainee administration database Once an applicant has accepted a place on the programme, you should add their details to your administration database. You may be able to use information from the database completed as part of the recruitment process. The database can also be used as a checklist to ensure that all documentation is returned, checks completed and conditions met. This will also facilitate completion of the Trainee Teacher Portal (TTP) at the start of the programme. Further information on the trainee information that will be required can be found here. At the same time, you should set up two files for each trainee:

• a personnel file including the application form, interview paperwork, qualification certificates and evidence of safeguarding checks;

• a training file, which may be electronic, to which details of current progress against your ITT curriculum, end of term assessments and other evidence, as relevant, will be added during the programme.

Pre-programme letters You might send a formal letter to trainees reminding them of any key tasks that they need to complete. Such a letter may include:

• a reminder of the conditions of the offer that need to be satisfied, and by when;

• information regarding the enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check;

• information regarding the Occupational Health questionnaire;

• requirements for meeting the fundamental proficiencies in English and mathematics;

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• student finance information, including the course code to use when applying for student finance;

• a BACS form regarding the payment of any bursary or scholarship, if appropriate. As well as these formal requirements, it might be useful to include:

• information on any induction event for trainees;

• feedback from the interview;

• pre-programme tasks to be completed;

• a reading list;

• support materials and useful websites;

• details of any essential materials, resources or clothing required (this may make reference to your dress code);

• a programme calendar;

• contact details for key personnel. For salaried programmes, you should ensure that both trainees and schools are aware of the safer recruitment and pre-employment checks that must be completed by the employing school prior to the start of the programme.

Safeguarding

This section must be read in conjunction with C1.3 Suitability of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice.

Providers must ensure that all trainees have been subject to the appropriate pre-selection checks.

Providers are responsible for ensuring that they do not admit individuals to ITT who are not suitable to working with children and vulnerable adults. Providers must ensure that all entrants have been subject to an enhanced DBS check with list checks, including a check of the children’s barred list, and they should keep records showing that a disclosure has been obtained for every trainee.

Providers must maintain a single central record of pre-appointment checks for all trainees. Further information can be found in Keeping Children Safe in Education, paragraphs 148-155.

NASBTT and UCET have provided guidance on DBS and child protection issues relating to ITT trainees. This guidance can be found here.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks

This section must be read in conjunction with the ‘Disclosure and Barring Service checks’ information in C1.3 Suitability of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice.

The Disclosure and Barring Service’s website can be found here.

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The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) helps employers make safer recruitment decisions and prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups, including children. The responsibility for undertaking the enhanced DBS check varies according to the trainee’s route into teaching. The accredited provider must complete the enhanced DBS check for all trainees on tuition fee programmes, SCITT and School Direct Training Programme (fee-funded). The fact that a suitable clearance has been obtained should be reported to any placement school; the clearance number cannot be reported to the school. For trainees on salaried programmes, the School Direct Training Programme (salaried) and Apprenticeships, as well as those undertaking the AO route, the enhanced DBS check must be undertaken by the employing school and confirmation of the suitable clearance reported to the accredited provider.

NASBTT strongly advise that all trainees sign up to the DBS Update Service. Where they have not done so, NASBTT strongly recommends that there be no more than three months between the enhanced DBS clearance date and the commencement of the programme. Take care with DBS checks initiated earlier than the start of June.

In applying for enhanced DBS clearance, the provider should follow the procedures of their single legal entity. Most single legal entities will be part of an umbrella body, a registered body that gives access to DBS checks, through which applications are made and clearance received. The DBS certificate is sent directly to the applicant. Whilst the provider may be able to check the results of the DBS check online, NASBTT recommends that the provider sees the original certificate at the start of the programme. For salaried trainees, the provider must ensure that the enhanced DBS check has been completed; the employing school should be asked to confirm that all of the necessary safeguarding checks have been completed and are suitable. The provider cannot see the DBS certificate for any salaried trainees. Where cautions or convictions are returned on the enhanced DBS check, it is useful to have a sub-committee of partnership headteachers who will with, and as part of, the single legal entity decide on whether the applicant can be admitted to the programme. Whilst some convictions would automatically exclude an individual’s ability to work with children, others are at the discretion of an employing headteacher; in the case of entry to a programme of ITT, the panel take the place of the employing headteacher. Once approval has been given by that sub-committee, no further information collected as part of the DBS clearance may be shared. In the highly unlikely case that DBS clearance has not been received in time for the start of the programme, providers should ensure that trainees are ‘appropriately supervised and that all other checks, including a separate barred list check, have been completed’ (C1.3 Suitability, ITT criteria and supporting advice).

Reminder: There are strict rules about how clearance data should be stored and can be communicated to others.

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Overseas checks

This section must be read in conjunction with ‘Other background checks’ information in C1.3 Suitability of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice.

Candidates who have lived or worked outside the UK must undergo the same checks as all other staff in schools and colleges. In addition, further checks should be carried out so that events that occurred outside the UK can be considered. The Home Office has published guidance on criminal record checks for overseas applicants.

In addition, Keeping Children Safe in Education states:

Individuals who have lived or worked outside the UK 156. Individuals who have lived or worked outside the UK must undergo the same checks as all other staff in schools or colleges. In addition, schools and colleges must make any further checks they think appropriate so that any relevant events that occurred outside the UK can be considered. The Home Office guidance on criminal records checks for overseas applicants can be found on GOV.UK. These further checks should include a check for information about any teacher sanction or restriction that an EEA professional regulating authority has imposed, using the TRA Teacher Services’ system. See paragraph 134 for further information on using this service. Although restrictions imposed by another EEA regulating authority do not prevent a person from taking up teaching positions in England, schools and colleges should consider the circumstances that led to the restriction or sanction being imposed when considering a candidate’s suitability for employment. 157. Some overseas qualified teachers can apply to the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) for the award of qualified teacher status (QTS) in England. More information about this is available here. Keeping Children Safe in Education, September 2019, paragraphs 156-157

This leaves the onus on the school to set their own policy. Unfortunately, the government are unlikely to ever set statutory guidance on overseas checks because there is such a wide variability across the world. Providers need to be hyper-vigilant when accepting people from overseas and follow as many vetting avenues as possible. Generic Home Office advice on obtaining overseas criminal record certificates for UK visas asks that criminal record certificates are obtained for any country (excluding the UK) where an individual has lived for 12 months or more (whether continuous or in total) in the ten years before the application, while aged 18 or over. However, NASBTT advice is that for individuals wanting to work with children, greater scrutiny should be given to time spent overseas than the generic advice would suggest. Therefore, NASBTT suggests that every effort is made to obtain overseas criminal record checks for any country in which an individual has spent three months or more in the last ten years. Should it not be possible to obtain information to confirm the professional ‘standing’ of a teacher, the school may be willing to accept alternative information that is provided in order they can determine suitability, for example, references/testimonials, criminal record information, self-declaration on professional standing. However, this would be a matter for discussion between the individual and the school.

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Should it not be possible for the applicant to obtain information that would usually be required by a school, the school may consider that it is reasonable to decide the individual has taken all possible steps to secure the necessary information and that other information provided is sufficient to demonstrate suitability to be employed. However, this would be for the school to determine.

Prohibition order check

This section must be read in conjunction with ‘Other background checks’ information in C1.3 Suitability of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice.

In addition to the enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) criminal records check and children’s barred list information, all trainees must undergo a prohibition order check which ensures that the trainee is not prohibited from teaching. This requirement has been statutory since 3rd April 2014.

C1.3 Suitability Providers and employers must check that candidates are not:

• subject to a prohibition order issued by the Secretary of State • prohibited to teach in another country of the European Economic Area (EEA)

The lists of prohibited teachers is on the Teacher Services System.

Prohibitions, directions, sanctions and restrictions Secretary of State teacher prohibition, and interim prohibition, orders53 54 126. Teacher prohibition and interim prohibition, orders prevent a person from carrying out teaching work55 in schools, sixth form colleges, 16 to 19 academies, relevant youth accommodation and children's homes in England. A person who is prohibited must not be appointed to a role that involves teaching work (see footnote 51).

127. Teacher prohibition orders are made by the Secretary of State following consideration by a professional conduct panel convened by the TRA. Pending such consideration, the Secretary of State may issue an interim prohibition order if it is considered to be in the public interest to do so. The TRA’s role in making prohibition orders and the process used to impose them are described in more detail in its publication Teacher Misconduct: The Prohibition of Teachers.

51 Section 9, Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006. 54 The School Staffing (England) Regulations 2009, the Non-Maintained Special Schools (England) Regulations 2015 and the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 require governing bodies or proprietors (of schools and sixth form colleges) to check that a person to be appointed is not subject to an interim prohibition order. By virtue of their Conditions of Funding in respect of funding received from the Education and Skills Funding Agency, before employing a person to carry out teaching work in relation to children, colleges must take reasonable steps to establish whether that person is subject to a prohibition order made under section 141B of the Education Act 2002.

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55 The Teachers’ Disciplinary (England) Regulations 2012 define teaching work as: planning and preparing lessons and courses for pupils; delivering lessons to pupils; assessing the development, progress and attainment of pupils; and reporting on the development, progress and attainment of pupils. These activities are not teaching work for the purposes of these Regulations if the person carrying out the activity does so (other than for the purposes of induction) subject to the direction and supervision of a qualified teacher or other person nominated by the head teacher to provide such direction and supervision.

Keeping Children Safe in Education, September 2019, paragraphs 126-127

The prohibition order check is different to the children’s barred list information operated by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Therefore, trainees will require:

• an enhanced DBS check;

• a barred list check;

• a prohibition order check. The prohibition order check must be completed as part of the pre-selection checks; a record must be kept and placement schools notified in a similar way to the DBS and barred list clearance. The DfE maintains the database, Teacher Services System, of all teachers eligible to teach in the maintained sector in England. If your single legal entity is a school, it will probably already be registered to use Teacher Services System. If the single legal entity is not registered, it can register for this free service which enables employers and potential employers to view the record of any teacher with QTS or any teacher with an active restriction. Further information about the prohibition order is included in NASBTT and UCET’s guidance on DBS and child protection issues relating to Initial Teacher Training (ITT) trainees. This guidance can be found here.

Childcare disqualification

This section must be read in conjunction with the ‘Childcare disqualification’ information in C1.3 Suitability of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice.

Providers should have regard to the Disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006 statutory guidance, which came into force on 31st August 2018, and related obligations under the Childcare Act 2006. Providers should ensure that fee-funded trainees are not disqualified from childcare or that they have obtained a childcare disqualification waiver from Ofsted. For salaried trainees, it is the responsibility of the school to ensure that trainees comply with the legislation and should advise the provider if they are or become disqualified from a childcare role.

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Prevent duty guidance

This section must be read in conjunction with C3.3 Legislation of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice.

Statutory guidance on the Prevent duty can be found here. The Prevent duty is an extension of the provider’s safeguarding duties. In February 2015, it became a statutory responsibility for schools and other public organisations to:

‘show due regard for the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism’. Terrorism is using violence against individuals, groups or property to send a message. The Prevent duty is about how we would deal with and report on any concerns. This does not include challenging any individual's community, faith, culture or beliefs.

Health and physical capacity to train to teach

This section must be read in conjunction with ‘Health and physical capacity to train to teach’ information in C1.3 Suitability of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice.

ITT providers have a responsibility to ensure that trainees have ‘the health and physical capacity to train to teach and will not put children and young people at risk of harm’ and that ‘only trainees who have the capacity to teach remain on the programme’ (C1.3 Suitability, ITT criteria and supporting advice) whilst meeting the expectations of the Equality Act 2010 in relation to the offer of reasonable adjustment(s). The Occupational Health process should be used to determine the adjustment(s) a trainee might need in order to fulfil the typical demands of the teaching role they are to undertake. A health questionnaire should be sent to all tuition fee trainees by the provider. Providers should ensure that the questionnaire is completed by all trainees. Trainees must inform the provider of any medical changes pre-programme and whilst on the programme during their training. Salaried trainees are subject to the appointment procedures of their employing school, who should confirm completion of all checks with the provider. The health questionnaire is usually the Occupational Health (OH) form of the single legal entity. If this is the process employed for Occupational Health checks, the single legal entity’s procedures should be followed. NASBTT has worked with Corazon Health to offer an Occupational Health process specifically designed to determine the adjustment(s) a trainee might need in order to fulfil the typical demands of the teaching role they are to undertake. The use of a single Occupational Health provider offers consistency of assessment, which is important in preventing contradictory judgements, across different ITT providers, but also means that economies of scale have enabled NASBTT to negotiate a heavily discounted rate.

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Members can find the guidance and specific information about the services with Corazon Health, including information on how to register, here. In advance of the programme, and as part of the Occupational Health process, it is essential that each applicant has the opportunity to make a declaration of need. Applicants should be aware that such information will be treated confidentially but on the basis of need as some staff will need to be informed in order for them to be supported during their training. At the commencement of the programme, a member of the provider’s staff should be identified to be the point of initial contact for all trainees in respect of meeting their individual needs, which is wider than just disability or individual need. All trainees indicating a need should have the opportunity of a private conversation with the identified member of staff. Thereafter, that member of staff should be responsible for ensuring that the needs of all such trainees are monitored and met. This should ensure that no trainee can later claim their failure to progress is due to a need that you should have known about. Where a specific disability has been diagnosed, a process to determine the extent of the disability and the needs to be met should be undertaken. Trainees diagnosed with recognised disabilities should be fully supported in line with the provider’s policy and the relevant legislation. The OIA’s Good Practice Framework: Supporting disabled students gives useful guidance around the expectations of provision; you should note that this is about the provision for students – not the specific expectations required for teachers. In cases where a disability is quite severe, the individual can expect support which could be expected to follow through into employment. Where that is not the case, a judgement should be applied as to how much support you should give bearing in mind that the trainee will have to operate on their own in the classroom in the future.

It is important where reasonable adjustments are made to enable trainees to meet the QTS requirements it is made clear in writing that you are unable to guarantee that a future employer will be able to continue to provide the same adjustments you have offered.

Student finance Please refer to the information on student finance and Higher Education Portal (HEP) Services for student finance for further information.

Arranging school placements The ITT criteria requires all trainees to have placements in two schools (C2.4 Two schools). You will need to arrange school placements for trainees and this will need very significant planning as you consider the specific individual needs that were identified at interview. There is a continuing emphasis on placements being contrasting, and of trainees experiencing challenge. In practice, this may have a real impact on the travel that trainees must undertake. You should also consider that it might be inappropriate to place a trainee in a particular school which the trainee’s own or relatives’ children may attend, or where the trainee has a relationship with any staff or governors. As referred to in the recruitment policy section, providers should consider the following question:

Chapter 10-9

• how will you ensure that trainees and schools are appropriately matched, particularly in the case of School Direct salaried trainees and for programmes in special schools?

The task of arranging school placements, both main placements and second school placements, should be started well in advance, and ideally no later than the end of the spring term for main placements. Be aware that whilst schools may have agreed to host placements earlier in the year, changes in a school’s Ofsted status and personnel can affect a school’s ability to host placements and negotiations may be required. At this stage, it would be useful to reiterate to the school the requirements in hosting placements, such as mentoring, completing observations and attending training and/or meetings. You will need to negotiate placements with schools, clarifying which Key Stages/age ranges/year groups trainees will be placed in and ensure that appropriate mentors are in place. Once all placements have been confirmed, the school placements should be confirmed with the schools and the trainees. Obviously, trainees will be anxious to know their school placements in order to be fully prepared and to make the necessary practical arrangements. Letters or emails to trainees should include a named contact at the school. It would be good practice for the trainee to meet the mentor prior to the start of the programme so that the mentor may set pre-programme tasks for the trainee to complete which may relate to any interview feedback. Some schools might also like to invite trainees to any school induction events planned for new staff. Salaried trainees should be appointed by the employing school.

Trainee induction events Induction events are also a good opportunity for partnership staff to see any outstanding documentation and speak to trainees about any outstanding commitments. It is important to follow up any trainees who were unable to attend the induction events so that these trainees are prepared for the start of the programme. You could consider buddying them with another trainee who was able to attend. You may wish to follow up your induction events with newsletters, an online forum, other social events or emails which contain regular snippets of information or reminders phrased as ‘If you haven’t already done so, don’t forget to …’.

Mentor training Providers may wish to plan staff induction events so that mentors are prepared to receive trainees at the start of term in September. You may wish to consider how you will communicate the following areas:

• programme requirements;

• expectation of the mentoring role;

• lesson observation training;

• triangulation of evidence to demonstrate progress;

• programme documentation;

• channels of communication;

• support from the provider.

Chapter 10-10

You might also refer to elements covered at the trainee induction events and even provide the resources for the mentor’s reference. It is vitally important to follow up any mentors who were unable to attend the mentor training so that these mentors are also prepared to receive their trainees at the start of the programme.

Welcome letter At the end of the summer term in July, providers may wish to send a welcome letter or email to trainees. Such correspondence might include:

• details of any outstanding commitments to be met prior to the start of the programme;

• reminders of any tasks to be completed prior to the start of the programme;

• details of the documentation that will need to be seen on the first day of the programme, such as the DBS clearance certificate and the SLC confirmation letter;

• the programme for the first week of the programme in September, including details of any training;

• details of how to contact you over the summer if there are any questions or problems. Trainees do sometimes have important questions or concerns during the summer; it would be good practice for a member of staff to be available for trainees to contact with any urgent questions.

Letters for trainees Trainees will probably need various letters confirming their attendance on the programme. It is useful to prepare a template for these in advance of the start of the programme. It should include the term ‘full time’ and the beginning and end dates of the programme. Trainees will also need a letter to claim council tax exemption. There has been some difficulty with some Local Authorities (LA) regarding offering council tax exemption to trainees. It seems to stem from the fact that schools-led providers do not always appear on the list that LAs use to determine whether establishments are ‘Prescribed Educational Establishments’ under the terms of the legislation.

Student discount cards NASBTT often gets asked questions about NUS cards which trainees really want for the student discounts they offer. NUS cards as such are only offered where there is a properly formulated students’ union which is also affiliated to the NUS. If you have a programme validated by a university, trainees might be issued NUS cards through that channel. If not, there is a Totum Pro card which can be purchased from £14.99 which offers a range of discounts. Providers can register themselves free of charge so that their trainees can purchase this card; further information is available here. There is a similar ISIC card with a more international focus, but discounts might not suit your trainees as much as the Totum Pro card unless they are doing a lot of air travel or sightseeing.

Chapter 10-11

Trainees are also eligible for a 16-25 Railcard for discounts on rail fares; this includes mature trainees.

Suggested pre-programme tasks You might want to refer to the Operational Calendar for Schools-Led Initial Teacher Training (ITT) for a timeline of tasks to be completed. You can personalise this calendar to your own requirements. The list that follows is a suggestion of some tasks that might be completed towards the end of the academic year in order to facilitate a smooth start to the programme in September:

• prepare and issue trainee contracts;

• prepare and issue Partnership Agreements;

• prepare and issue contracts for lecturers and tutors;

• prepare letters that trainees might require, for example for council tax exemption;

• prepare programme outlines;

• prepare programme and subject handbooks and documentation;

• prepare any electronic systems for the year ahead;

• prepare meeting and recruitment calendars;

• book rooms for training and meetings;

• invite the teaching unions to speak to the trainees in September or request materials to issue at training.

Chapter 10-12

Database of trainee information required A comprehensive database of trainee data will facilitate the smooth running of your programme. Different stakeholders and partners may require different information. Therefore, it may be necessary to have several spreadsheets or several sheets on the same spreadsheet in order to collect this information logically.

DfE Trainee Teacher Portal (TTP) fields required The table below shows the fields required by the TTP Tab Information required Notes Summary Trainee ID

Teacher Reference Number TTP populated Title

Forename Middle name Last name Email Previous name Surname at birth

Address Phone number Home phone Mobile phone

Personal details

Date of birth National Insurance number Gender

Nationality Ethnicity National identity Domicile Disability Disabled student allowance

Service leaver Additional information NI number

Entry details Maths English Science A Levels

Course details

Academic year TTP populated Provider TTP populated Trainee status TTP populated Census registration type TTP populated Start (date) End (date)

Commencement (date) Programme year TTP populated Programme length TTP populated Qualification aim

Chapter 10-13

Tab Information required Notes Course level Course phase Course type Subjects

Allocation subject TSM Subject Programme title Study mode ITT aim Route Allocated place type

Fundability Year of study TTP populated Schools UG HESA

Entry details Did not start

Main activity in previous 6 months Overseas trainee Country SKE Additional qualifications Bursary

Scholarship Maths and Physics Chair programme First degree or equivalent Degree subject Degree class Institution Date

UG details Additional degree qualifications

Exit information

Date left Standards assessed Date passed Reason for leaving

Qualification achieved Profiles outcome Recommend trainee to DfE UG details Employment status Employment status update

Other information required It would also be useful to collate the following information in any database of trainee information: Other information Information required Application/recruitment UCAS unique reference number

Interview date

Chapter 10-14

Other information Information required Place offered date Place accepted date Interview scores

Identity Identity documents checked

Qualifications NARIC requested SKE completed

Suitability DBS clearance number and date of clearance Barred list check Prohibition order check

Finance Fees due Fee source (SLC or individual)

SLC confirmation form received DfE bursary to be paid

HEI HEI student number On course Attendance

Assignment grades Progress against termly targets

End of programme QTS pass or fail Academic grade for PGCE

NQT destination School Contact details

Chapter 11-1

Chapter 11: Registration

The importance of a secure audit trail cannot be over-emphasised.

Registration should take place on the first day of the programme in September.

Training providers will need to ensure that trainees have satisfied all conditions of their offer and provided all of the required documentation either before the start or on the first day of the programme. You should refer to your database to ensure that all conditions and commitments have been met.

Assessment Only (AO) trainees may be recruited at any point during the year. The necessary paperwork should be seen and tasks completed at that point.

Registration tasks Please ensure that you refer to Chapter 10: Pre-Programme Administration for further information, particularly in reference to safer recruitment. During, or in advance of, registration, these are some of the tasks you may need to complete:

• see the original enhanced DBS clearance certificate and note the clearance number, date of clearance and any details required for the Single Central Record (the details required may vary according to the requirements of the SCITT, school or Trust); *

• collect the SLC confirmation letter;

• see and copy original qualification certificates not previously seen;

• collect information on disability support (DSA - Disabled Students Allowance), make the necessary arrangements and inform schools and staff, if applicable;

• check trainee contact details, including the term time address and telephone numbers;

• collect next of kin details;

• collect bank details for bursary or scholarship payments, if applicable;

• collect deposits for equipment, if applicable;

• complete the HEI registration form;

• issue council tax exemption letters;

• issue trainee contracts, the trainee code of conduct and the absence policy and collect these once signed, if not already signed and returned;

• issue programme information such as specific provider learning platform/online portfolio log ins;

• take photographs for identity cards;

• issue teaching union information;

• remind trainees to join a teaching union;

• remind trainees to join the Chartered College of Teaching;

• remind trainees of mechanisms for supporting their well-being including the free, confidential helpline offered by Education Support.

* For salaried trainees, you should contact the employing school to ensure that all of the relevant pre-employment checks, including all safeguarding requirements, have been completed and are suitable.

Chapter 11-2

Trainee Teacher Portal (TTP) Trainees should be recorded on the TTP at the start of the programme or as soon as practicable thereafter. All trainee data must be entered accurately. You should be prepared that it may take some time to complete the TTP fully and you should schedule sufficient time for this task to be completed. A list of the trainee fields required for the TTP can be found here. Providers will be required to monitor the progress of their trainee records via the TTP to ensure that all information is correct. The Teacher Reference Number (TRN) for individual trainees is generated by the TTP. Providers can view the TRNs via the TTP; they should add this information to their Single Central Record.

The DfE asks providers to refer to trainees using their Teacher Reference Number (TRN) or Trainee ID in any correspondence.

The DfE will contact trainees by email early in their training to inform them of their Teacher Reference Number (TRN) and provide guidance on how to access their account on the Teacher Self-Service Portal; therefore, it is essential that the email address provided by the trainee is correct and accessible. You should remind trainees that they should make a record of their TRN as this will be required when applying for jobs. Salaried trainees should share their TRN with their employing school on receipt.

Student finance Please refer to the information on student finance, Higher Education Portal (HEP) Services for student finance and bursaries and scholarships for further information..

HEI registration Where applicable, providers should ensure that all trainees undertaking a PGCE are registered with the validating HEI. This may, or may not, involve the trainees visiting the HEI institution. You should distribute information to the trainees as and when you receive it, including the trainee’s unique reference number and their library cards. You should suggest that trainees complete the SCONUL registration once their HEI registration is complete. This will allow trainees to borrow books from university libraries which may be closer to home.

Suggested tasks following registration You might want to refer to the Operational Calendar for Schools-Led Initial Teacher Training (ITT) for a timeline of tasks to be completed. You can personalise this calendar to your own requirements. The list that follows is a suggestion of some tasks that might be completed following registration:

Chapter 11-3

• accept trainees on the application system (UCASTT or DfE Apply);

• confirm to schools that fee-funded trainees have a suitable enhanced DBS clearance, children’s barred list check and prohibition order check, including any overseas checks where relevant;

• complete trainee registration on the Trainee Teacher Portal (TTP);

• confirm trainees in attendance on ‘Student Information Services’ (SIS) on HEP Services, and complete any Change of Circumstances (CoC) as required;

• complete HEI registration for trainees;

• confirm bursary or scholarship payments with the finance office in order that the first bursary payment is made at the appropriate time.

Chapter 12-1

Chapter 12: On Programme Administration

The importance of a secure audit trail cannot be over-emphasised.

Whilst trainees are on the programme, providers will need to complete key tasks to ensure the smooth running of the programme.

Recording trainees’ progress Providers should be operating a system of ongoing formative assessment against their curriculum with summative assessment points against the Teachers’ Standards scheduled at key points of the programme. Providers need to ensure that the trainees’ progress and achievements are monitored throughout the programme. Tasks may include logging:

• details of school placements;

• attendance and absence from either training or school;

• notes on trainee’s progress, including records of meetings, concerns, action plans, warnings and disciplinary procedures (ensure that all meeting records are signed and dated by the relevant parties);

• end of term reports;

• the submission of assignments and marks.

Second school placements The ITT criteria requires all trainees to have placements in two schools (C2.4 Two schools). When making arrangements for second school placements for trainees, there is an ongoing emphasis on placements being contrasting, and of trainees experiencing challenge. You will need to liaise with schools accepting trainees on a second school placement and ensure that these schools and the appropriate staff have the necessary information. You may wish to send an information pack to the second placement school which includes:

• an outline of what is expected of the trainee;

• an indication of the support that the second school is expected to provide, including any requirements for observations, reports, etc.;

• lesson observation forms and any other relevant forms for the mentor;

• an overview of the trainee’s progress against your curriculum, including the last end of term report, mentor report or pen portrait.

Absence policy It is important in such a short programme that trainee absence it kept to a minimum and also that a record is kept of which training sessions have been missed. For example, if a substantial proportion of sessions on child protection and safeguarding have been missed, it will be important to ensure that some remedial action is considered.

Chapter 12-2

You should ensure all schools forward attendance records to you so that a complete picture of the trainee’s attendance can be reviewed at the meeting of the Examination Board when determining recommendations for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). It is often the case that a trainee has had significant absence for justifiable reasons so the Examination Board will determine whether a trainee’s absence has prevented them from demonstrating that they have met all of the Standards for QTS.

The ITT criteria and supporting advice does not specify minimum attendance for an individual trainee either on the programme or in placements; the ITT criteria applies to the programme design.

NASBTT has prepared a model trainee absence policy which may prove to be helpful. The model trainee absence policy can be found here. You will probably want your absence policy to reflect the teachers’ conditions of service and the information on sickness absence on the NASUWT website here may be helpful. In terms of both maternity and paternity leave, providers should do all they can to support trainees and offer practical solutions such as deferment in the case of maternity leave. Pregnancy and maternity are protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. Whilst fee-funded trainees are not employed, it would be wise to meet the Employment Rights Act 1996. However, there is a caveat to this as trainees need to be aware how leave could affect the extension of their programme. Information regarding maternity and paternity leave should be included in your partnership documentation.

Applicants should be made aware that significant absence may result in the programme having to be extended into the following academic year.

Programme interruption When a trainee’s programme is interrupted, for whatever reason, you will be required to maintain detailed records of the decision and the arrangements made. Some guidance on procedures is contained within NASBTT’s suggestion of a model trainee absence policy which can be found here. The programme may be interrupted for one of the following reasons:

• programme deferment: a place is offered and accepted, but the trainee begins the programme at a later date;

• suspended study: training is suspended mid-programme and recommenced at a later date;

• intercalation: stopping at a specific point in the programme and then beginning again at the same point a year later;

• withdrawal from the programme. The partnership lead will meet with the trainee to discuss and make the necessary arrangements and agree the details of the programme interruption. Comprehensive details should be kept, and the paperwork audit trail filed. A letter should be sent to the trainee clearly stating the conditions of the deferment and the conditions for continuing.

Chapter 12-3

During any period of programme interruption, it would be good practice to maintain informal contact with the trainee to ensure that all parties are made aware of any changes in circumstances. For any trainee withdrawing from the programme, an exit interview should take place with the partnership lead. Partnership staff will need to:

• inform the placement school;

• record the decision on the Trainee Teacher Portal (TTP) as appropriate;

• inform the Student Loans Company (SLC) by way of a Change of Circumstance (COC);

• stop any bursary or scholarship payments to the trainee, as appropriate;

• stop/reduce payments to the placement school, as appropriate;

• notify the external moderator, if relevant, outlining the reasons for deferment and giving any conditions for continuing;

• notify the validating HEI, if relevant, outlining the reasons for deferment and giving any conditions for continuing.

For School Direct salaried trainees, reasons for interruption need to be recorded on the Trainee Teacher Portal (TTP). Any contractual issues will need to be dealt with by the employing school. Partnership staff will also need to ensure that:

• all paperwork is completed by all relevant parties;

• all books and resources are returned by the trainee;

• deposits for keys, equipment, etc. are returned to the trainee. At the final meeting of the Examination Board to determine the recommendation for QTS, it is good practice for the details of all withdrawals, including records of exit interviews, to be tabled. The external moderator is then able to comment on the providers’ processes and support for withdrawing trainees which may be useful to guide judgements on withdrawals in future inspections.

Ensure that there is a physical hard copy of any minutes, and that these have been signed and dated. The importance of a secure audit trail cannot be over-emphasised.

Supporting trainees as they apply for their first job You will have a significant role in supporting trainees as they ask questions and seek advice when applying for their first jobs. Obviously, this dialogue is supported by the good relationships developed with the trainees from the point of recruitment. You may also receive job vacancies from schools for circulating to trainees. It is important for providers to be mindful of their own particular, local contexts when deciding how best to support trainees in seeking employment. One possible way of supporting trainees is to hold a ‘job interview day’ where trainees have the opportunity to take part in mock interviews led by the provider’s key staff and headteachers from some of the partnership schools. The interview day can be made as realistic as possible; trainees

Chapter 12-4

could be expected to apply for the job and come to the interview day appropriately prepared and dressed. The trainees could be given feedback on their interview performance.

Reference guidance You will need to provide trainees with references as they seek employment. This can be a daunting task and seem to take up every minute of the day in the peak period of trainees making job applications. You should assure the overall quality of references issued in your provider’s name. Therefore, preparing a template in advance is good practice. The reference should make clear the kind of training that has been undertaken as some schools are not aware of the depth and quality of training schools-led trainees will have experienced. References will also need to give clear details of the trainee’s achievements. You will want your references to have a reputation for accuracy and, therefore, a policy of only making positive statements is not acceptable. If a trainee has shortcomings, there is a professional responsibility that these should be included, perhaps in a positive light; but a reference should not include information of which the trainee is unaware and has not had the opportunity to redress. Mentor reports are a good source of accurate comments of which the trainee should be aware. The reference should also be categorical that the trainee is suitable to work with children and vulnerable adults and that there are no procedures outstanding that might prejudice this. The provider will need to decide who is authorised to write references and inform the trainees well in advance who can be named as a referee and whether they need notice of being nominated. Given that your reference is likely to draw on mentor and tutor reports, it is wise to consider whether those contributing to your reports, such as mentors, should be excluded from the list of referees a trainee might wish to engage. This will help you to assure what is being said about your trainees. Many schools now issue proformas for reference completion. This can result in you being inundated with forms to complete rather than reprinting your previously prepared reference. It is useful to have a policy about the provision of a written reference rather than completing proformas and initially send the school your previously prepared reference quoting your policy and only complete proformas in extremis. However, you will find such proformas a useful guide in updating your template and ensuring you are including the information most frequently requested. You may wish to prepare a reference for each trainee using a template before the end of the programme, and then update these as necessary. In this way, staff are able to respond to reference requests promptly as they are received. You must maintain a file of references once they are written.

External moderator visits See the section on External moderation for further information. When making arrangements for visits from the external moderator, you will need to:

• contact the external moderator to make arrangements for their visit(s);

Chapter 12-5

• send preliminary information, as agreed by the partnership lead and external moderator, such as handbooks, assignments or other documentation;

• prepare a timetable of activities for the external moderator’s visit(s); • inform schools and trainees to be sampled of the agreed details for visits;

• send maps, timetables and any other details as necessary to the external moderator.

Suggested on programme tasks

You might want to refer to the Operational Calendar for Schools-Led Initial Teacher Training (ITT) for a timeline of tasks to be completed. You can personalise this calendar to your own requirements. The list that follows is a suggestion of some tasks that might be completed whilst trainees are on programme:

• liaise with schools;

• facilitate meetings of mentors, subject leads and professional tutors;

• arrange external moderator visits;

• arrange end of term payments to schools.

Chapter 13-1

Chapter 13: Exit from the Programme

The importance of a secure audit trail cannot be over-emphasised.

The end of the training programme is inevitably a busy time; staff are under many pressures as the current cohort completes their training, and as you continue recruiting and finalising arrangements and documentation for the following year’s programme. Developing procedures to ensure that all of the necessary requirements have been completed aids the smooth exit of trainees from the programme.

Career Entry Development Profile (CEDP) Whilst the Career Entry Development Profile (CEDP) is no longer mandatory, you should ensure that all trainees and their tutors have completed Transition Point 1 (TP1), or the partnership’s equivalent documentation, from the Career Entry Development Profile (CEDP). Providers may wish to collect a copy of Transition Point 1, or the partnership’s equivalent documentation, for their records; this may be useful in writing references for trainees who have still to secure a position at the end of the programme.

NQT induction DfE statutory guidance for induction for newly qualified teachers (NQTs) can be found here. Providers should inform trainees about the statutory arrangements for the induction of Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) and support them in preparing for the induction phase of their career.

Early Career Framework The DfE released the Early Career Framework in January 2019 which announced a two year support package for early career teachers. This will be rolled out from September 2020 in the north east, Greater Manchester, Bradford and Doncaster, and nationally from September 2021. The professional development support package for NQTs is underpinned by the Early Career Framework. This document describes what: • the Early Career Framework is; • NQTs are entitled to learn about; • NQTs are entitled to learn how to do.

Examination Board See the section on the Examination Board for further information. The Examination Board will meet at the end of the programme to ratify the recommendations for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Chapter 13-2

You should facilitate the meeting of the Examination Board by collating trainee data and any reports, such as the External Moderator’s report(s), as required. Information about deferrals and withdrawals should be presented to the Examination Board.

HEI results and awarding of academic qualifications Where relevant, you should liaise with the HEI to confirm results for the academic qualification and confirm that all commitments to the HEI have been fulfilled, including the return of any resources. In some cases, the HEI will forward certificates to the provider for distribution to trainees. The HEI may also forward details to you about any graduation ceremony trainees will be invited to attend.

Pre-exit checklist Before the trainee’s exit from the programme, you should:

• check that all academic work has been submitted;

• check that all debts have been paid;

• ensure the trainee’s contact details are accurate including the trainee’s personal email address to ensure ongoing correspondence;

• remind trainees to update their personal email address in the Teacher Self-Service Portal as the DfE will send information to this email address;

• collect a copy of Transition Point 1 (TP1), or the relevant transition document;

• ensure the trainee has completed the provider’s own end of programme evaluation which may be useful for benchmarking purposes;

• collate information relating to the trainee’s NQT post;

• check that all resources, equipment and books have been returned by the trainee, including those borrowed for use in school;

• prepare letters and/or certificates for successful completion of the programme;

• prepare farewell letters to include important reminders such as any surveys you will administer during the NQT year;

• arrange the awards ceremony;

• send details of the awards ceremony to the relevant parties including school staff;

• send thank you letters to relevant staff. Add any other commitments or requirements that are relevant to your provision to the above list. You might want to refer to the Operational Calendar for Schools-Led Initial Teacher Training (ITT) for a timeline of tasks to be completed. You can personalise this calendar to your own requirements.

Recommending trainees for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) Following the Examination Board’s recommendation, you should recommend successful trainees for QTS on the Trainee Teacher Portal (TTP).

Chapter 13-3

On individual trainee records, you will need to enter the following information on the ‘Exit information’ tab:

• date left;

• standards assessed (standards passed);

• date of standards assessment passed;

• reason for leaving (successful completion of course);

• qualification obtained on exit;

• profiles outcomes (this is pre-populated by the DfE). You should also tick the box to ‘Recommend trainee to DfE’. You will then need to use the tab ‘Recommend trainees to DfE’ to recommend the trainees on bulk for QTS. The QTS award date will be populated by the DfE. The QTS certificate is available for the trainee to download as soon as the ITT result is loaded into the database of qualified teachers. Once the trainee has been recommended for QTS, the trainee is then sent an email by the Teacher Qualifications Team to inform them of their QTS award and remind them to download their certificate from the Teacher Self-Service Portal.

In order to receive this notification, it is important that trainees update their email address on the Teacher Self-Service Portal before the recommendation of QTS to ensure that they receive the email about downloading their QTS certificate. Providers should remind trainees to do this in advance of making recommendations for QTS.

Awards ceremony Providers may wish to celebrate the trainees’ successful completion of the programme with an awards ceremony. At this event, the trainees can be presented with their certificates, both your internal certificate advising them that they have been awarded QTS and that for the qualification from the validating HEI, if applicable. If you decide to have an awards ceremony, you will need to arrange the awards ceremony and send invites to the relevant parties including school staff. Providers must ensure they follow any legislation from their Lead School or MAT with regards to the buying of alcohol for such events. Accounts directions made to MATs and SATs include a specific reference to the purchase of alcohol being classified as an:

Irregular expenditure not for the purpose intended, e.g. all alcohol and any excessive gifts including those purchased from unrestricted funds

Therefore, members whose legal entity is a MAT or SAT should be aware that this restriction applies to their organisation and, as such, the purchase of any alcohol, including for graduation ceremonies or open events, is not allowable under ESFA regulations. Members whose legal entity is a Local Authority will need to check with the LA on their own policies, whilst the rulings do not apply to private providers or charitable organisations. NASBTT sought clarification on this point and it is clear that it is the status of the legal entity that determines this and not the source of the funds, so the fact your funding comes from a source other than the ESFA does not exclude it from falling within their regulations.

Chapter 14-1

Chapter 14: Supporting and Tracking NQTs and Previous Trainees Providers will want to give careful thought to how they support they support and track NQTs and previous trainees which will be facilitated by the relationships you develop with trainees during their training year.

Early Career Framework (ECF) The DfE released the Early Career Framework in January 2019 which announced a two year support package for early career teachers. This will be rolled out from September 2020 in the north east, Greater Manchester, Bradford and Doncaster, and nationally from September 2021. The professional development support package for NQTs is underpinned by the Early Career Framework. This document describes what: • the Early Career Framework is; • NQTs are entitled to learn about; • NQTs are entitled to learn how to do.

Supporting NQTs It is advisable to consider how you will support your trainees in their induction year. These are some of the common ways in which providers offer support:

• NQT training programmes in collaboration with other providers, Teaching Schools and their alliances or Local Authorities (LA);

• bespoke support for some NQTs based on their trajectory or assessments of the schools in which they are employed;

• ongoing access to provider resources to provide continuing support;

• ongoing mentor relationships;

• a conference for NQTs.

Tracking NQTs and previous trainees Most providers seek to keep in touch with former trainees in order to gain valuable insights into their programme and its usefulness as a preparation for teaching. This is useful in securing continued improvements to the programme. However, providers sometimes experience difficulties in former trainees returning information. Therefore, it may be useful to establish a system for tracking trainees during their NQT year. Such a system might involve:

• collecting and collating trainees’ home and school contact details at the end of the training programme. This may best be achieved by issuing all trainees with a proforma for completion and return;

• collecting the details of the NQT tutors in their employing school to enable the provider to seek updates throughout their NQT year;

• distributing post-programme questionnaires to gather evaluations of the programme from NQTs, headteachers of previous trainees and mentors;

• sending questionnaires to previous cohorts of trainees in order to gain evaluations of the programme from the teachers’ perspective and update the contact details;

• setting up an alumni website or social media account.

Chapter 14-2

NQT survey It is good practice to stay in touch with former trainees and you may wish to administer your own NQT Survey to inform your self-evaluation and improvement planning. Your survey might be designed to gauge how well the training programme prepared NQTs for their role as a teacher.

Appendix

Appendices

Appendix 1: Guidance to support writing and reviewing Partnership Agreements

Acronyms

Appendix 1-1

Appendix 1: Guidance to support writing and reviewing Partnership Agreements

Your Partnership Agreement should be both clear and concise. You will find it useful to refer to the information in the Initial Teacher Training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice and the School Direct: guidance for schools when writing or reviewing your Partnership Agreement. You could consider structuring your Partnership Agreement as follows: 1. Introduction, to include information on:

• the purpose of a Partnership Agreement

• the vision and ethos of the provider 2. Structure of the programme(s)

• content, rationale and sequence of your ITT curriculum and modes of delivery for each programme

3. Structure of the partnership

• organisation and management of the partnership

• leadership of the partnership

• partnership’s quality assurance procedures

4. Roles and responsibilities for schools, mentors, trainees and the accredited provider to include information on:

• selecting and interviewing applicants

• expectations of mentors including release time for training opportunities, time for personal professional development and time to be dedicated to trainee support including any payment terms related to these aspects of provision

• moderating formative assessments of trainee progress against the ITT curriculum and summative assessments against the Teachers’ Standards

• providing professional development opportunities for colleagues within the partnership

• trainee access to resources

• any course and/or programme committees

5. Workload for school staff and trainees

6. Trainee entitlement

• support

• access to resources

• mentor meeting time

7. School de-selection policy (this links closely to trainee entitlement as lack of compliance with enabling this will be a key driver for de-selection)

8. Safeguarding

• SCITT responsibilities in terms of DBS and other background checks and training

• school responsibilities

9. GDPR

• expectations re trainee’s access to school and pupil data and how they will store and use it

Appendix 1-2

10. Funding

• for example, placement fees, payment schedules, salary grants

11. Equal opportunities

• make reference to relevant policies

Acronyms-1

Acronyms

Acronym Stands for Used by

AO Assessment Only

AP Accredited provider

ASP NASBTT Administrator Support Partner NASBTT

ATP NASBTT Administrator Training Programme NASBTT

CCF ITT Core Content Framework

CCT Chartered College of Teaching

CEDP Career Entry Development Profile

CMA Competition & Markets Authority

CMS Courses Management Service SLC

CoC Change of Circumstance SLC

CPD Continuing Professional Development

DBD Decline By Default UCASTT

DBS Disclosure and Barring Service

DfE Department for Education

DPA Data Protection Act

DPO Data Protection Officer

DSA Disabled Students Allowance

ECF Early Career Framework

E&OE Errors & Omissions Excepted

GFA Grant Funding Agreement

EFA Education Funding Agency

EHRC Equality and Human Rights Commission

FOIA Freedom of Information Act

GDPR General Data Protection Regulation

HE Higher Education

HEDD Higher Education Degree Datacheck

HEFCE Higher Education Funding Council for England

HEI Higher Education Institution

HEP Higher Education Provider

HMI Her Majesty’s Inspectorate

Acronyms-2

Acronym Stands for Used by

ICO Information Commissioner’s Office

ITE Initial Teacher Education

ITT Initial Teacher Training

LA Local Authority

MSP NASBTT Management Support Partner (MSP)

NARIC or UK NARIC

National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom

NASBTT The National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers

NASUWT Teacher’s Union

NEU National Education Union

NQT Newly Qualified Teacher

OFFA Office for Fair Access

Ofsted Office for Standards in Education

OH Occupational Health

OIA Office of the Independent Adjudicator

PGCE Postgraduate Certificate in Education (of an M Level award) or Professional Graduate Certificate in Education (of a first degree level award)

QA Quality Assurance

QCA Qualifications and Curriculum Authority

QTS Qualified Teacher Status

RBD Reject By Default UCASTT

RQT Recently Qualified Teacher (NQT+1)

SCITT School Centred Initial Teacher Training

SCONUL Society of College, National and University Libraries

SD School Direct

SDTF School Direct Tuition Fee

SDS School Direct Salaried

SFE Student Finance England

SIS Student Information Services SLC

SLC Student Loans Company

SLE Single Legal Entity

TEMZ NASBTT Teacher Educator and Mentoring Zone NASBTT

Acronyms-3

Acronym Stands for Used by

TEP NASBTT Teacher Educator Programme NASBTT

TSM Teacher Supply Model

TP1 Transition Point 1

TRA Teaching Regulation Agency

TRN Teacher Reference Number

TSC Teaching Schools Council

TTP Trainee Teacher Portal

UCAS Universities and Colleges Admissions Service in the UK

UCASTT UCAS Teacher Training

UCET The Universities Council for the Education of Teachers

UKPRN UK Register of Learning Providers

URN Unique Reference Number

USP Unique Selling Point