Professional standards support for curriculum mentors: report on the TDA funded ‘Professional Standards Support for Curriculum mentors’ at the University of Southampton

A revised framework of professional standards for teachers was published by the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA). These standards replaced existing teacher standards in September 2007 and form a clear, progressive framework of standards for teachers. The standards are statements of a teacher's professional attributes, knowledge and understanding, and skills. Importantly they clarify expectations at each career stage helping teachers identify how they need to develop professionally to progress in their careers.• the awards of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) (Q)• teachers on the main scale (Core) (C)• teachers on the upper pay scale (Post Threshold Teachers) (P)• Excellent Teachers (E)• Advanced Skills Teachers (ASTs) (A)The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) made funding available to help support initial teacher training (ITT) providers in meeting the revised qualified teacher status (QTS) standards which came into effect in September 2007. A Guidance to accompany the standards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) was also produced by the TDA<br/

Improving Teacher Recruitment and Retention: The Importance of workload and Pupil Behaviour

The shortage of teachers in England and Wales continues to be a high profile area of scrutiny. Particular subjects (including mathematics; science and English) are categorized by the Training and Development Agency (TDA)for schools as priority or shortage subjects, and London especially has experienced particular shortages in teacher numbers over recent years

The views of five participating undergraduate students of the Student Associates Scheme in England

This paper reports findings from a study which explored undergraduate perceptions of the Student Associates Scheme in England (SAS). The scheme was established by the Training and Development Agency for Schools in an attempt to increase the number of graduates entering the teaching profession, particularly in shortage subjects such as the physical sciences and mathematics. The scheme places undergraduate students on short-term placements in secondary schools throughout England to provide them with experiences that may encourage them to consider teaching as a career option. Findings show that the SAS school placements were a positive experience for the students participating in this study. However, a question emerged as to whether or not the scheme is targeting students who have yet to decide upon teaching as a career or just reinforcing the existing aspirations of students who have already decided to teach. As the scheme is attempting to increase the number of teachers entering the profession this question has important implications for this study and further work which will focus on undergraduates who think that their career ambitions would not be fulfilled by teaching

Links between ICT advanced skills teachers and initial teacher training

This report and guidance materials were compiled for the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA)Research undertaken at one higher education institution located in West London, UK sought to explore links between ICT Avanced Skills Teachers (AST) and Initial Teacher Training (ITT). The main objective was to capture the perceptions and experiences of leading ASTs in ICT along with those of teacher educators and trainee teachers to identify ways in which collaborative and/or sustainable partnerships might be forged, which enable trainee teachers to gain exposure to cutting edge, best practice of ICT in primary and secondary schools

Consultation on proposals for a national framework of approved SENCO training

"The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) undertook a consultation on proposals for a national framework of approved training for special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) between July and October 2008. An online consultation was supplemented by three national events organised by the National Association for Special Educational Needs (NASEN) on the TDA’s behalf, a focus group of training providers and a meeting with the National Governors' Association (NGA). There were 105 responses to the online consultation, from a range of organisations including around 40 schools, 20 local authorities, 10 training providers, six parents' groups/organisations, six voluntary bodies, four professional associations/organisations and a number of individuals (mainly SENCOs and support staff)" -- page 1

Teaching inclusively: are secondary physical education teachers sufficiently prepared to teach in inclusive environments?

Background: Contemporary British educational guidelines, such as the National Curriculum (NC) have adopted inclusivity in the way children with special educational needs (SEN) are taught. Therefore, inclusion has risen up the political agenda, resulting in more children with SEN being taught in mainstream environments. Empirical research has attempted to examine PE teacher's perceptions of inclusion. However, it is evident that PE teachers perceive the training they receive during initial teacher training (ITT) as a constraint on their practice with specific regard to teaching children with SEN. Purpose: This study aimed to determine if student secondary PE teachers are sufficiently prepared to teach children with SEN inclusively, by examining their training at ITT as well as their perceived preparedness and confidence to teach inclusively. Participants and setting: 107 students from a four-year BA (Hons) and a PGCE secondary PE ITT course attending a North West England ITT institution participated in the study. Research design: Survey research was implemented to examine if student secondary PE teachers attending two different ITT courses were sufficiently prepared to teach in inclusive environments. Data collection: A 31-item semi-structured questionnaire comprising predominantly of closed questioning, was used for this study. Open-ended questions were included to collect qualitative data, intended to add richness to the data and explore students' perceptions. Questions focused upon respondents' inclusion training at ITT, the perceived effectiveness of this training, students' preferences in teaching, experience of teaching children with SEN, as well as their perceived preparedness and confidence to teach inclusively

Trainee teachers’ engagement in a cross-curricular news project: impact on professional identity

On 7th September at BERA, the above ITTE members presented the findings from their ITTE evaluation project, funded by the TDA into the impact of the BBC News School Report project on trainee teachers. In short, the project found that the professional identity of trainee teachers, is, in part, defined by their relationship to those who mentor and tutor them. As teachers in training they are in a role with less power than those who are responsible for their training, support and development. The ITTE evaluation focused on the impact of trainee teachers’ engagement in the BBC News School Report project and how this helped to form their professional identity. This was examined through the roles taken by trainee teachers in the project while on placement in schools, the activities they were consequently engaged in and the types of evidence generated for their assessment against the Standards for Qualified Teachers in England. The evaluation of the project for Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA), the government agency responsible for teacher training in England, involved the following instruments of data collection - surveys, focus groups and written reports. Respondents included trainee teachers themselves, their tutors as representatives of teacher education providers and their mentors as representatives of schools in which they were placed. The methodological approach was interpretative and phenomenological with qualitative and quantitative data being analysed for emergent themes. The paper presented at BERA focused on one of the themes found, that of the impact on the professional identity of trainee teachers exposed to taking up leadership roles. The research showed that their professional identity is enhanced through their being in a leading role in respect of curriculum and working with other staff. Their self perception of role was modified to one in which they saw themselves, and were seen, as equals to qualified staff rather than subservient or dependent on them. Furthermore, engagement in such projects led them to collecting richer, more holistic evidence for meeting the Standards as they took greater ownership for this process, situating it in their leading role in the project. Their identity became defined less by the articulation of Standards and by their relationship to others and more by their own notions of professionalism. A new more equal power relationship developed as they took on responsibility for the project

The school improvement planning framework: its impact on leadership and Every Child Matters in six case study schools

The school improvement planning framework (SIPF) is a tried and tested suite of tools and techniques, developed and improved during a two-year process involving more than 200 schools. The framework is one of the ways that the National College for Leadership of Schools and Children’s Services (National College) and the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) is supporting local authorities and school leaders to improve their planning and strategic thinking. It prioritises the needs of children and their families in their local context, with the ultimate aim of improving their wellbeing and attainment. Between November 2009 and February 2010, six schools were visited, consisting of one special, three primary and two secondary schools. All had recently made effective use of the SIPF as a school improvement planning tool, selecting modules and activities that matched their needs at the time. The case studies that follow examine the various ways in which the schools have made use of the SIPF. They also explore the extent to which the SIPF has impacted on the work of the schools, with particular emphasis on changes in leadership, improvement planning and delivery of the five outcomes of Every Child Matters (ECM)." - Page

Training bursary : funding manual for academic year 2009/2010

The bursary is a financial aid awarded to eligible trainees on eligible postgraduate TDA funded initial teacher training (ITT) courses (including additional experience), eligible subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) courses, and designated undergraduate courses, in order to assist with their living costs during training