Damian Hinds announcement on tackling teacher recruitment and retention
Secretary of State Damian Hinds has announced the DfE’s initial response to the report ‘Strengthening Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and Improving Teacher Career Progression’, at Friday’s National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) annual conference. Changes include extending the induction period from one to two years, while he blasted Mocksteds and triple marking as “costly distractions”. The Department for Education (DfE) launched the public consultation in December 2017, and it set out a range of proposals for ensuring teachers have the right support in place at the beginning of their careers, improving access to high-quality professional development, and improving progression opportunities for all teachers throughout their careers. At the NAHT conference, Mr Hinds also announced a £5million sabbatical find for teachers with over 10 years’ experience, allowing them to take between a term and a year out of school to further their professional development. ‘I think it an utter travesty that so many NQTs end up losing their early enthusiasm’ Damian Hinds And he vowed to focus on cutting teacher workload, adding, “When I see NQTs brimming with passion to change young lives for the better, I think it an utter travesty that so many end up losing their early enthusiasm, because of the pressures of the job. Especially when so many of those pressures are entirely unnecessary. “Because that’s what endless data cuts, triple marking, 10 page lesson plans, and, worst of all, Mocksteds are: a distraction from the core purpose of education. And a costly distraction at that.” Mr Hinds previously made a statement at the Association of School and College Leaders’ annual conference, backing more freedom for teachers so they can focus on the tasks which will make a real difference to learning. In his speech, Mr Hinds said, “We need to get back to the essence of successful teaching; strip away the workload that doesn’t add value and give teachers the time and the space to focus on what actually matters. Trust teachers to teach. That’s in the interests of teachers but it is also in the interests of children.” The National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT) was one of the 2,033 respondents to the QTS consultation and their response, submitted in February, is here. Giving her reaction to the publication of the DfE’s initial response to the consultation, NASBTT Executive Director Emma Hollis said, “We are particularly pleased that the government is seating these proposals within a wider strategy around recruitment, retention, workload and professional development. This is demonstrative of the joined-up approach that NASBTT has been advocating. We are also exceptionally pleased that the DfE plans to continue to work with the sector as the proposals set out in this consultation response evolve. As a profession, we have long been asking to be done ‘with’ rather than ‘done to’, and it seems that these proposals are taking this approach. “In terms of the details of the response, we are thrilled to note that QTS will remain where it is, as the end of the ITT year and it is the induction period which will be extended to include a greater entitlement to professional development and support, including additional time for early career professionals to access these. From the first launch of this consultation, we have strongly advocated for this result and the proposal rightly recognises the strength of the ITT sector and seeks to improve the quality of induction, which is where we believe the greatest gains can be made. We are fully supportive of the development of the Early Career Framework for the induction period and look forward to working closely with the expert team to help shape this. We are also pleased to note that the DfE is ‘attracted’ to our suggested alternative to QTS(P) and QTS. We advocated strongly for QTS and Endorsed QTS and this has been recognised in the consultation response. “We welcome the proposals around recognising the importance and status of mentors and the review of mentor training needs. We have seen with the development of NASBTT’s Teacher Educator Programmes, launched earlier this year, that the appetite for additional support and training for mentors is there and we are pleased the government is recognising this important role. Similarly, we welcome the commitment to the development of specialist qualifications and will continue to work closely with government to champion a career path for teacher educators as part of this development work. “We also note with pleasure the willingness to consider our proposal that the appropriate body market should be opened up to ITT providers and are also very supportive of the plans to strengthen the appropriate body function and to introduce an accreditation and quality assurance process for these bodies. In particular, we are pleased that the proposal sets out clear aims to approach these changes in a joined up, iterative manner which ensures that each element is considered in conjunction with the other and will not lead to stand-alone strategies which conflict. We recognise that this means the process will take time but are very supportive of an approach which takes a measured, considered approach to these fundamental changes, ensuring they are done properly with adequate thought and consideration. In involving the profession along the way, this will lead to greater buy-in and longer lead times for schools and other stakeholders to adopt and implement the changes. “However, the issue of funding remains unanswered. Whilst we fully understand that this is a matter for the next Spending Review, we must not lose sight of the fact that for these proposals to be successful, they must be properly funded and fully resourced. More funding is needed.”
Teacher recruitment leader: “There is no magic wand to resolve workload issues”
Emma Hollis, executive director of the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT), talks to QA Education about the teacher recruitment crisis and has some advice about streamlining marking and planning… What is your background in education and how did you come to work at the NASBTT? “I was a career-changer who trained through school-based provision on the then graduate teacher programme. I taught primary (upper Key Stage 2) in three schools before taking over as Programme Manager for School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) provision at the Two Mile Ash School in Milton Keynes. I later became Head of Milton Keynes Teaching School Alliance alongside managing the SCITT. Whilst in these roles I was invited to sit on the NASBTT management board and had worked with them for 18 months in this capacity when then Executive Director Martin Thompson made the decision to retire. I applied for the job and formally took up the role last September.” What can headteachers and SLT do to make teaching a more manageable role? “There is no magic wand to resolve workload issues and they are not uniform across schools – different schools and teachers face different challenges and pressures on their time. School leaders need to think carefully about any changes they are proposing and consider, as part of their assessments, the impact they will have on workload and teacher morale. Many schools, for example, are looking at their marking policies and considering when and where marking is most effective. Does marking done at a distance (the piles of books being carried home each night) actually have an impact on progress? If not, why is it being done and who is it being done for? There are some great examples of marking policies which have been replaced with feedback polices where feedback is done in the moment where it has the greatest impact on pupil progress. Schools can also look at the data they require teachers to collect and process and consider the value of what is being done. Can pupil progress be measured in more manageable ways? Is there any duplication of effort? What purpose is the data gathered for? Similarly, planning requirements can be streamlined with teachers encouraged to share practice and co-plan where that is appropriate for the children. Leaders can consider the format of planning and whether they require plans to be submitted in a format which encourages the creation of paperwork for its own sake rather than for the progress of the children. Schemes of work and textbooks should be considered where these are of high quality and without formalising or imposing a specific structure on planning which limits individual teacher creativity and passion for their subject.” What can the Government do to reduce teacher workload and raise staff morale? “The Department for Education has already published three useful reports on workload reduction and is continuing to work to ensure that the advice is put into practice in schools. It takes time to change cultures and this will not happen overnight. Schools, teachers and the Government need to continue working together on making workload manageable for the profession. Just as importantly, Government can support this change in perceptions of the profession by: recognising that access to high-quality professional development for teaching staff, both in their early careers and throughout their working lives, should be an entitlement and not a lottery based on whether the school in which they happen to work values professional development; providing sufficient funding for schools to allow their staff the time the need to develop their knowledge and skills and become well-rounded, highly-educated and respected professionals; continuing to support the Chartered College of Teaching which is seeking to develop a Chartered Status for the profession; and, perhaps most importantly of all, committing to allowing sufficient lead-in time for policy changes to avoid uncertainty and confusion within the system. The key to sustainable change within the teaching profession is a period of stability which allows the profession to embed practices over time, without the need to react to constant change and upheaval.” A group of unions are calling for an immediate 5% pay rise for all teachers. Do you think this would help teacher recruitment and boost morale? “Whilst research tells us that pay is not a deciding factor for teachers entering or leaving the profession, the ongoing public sector pay caps do set a tone which devalues the profession and contributes to the negative perceptions which are impacting on recruitment and retention. Recognition, in the form of increased salaries, that teaching is a worthwhile and valuable profession would not solve the crisis overnight but it would be one factor which could help to turn the tide of negative opinion and begin to boost morale. We feel that there is further consideration to be given to the limit on progression for teachers who do not wish to enter a leadership role in schools. Effectively, pay for teachers who remain in the classroom is severely limited in comparison to those who chose to come out of the classroom into positions of senior leadership. At NASBTT, we would like to see career paths and salary progression which recognises the value of experience and expertise within the classroom, for those working directly with children and young people.” What advice would you give to a trainee teacher at the beginning of their career in schools? “Remember this is a marathon, not a sprint! It can be tempting to see the end of your ITT year as the end-goal but the development of a professional takes years and the very best teachers see themselves as continually learning, no matter how long they’ve been in the classroom. Remember why you wanted to become a teacher in the first place. Write it down somewhere and look at it on those days when things feel tough. Keep a note of all those funny moments with the children, as well as the poignant ones, and keep these at the forefront of your mind.