DfE Initial Teacher Training information for schools

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You can access the DfE slide deck here:

DfE Initial Teacher Training (ITT) reform: Information for Schools (November 2023)

Summary of key headline messages from the DfE slides

To help busy Heads and ITT Leads in schools, here is a summary of the key headline messages from the DfE slide deck:

• Slides 4-8: Highlights the benefits of school engagement in ITT - citing benefits such as staff development, staff engagement in the latest teaching and learning research and practice which comes back into to school, to schools developing their own talent pool for future teacher vacancies.
• Slide 9: Explains what hosting a trainee placement looks like for a school.
• Slides 11-12: Offers school case studies of the obvious and hidden benefits of hosting a trainee.
• Slides 13-16: Outlines the new ITT reforms which come into effect in September 2024. This highlights the statutory increase in mentor time per week to 1.5 hours and the role TSHs will play in supporting schools to engage in ITT. It also explains the new Intensive Training and Practice placements (there is a more detailed explanation on this in slides 30-32).
• Slides 17-20: Outlines the compulsory changes to mentor training. 20 hours for General mentors and 30 hours for Lead Mentors in 24-25 and then 6 hours of refresher training for General Mentors and 12 hours of refresher training for Lead Mentors in 2025-26. This mentor training is to ensure that all mentors are familiar with the Core Content Framework and its evidence base (a compulsory part of the ITT curriculum) and that mentors understand the curriculum and training model of the ITT provider they are working with. It should also offer mentors ongoing training on how best to support their trainee.
• Slide 21-22: Offers some of the ways schools in our Saffron TSH area have been meeting the challenges posed by these ITT reforms and how they are working hard to celebrate and recognise the importance of mentoring in their schools.
• Slide 23: Outlines the new role of the Lead Mentor who will support both trainees and general mentors and ensure alignment between centre-based aspects and school placement activities. Some schools will have Lead Mentors on a secondment to an ITT provider they are working with.
• Slides 28-29: Explains the funding which has been made available by the DfE for General Mentor training to allow for the release of mentors to train. There is also a link on how schools claim this funding on slide 29.
• Slides 30-32: Explains how schools can support the new Intensive Training and Practice (ITAP) work. This is a new compulsory element of the ITT curriculum and ask for all postgraduate ITT course to have 4 weeks of ITAPs within their course structure and 6 weeks of ITAPs for any undergraduate course. Each ITAP will most likely involve a week-long intensive focus looking at one area of the curriculum, such as questioning. During this time trainees will most likely have time in the centre, learning the theory of this specific area of the curriculum, time with subject/phase leaders learning the phases/subject specific principles and techniques to apply and then time spent in specific schools who have expertise in this curriculum area. Schools can support ITAPs by offering experts for trainees to observe, experts to model excellent practice, and experts to take trainees through some specific low-stakes approximations with small groups of students to help them learn how best to implement their new learning. Please contact your ITT provider or Saffron TSH if you would like to support Intensive Training and Practice in some way.
• Slides 33-35: Outlines the new role for Teaching Schools Hubs in supporting schools with ITT. TSHs are being asked to ensure they map the ITT offer in their region, find out which schools are engaged in ITT and if not, what the barriers are to engagement and how TSHs and ITT providers could work collaboratively on mitigating these barriers. TSHs should also be supporting the delivery of ITT and engaging in recruitment activities for their region.
• Slide 36-37: Explore how Trusts should be engaging in ITT by offering placements, ITAP placements, working with Teaching School Hubs on ITT and helping schools prepare for the new 2024 ITT requirements.
• Slide 39-40: Outlines how schools can get involved in ITT if they are not already. Slide 40 links to the Saffron TSH website, where all ITT providers who operate in our TSH region of Uttlesford, Epping Forest, Harlow, Braintree, and Chelmsford are listed. Please email phaslam@swchs.net if you wish to talk to a TSH ITT expert about getting involved and want some impartial advice.
• The DfE have also created a page on school engagement in ITT which offers a more detailed summary of what offering a trainee placement looks like - see here.

Download the above summary here.

Saffron Teaching School Hub website – a source of useful information on ITT for schools

• Heads and ITT Leads may find Saffron TSH’s ITT webpages useful - in particular the Support for Schools section. We also have useful information on Routes into Teaching and Funding for ITT to help schools advise potential trainees who contact them looking to train.
• Schools may also wish to offer School Experience. This is where schools offer a day for a potential candidate to come into school, observe and meet those in charge of ITT to find out more about what it is like to work in a school. This is often the first step for candidates to apply. Please contact phaslam@swchs.net if you would like to offer this.