Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what requirements his Department places on academy schools in relation to providing statutory induction for new teachers.

Completing induction is an important career milestone for teachers with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Without having passed induction, teachers will not be able to work in relevant schools (the School Workforce Census of November 2017 shows that 94.2% of teachers in academies hold QTS), and the Department knows the induction process is valued by schools and can play a positive role in improving teacher quality.

All schools, including academies, that provide statutory induction must comply with relevant regulations and statutory guidance. From 2021, subject to regulatory changes, this will include an enhanced support offer for early career teachers, underpinned by the Early Career Framework.

Although not legally required, the majority of non-maintained schools, including academies, do provide statutory induction. Most recent available data shows that 29,765 Newly Qualified Teachers from across all sectors passed induction in 2017/18.

Ensuring the highest quality of teaching is paramount to the success of each school. The Department trusts headteachers to take decisions that work for their school and their pupils. They will continue to be held to account for the quality of teaching in their schools through the Ofsted inspection regime and the publication of school performance data. We are not looking to make changes to the current academy freedoms.

It is important to note that the funding for the Early Career Framework will be available to all schools, including academies, supporting an early career teacher who is undergoing statutory induction. It is anticipated that academies will continue to offer induction and there has been strong support from the school sector, including academies, for these reforms.