Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many places were available on teacher training courses at higher education institutions in each academic year since 2009-10.

We have changed the approach to initial teacher training (ITT) allocations for the 2016 to 2017 academic year. The National College of Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) will not be allocating a specific number of places to individual organisations for postgraduate ITT courses due to start in the 2016 to 2017 academic year. Instead, eligible schools, school-centred initial teacher training providers (SCITTs) and higher education institutions (HEIs) will be able to recruit (subject to a limited number of controls) as many trainees as they feel they need – until the overall system has recruited sufficient trainees. For 2016/17 the number of places available for HEIs to recruit to (based on the estimate of trainee need as per the teacher supply model) can be found on GOV.UK:

• 2016/17 - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/initial-teacher-training-itt-recruitment-controls. (Total core postgraduate places available to HEIs = 14,027).

Prior to 2016/17 we have operated an allocations system for School Direct lead schools, SCITTs and HEIs. For recent years detailed initial and final allocations data for HEIs can be found on GOV.UK:

• 2015/16 - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/initial-teacher-training-allocations-for-academic-year-2015-to-2016. (Total core postgraduate places allocated to HEIs = 17,066).

• 2014/15 - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/initial-teacher-training-allocations-for-academic-year-2014-to-2015. (Total core postgraduate places initially allocated to HEIs = 23,095).

• 2013/14 - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/initial-teacher-training-allocations-for-academic-year-2013-to-2014-final. (Total core postgraduate places available to HEIs = 20,005).

For 2012/13 and earlier published allocations data can be found on the national archives (http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130423140808/http:/education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/TIM/m002013/index.shtml). An extract detailing the relevant years is shown below. It should be noted that this data cannot be disaggregated into HEIs and non-HEIs but is included for information.

Notes:

2. 1999/2000 places exclude 600 Maths and Science Scheme places.
3. Citizenship includes Personal Social Health & Economic Education and Social Studies
4. Technology includes Design and Technology, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Business Sudies.
5. Classics/Ancient Languages are included in 'Other' until 2010/11 inclusive, and in Foreign Languages from 2011/12.
6. Places for vocational subjects from 2006/07 onwards are included with the allocation for related academic subject: Science includes places for Applied Science, Design and Technology includes both Manufacturing and Engineering, ICT includes Applied ICT, Business Studies includes Applied Business, Geography includes Leisure and Tourism, Art includes Applied Art and Other subjects includes Health and Social Care and subjects relating to the new diploma subjects.
7. In 2004/05 places for vocational subjects were shown separately.
8. In 2003/04 the margin of flexibility included places for a vocational subjects pilot. The margin of flexibility/secondary reserve constituted places that the Training and Development Agency for Schools could allocate to any secondary subject, to support providers whose baselines would otherwise be below economic levels; to ensure the appropriate denominational balance; and to help providers with a high proportion of places in shortage subjects and who therefore had particular uncertainty of income. The margin of flexibility included in the places for 2000/01 and 2001/02 is equivalent to the provision the Teacher Training Agency had in 1999/2000 to move places between secondary subjects within certain parameters, but is now given explicitly.

... Not applicable