Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on evidence suggesting a link between the A-level results of trainee teachers and their later performance when in a teaching career.

In order to complete initial teacher training successfully, all trainees must meet the Teachers’ Standards in full. The standards emphasise the importance of the basics of good teaching, such as strong subject knowledge and effective behaviour management. Following the review teacher training by Sir Andrew Carter, we have a commissioned an expert group to develop a new framework of content for training, based closely on the Teachers’ Standards and reiterating the requirement to place a clear focus on essentials such as the effective development of subject knowledge and being able to identify and respond to special educational needs. The group will be making its recommendations to Ministers shortly.