Teachers: Career Development

(asked on 21st June 2017) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on providing career support for teachers.


Answered by
Nick Gibb Portrait
Nick Gibb
This question was answered on 29th June 2017

A focus on career development is a hallmark of a strong profession. We are committed to working with teachers and head teachers to improve support for career progression. This includes supporting the development of clear development pathways – whether staying in the classroom, working elsewhere in the education system, or progressing to leadership.

As part of this, we have already introduced an ITT framework (available at www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/536890/Framework_Report_11_July_2016_Final.pdf) to provide the best start to a career in teaching, and have committed to strengthening QTS to help raise the status of the profession and support improvements in quality. We have announced that the strengthened QTS will be introduced from September 2019 and we are in the process of considering options and engaging with the profession.

Decisions relating to teachers’ professional development rightly rest with head teachers and teachers, as they are in the best position to judge their own requirements. We have supported this by creating the Standard for Professional Development, published in July 2016 (available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/standard-for-teachers-professional-development). This will help embed a culture and expectation of continuing professional development throughout a teacher’s career, and the new Teaching and Leadership Innovation Fund will provide funds to improve the quality of CPD, particularly in the areas that need it most.

The Chartered College of Teaching, which opened to members in January 2017 and is initially supported by Government funding, will focus on helping teachers access high quality professional development using the evidence base on effective practice to inform their own teaching.

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