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Written Question
Teachers: Art and Design
Tuesday 19th September 2023

Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Sunderland West)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to take steps to reintroduce subject-specific teacher training bursaries for art and design teachers.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The Department reviews bursaries for Initial Teacher Training (ITT) before the start of each annual recruitment cycle. As part of this, the Department takes account of several factors when considering the offer in each subject, including historic recruitment, forecast economic conditions, and teacher supply need in each subject. This ensures the Department provides funding where it is needed the most.

In academic years 2020/21 and 2021/22 the Department exceeded the postgraduate ITT recruitment targets in art and design, recruiting 132% and 134% of the respective targets.

The Department recognises that ITT recruitment has become more challenging since then, due to the highly competitive graduate labour market. As a result, art and design recruitment fell slightly below the postgraduate ITT target in academic year 2022/23 (90%).

The Department will review the need for ITT bursaries across all subjects, informed by latest recruitment for academic year 2023/24 and our detailed workforce modelling, prior to announcing the bursaries available for ITT applicants this autumn.


Written Question
Teachers: Pay
Friday 20th October 2023

Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of offering higher starting salaries to people entering the teaching profession with wider professional experience relevant to the subjects they teach.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions document (STPCD) sets out the four pay ranges for teachers in maintained schools in England. A teacher must be paid a salary within the minimum and maximum of the pay range as set out within the STPCD as the relevant body determines. A link to more information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-teachers-pay-and-conditions.

In the recent pay award, teachers and leaders in maintained schools received a pay award of 6.5%, the highest pay award for teachers in over thirty years. The Government also delivered its manifesto commitment of a minimum £30,000 starting salary for teachers in all regions of the country, with a pay award of up to 7.1% for new teachers outside London. The Department is committed to ensuring that teaching is a financially competitive career option within the graduate labour market.

The Department wants to ensure there are excellent teachers where they are needed most. The Department has announced a £196 million initial teacher training (ITT) financial incentives package for the 2024/25 ITT recruitment cycle, a £15 million increase on the last cycle. This includes increased bursaries worth up to £28,000 tax free and scholarships worth up to £30,000 tax free, to encourage talented trainees to key subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing. The Department is also providing a Levelling Up Premium worth up to £3,000 tax free for mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who choose to work in disadvantaged schools. For 2024/25 and 2025/26, the Department will be investing £100 million each year to double the rates of the Levelling Up Premium to up to £6,000 tax free.

The Department continues to consider longer term pay priorities to attract and retain the best graduates whilst also delivering value for money on taxpayers’ investment in schools. The next remit to the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) is due to be published shortly, which will include the strategic areas that the Department will consult the STRB on and look to implement in the next academic year.


Written Question
Teachers: Art and Design
Tuesday 19th September 2023

Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Sunderland West)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the reasons for which there has been a decline in the number of people training to become art and design teachers.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The Department monitors and reviews teacher recruitment and retention regularly through the annual School Workforce Census (SWC) and Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Census. As at November 2022, the latest data available, there were over 468,000 full time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state funded schools in England – an increase of 27,000 (6%) since 2010. There were 12,589 FTE art and design teachers in state funded secondary schools. From 2018/19 to 2022/23 inclusive, between 96.3 and 96.5% of all hours taught in art and design were taught by a teacher with a relevant post A level qualification, an increase from 89.0% in 2014/15. The school workforce statistical publication is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.

The latest information on art and design ITT recruitment reported against Postgraduate Initial Teacher Training (PGITT) targets, is published in the ITT Census statistical publication, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/initial-teacher-training-census/2022-23. This shows that 478 postgraduate trainees were recruited in 2022/23 (provisional), where 90% of the target (530 trainees) was achieved. This compares to 780 trainees recruited in 2021/22 (revised), where 134% of the target (580 trainees) was achieved.

The Teacher Workforce Model is used by the Department to calculate PGITT targets for individual subjects. The model considers a broad range of factors, including, but not limited to projected pupil numbers, all forms of teacher recruitment (not just ITT), and the expected level of teacher retention. The model also increases (via an adjustment) targets, where relevant, to build in the impacts of recruitment being below target in the previous two ITT recruitment rounds.

The 2023/24 PGITT recruitment target for art and design is 825, an increase of 295 on the 2022/23 target of 530. This increase was driven by the need to make an adjustment to the 2023/24 target relating to recruitment being below target, when no such adjustment was required for 2022/23. The latest published set of targets are available on GOV.UK: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/postgraduate-initial-teacher-training-targets.

As expected, the unprecedented increase in new entrants to ITT in 2020/21 because of the COVID-19 pandemic has since declined. The graduate and general labour markets became more competitive and pay has risen in competing sectors. The best graduates have more choice, and we are competing for graduates who are in high demand in the graduate labour market.

The Department recently announced that the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendations for the 2023/24 pay award for teachers and head teachers have been accepted in full. This means that teachers and head teachers in maintained schools will receive a pay award of 6.5%. This is the highest pay award for teachers in over thirty years. The award also delivers the manifesto commitment of a minimum £30,000 starting salary for school teachers in all regions in England, with a pay award of up to 7.1% for new teachers outside London.

The Secretary of State speaks regularly to her Cabinet colleagues on a broad range of issues, including the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. While there are no specific ongoing discussions between them on teacher recruitment and retention, it remains one of this Department’s top priorities, and Department’s reforms will support teachers across all subjects.

In terms of the funding offered for recruitment, the Department reviews funding for ITT before the start of each annual recruitment cycle, which includes taking into account bursaries in each subject, historic recruitment, forecast economic conditions, and teacher supply need. This ensures the Department provides funding where it is needed the most.

The Department does not fund subject specific continuing professional development for art and design. Decisions relating to teachers’ professional development rightly rest with schools, headteachers, and teachers themselves, as they are in the best position to judge their own requirements. Teaching School Hubs promote and deliver other high quality evidence based professional development, including subject specific CPD, to teachers and head teachers across all subjects.

More generally, the Department has put in place a number of initiatives that support all teachers’ career development pathways. The Department has created an entitlement to at least three years of structured training, support, and professional development for all new teachers, underpinned by the ITT Core Content Framework and the Early Career Framework. The Department has also launched new National Professional Qualifications for teachers and school leaders at all levels. Since autumn 2021, eligible teachers and head teachers have been able to access scholarships to undertake fully funded NPQs, with £184 million of new additional funding to be spent over the course of this parliament. Further information is available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-professional-qualifications-npqs.


Written Question
Teachers: Art and Design
Tuesday 19th September 2023

Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Sunderland West)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department has allocated to subject-specific professional development training for art and design teachers in each of the (a) last and (b) next five years.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The Department monitors and reviews teacher recruitment and retention regularly through the annual School Workforce Census (SWC) and Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Census. As at November 2022, the latest data available, there were over 468,000 full time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state funded schools in England – an increase of 27,000 (6%) since 2010. There were 12,589 FTE art and design teachers in state funded secondary schools. From 2018/19 to 2022/23 inclusive, between 96.3 and 96.5% of all hours taught in art and design were taught by a teacher with a relevant post A level qualification, an increase from 89.0% in 2014/15. The school workforce statistical publication is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.

The latest information on art and design ITT recruitment reported against Postgraduate Initial Teacher Training (PGITT) targets, is published in the ITT Census statistical publication, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/initial-teacher-training-census/2022-23. This shows that 478 postgraduate trainees were recruited in 2022/23 (provisional), where 90% of the target (530 trainees) was achieved. This compares to 780 trainees recruited in 2021/22 (revised), where 134% of the target (580 trainees) was achieved.

The Teacher Workforce Model is used by the Department to calculate PGITT targets for individual subjects. The model considers a broad range of factors, including, but not limited to projected pupil numbers, all forms of teacher recruitment (not just ITT), and the expected level of teacher retention. The model also increases (via an adjustment) targets, where relevant, to build in the impacts of recruitment being below target in the previous two ITT recruitment rounds.

The 2023/24 PGITT recruitment target for art and design is 825, an increase of 295 on the 2022/23 target of 530. This increase was driven by the need to make an adjustment to the 2023/24 target relating to recruitment being below target, when no such adjustment was required for 2022/23. The latest published set of targets are available on GOV.UK: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/postgraduate-initial-teacher-training-targets.

As expected, the unprecedented increase in new entrants to ITT in 2020/21 because of the COVID-19 pandemic has since declined. The graduate and general labour markets became more competitive and pay has risen in competing sectors. The best graduates have more choice, and we are competing for graduates who are in high demand in the graduate labour market.

The Department recently announced that the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendations for the 2023/24 pay award for teachers and head teachers have been accepted in full. This means that teachers and head teachers in maintained schools will receive a pay award of 6.5%. This is the highest pay award for teachers in over thirty years. The award also delivers the manifesto commitment of a minimum £30,000 starting salary for school teachers in all regions in England, with a pay award of up to 7.1% for new teachers outside London.

The Secretary of State speaks regularly to her Cabinet colleagues on a broad range of issues, including the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. While there are no specific ongoing discussions between them on teacher recruitment and retention, it remains one of this Department’s top priorities, and Department’s reforms will support teachers across all subjects.

In terms of the funding offered for recruitment, the Department reviews funding for ITT before the start of each annual recruitment cycle, which includes taking into account bursaries in each subject, historic recruitment, forecast economic conditions, and teacher supply need. This ensures the Department provides funding where it is needed the most.

The Department does not fund subject specific continuing professional development for art and design. Decisions relating to teachers’ professional development rightly rest with schools, headteachers, and teachers themselves, as they are in the best position to judge their own requirements. Teaching School Hubs promote and deliver other high quality evidence based professional development, including subject specific CPD, to teachers and head teachers across all subjects.

More generally, the Department has put in place a number of initiatives that support all teachers’ career development pathways. The Department has created an entitlement to at least three years of structured training, support, and professional development for all new teachers, underpinned by the ITT Core Content Framework and the Early Career Framework. The Department has also launched new National Professional Qualifications for teachers and school leaders at all levels. Since autumn 2021, eligible teachers and head teachers have been able to access scholarships to undertake fully funded NPQs, with £184 million of new additional funding to be spent over the course of this parliament. Further information is available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-professional-qualifications-npqs.


Written Question
Teachers: Art and Design
Tuesday 19th September 2023

Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Sunderland West)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of (a) recruitment and (b) retention levels of art and design teachers.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The Department monitors and reviews teacher recruitment and retention regularly through the annual School Workforce Census (SWC) and Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Census. As at November 2022, the latest data available, there were over 468,000 full time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state funded schools in England – an increase of 27,000 (6%) since 2010. There were 12,589 FTE art and design teachers in state funded secondary schools. From 2018/19 to 2022/23 inclusive, between 96.3 and 96.5% of all hours taught in art and design were taught by a teacher with a relevant post A level qualification, an increase from 89.0% in 2014/15. The school workforce statistical publication is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.

The latest information on art and design ITT recruitment reported against Postgraduate Initial Teacher Training (PGITT) targets, is published in the ITT Census statistical publication, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/initial-teacher-training-census/2022-23. This shows that 478 postgraduate trainees were recruited in 2022/23 (provisional), where 90% of the target (530 trainees) was achieved. This compares to 780 trainees recruited in 2021/22 (revised), where 134% of the target (580 trainees) was achieved.

The Teacher Workforce Model is used by the Department to calculate PGITT targets for individual subjects. The model considers a broad range of factors, including, but not limited to projected pupil numbers, all forms of teacher recruitment (not just ITT), and the expected level of teacher retention. The model also increases (via an adjustment) targets, where relevant, to build in the impacts of recruitment being below target in the previous two ITT recruitment rounds.

The 2023/24 PGITT recruitment target for art and design is 825, an increase of 295 on the 2022/23 target of 530. This increase was driven by the need to make an adjustment to the 2023/24 target relating to recruitment being below target, when no such adjustment was required for 2022/23. The latest published set of targets are available on GOV.UK: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/postgraduate-initial-teacher-training-targets.

As expected, the unprecedented increase in new entrants to ITT in 2020/21 because of the COVID-19 pandemic has since declined. The graduate and general labour markets became more competitive and pay has risen in competing sectors. The best graduates have more choice, and we are competing for graduates who are in high demand in the graduate labour market.

The Department recently announced that the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendations for the 2023/24 pay award for teachers and head teachers have been accepted in full. This means that teachers and head teachers in maintained schools will receive a pay award of 6.5%. This is the highest pay award for teachers in over thirty years. The award also delivers the manifesto commitment of a minimum £30,000 starting salary for school teachers in all regions in England, with a pay award of up to 7.1% for new teachers outside London.

The Secretary of State speaks regularly to her Cabinet colleagues on a broad range of issues, including the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. While there are no specific ongoing discussions between them on teacher recruitment and retention, it remains one of this Department’s top priorities, and Department’s reforms will support teachers across all subjects.

In terms of the funding offered for recruitment, the Department reviews funding for ITT before the start of each annual recruitment cycle, which includes taking into account bursaries in each subject, historic recruitment, forecast economic conditions, and teacher supply need. This ensures the Department provides funding where it is needed the most.

The Department does not fund subject specific continuing professional development for art and design. Decisions relating to teachers’ professional development rightly rest with schools, headteachers, and teachers themselves, as they are in the best position to judge their own requirements. Teaching School Hubs promote and deliver other high quality evidence based professional development, including subject specific CPD, to teachers and head teachers across all subjects.

More generally, the Department has put in place a number of initiatives that support all teachers’ career development pathways. The Department has created an entitlement to at least three years of structured training, support, and professional development for all new teachers, underpinned by the ITT Core Content Framework and the Early Career Framework. The Department has also launched new National Professional Qualifications for teachers and school leaders at all levels. Since autumn 2021, eligible teachers and head teachers have been able to access scholarships to undertake fully funded NPQs, with £184 million of new additional funding to be spent over the course of this parliament. Further information is available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-professional-qualifications-npqs.


Written Question
Teachers: Art and Design
Tuesday 19th September 2023

Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Sunderland West)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to increase funding for (a) career development and (b) recruitment pathways for art and design teachers.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The Department monitors and reviews teacher recruitment and retention regularly through the annual School Workforce Census (SWC) and Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Census. As at November 2022, the latest data available, there were over 468,000 full time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state funded schools in England – an increase of 27,000 (6%) since 2010. There were 12,589 FTE art and design teachers in state funded secondary schools. From 2018/19 to 2022/23 inclusive, between 96.3 and 96.5% of all hours taught in art and design were taught by a teacher with a relevant post A level qualification, an increase from 89.0% in 2014/15. The school workforce statistical publication is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.

The latest information on art and design ITT recruitment reported against Postgraduate Initial Teacher Training (PGITT) targets, is published in the ITT Census statistical publication, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/initial-teacher-training-census/2022-23. This shows that 478 postgraduate trainees were recruited in 2022/23 (provisional), where 90% of the target (530 trainees) was achieved. This compares to 780 trainees recruited in 2021/22 (revised), where 134% of the target (580 trainees) was achieved.

The Teacher Workforce Model is used by the Department to calculate PGITT targets for individual subjects. The model considers a broad range of factors, including, but not limited to projected pupil numbers, all forms of teacher recruitment (not just ITT), and the expected level of teacher retention. The model also increases (via an adjustment) targets, where relevant, to build in the impacts of recruitment being below target in the previous two ITT recruitment rounds.

The 2023/24 PGITT recruitment target for art and design is 825, an increase of 295 on the 2022/23 target of 530. This increase was driven by the need to make an adjustment to the 2023/24 target relating to recruitment being below target, when no such adjustment was required for 2022/23. The latest published set of targets are available on GOV.UK: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/postgraduate-initial-teacher-training-targets.

As expected, the unprecedented increase in new entrants to ITT in 2020/21 because of the COVID-19 pandemic has since declined. The graduate and general labour markets became more competitive and pay has risen in competing sectors. The best graduates have more choice, and we are competing for graduates who are in high demand in the graduate labour market.

The Department recently announced that the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendations for the 2023/24 pay award for teachers and head teachers have been accepted in full. This means that teachers and head teachers in maintained schools will receive a pay award of 6.5%. This is the highest pay award for teachers in over thirty years. The award also delivers the manifesto commitment of a minimum £30,000 starting salary for school teachers in all regions in England, with a pay award of up to 7.1% for new teachers outside London.

The Secretary of State speaks regularly to her Cabinet colleagues on a broad range of issues, including the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. While there are no specific ongoing discussions between them on teacher recruitment and retention, it remains one of this Department’s top priorities, and Department’s reforms will support teachers across all subjects.

In terms of the funding offered for recruitment, the Department reviews funding for ITT before the start of each annual recruitment cycle, which includes taking into account bursaries in each subject, historic recruitment, forecast economic conditions, and teacher supply need. This ensures the Department provides funding where it is needed the most.

The Department does not fund subject specific continuing professional development for art and design. Decisions relating to teachers’ professional development rightly rest with schools, headteachers, and teachers themselves, as they are in the best position to judge their own requirements. Teaching School Hubs promote and deliver other high quality evidence based professional development, including subject specific CPD, to teachers and head teachers across all subjects.

More generally, the Department has put in place a number of initiatives that support all teachers’ career development pathways. The Department has created an entitlement to at least three years of structured training, support, and professional development for all new teachers, underpinned by the ITT Core Content Framework and the Early Career Framework. The Department has also launched new National Professional Qualifications for teachers and school leaders at all levels. Since autumn 2021, eligible teachers and head teachers have been able to access scholarships to undertake fully funded NPQs, with £184 million of new additional funding to be spent over the course of this parliament. Further information is available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-professional-qualifications-npqs.


Written Question
Teachers: Art and Design
Tuesday 19th September 2023

Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Sunderland West)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on (a) recruitment and (b) retention rates for art and design teachers.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The Department monitors and reviews teacher recruitment and retention regularly through the annual School Workforce Census (SWC) and Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Census. As at November 2022, the latest data available, there were over 468,000 full time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state funded schools in England – an increase of 27,000 (6%) since 2010. There were 12,589 FTE art and design teachers in state funded secondary schools. From 2018/19 to 2022/23 inclusive, between 96.3 and 96.5% of all hours taught in art and design were taught by a teacher with a relevant post A level qualification, an increase from 89.0% in 2014/15. The school workforce statistical publication is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.

The latest information on art and design ITT recruitment reported against Postgraduate Initial Teacher Training (PGITT) targets, is published in the ITT Census statistical publication, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/initial-teacher-training-census/2022-23. This shows that 478 postgraduate trainees were recruited in 2022/23 (provisional), where 90% of the target (530 trainees) was achieved. This compares to 780 trainees recruited in 2021/22 (revised), where 134% of the target (580 trainees) was achieved.

The Teacher Workforce Model is used by the Department to calculate PGITT targets for individual subjects. The model considers a broad range of factors, including, but not limited to projected pupil numbers, all forms of teacher recruitment (not just ITT), and the expected level of teacher retention. The model also increases (via an adjustment) targets, where relevant, to build in the impacts of recruitment being below target in the previous two ITT recruitment rounds.

The 2023/24 PGITT recruitment target for art and design is 825, an increase of 295 on the 2022/23 target of 530. This increase was driven by the need to make an adjustment to the 2023/24 target relating to recruitment being below target, when no such adjustment was required for 2022/23. The latest published set of targets are available on GOV.UK: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/postgraduate-initial-teacher-training-targets.

As expected, the unprecedented increase in new entrants to ITT in 2020/21 because of the COVID-19 pandemic has since declined. The graduate and general labour markets became more competitive and pay has risen in competing sectors. The best graduates have more choice, and we are competing for graduates who are in high demand in the graduate labour market.

The Department recently announced that the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendations for the 2023/24 pay award for teachers and head teachers have been accepted in full. This means that teachers and head teachers in maintained schools will receive a pay award of 6.5%. This is the highest pay award for teachers in over thirty years. The award also delivers the manifesto commitment of a minimum £30,000 starting salary for school teachers in all regions in England, with a pay award of up to 7.1% for new teachers outside London.

The Secretary of State speaks regularly to her Cabinet colleagues on a broad range of issues, including the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. While there are no specific ongoing discussions between them on teacher recruitment and retention, it remains one of this Department’s top priorities, and Department’s reforms will support teachers across all subjects.

In terms of the funding offered for recruitment, the Department reviews funding for ITT before the start of each annual recruitment cycle, which includes taking into account bursaries in each subject, historic recruitment, forecast economic conditions, and teacher supply need. This ensures the Department provides funding where it is needed the most.

The Department does not fund subject specific continuing professional development for art and design. Decisions relating to teachers’ professional development rightly rest with schools, headteachers, and teachers themselves, as they are in the best position to judge their own requirements. Teaching School Hubs promote and deliver other high quality evidence based professional development, including subject specific CPD, to teachers and head teachers across all subjects.

More generally, the Department has put in place a number of initiatives that support all teachers’ career development pathways. The Department has created an entitlement to at least three years of structured training, support, and professional development for all new teachers, underpinned by the ITT Core Content Framework and the Early Career Framework. The Department has also launched new National Professional Qualifications for teachers and school leaders at all levels. Since autumn 2021, eligible teachers and head teachers have been able to access scholarships to undertake fully funded NPQs, with £184 million of new additional funding to be spent over the course of this parliament. Further information is available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-professional-qualifications-npqs.


Written Question
Teachers: Training
Tuesday 1st August 2023

Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many accredited providers for the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) process received (1) requires improvement, or (2) inadequate, Ofsted ratings in the period since January 2022; and what assessment they have made of the credibility of the ITT accreditation process given those figures.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The current cycle of Ofsted inspections tests the effectiveness of existing Initial Teacher Training (ITT) provision in line with the principles set out in its Initial Teacher Education inspection framework. The accreditation process, undertaken jointly with Ofsted, assessed provider potential to deliver high-quality ITT in line with the new Quality Requirements from the 2024/25 academic year as recommended by the ITT market review, particularly the enhanced requirements around mentoring. These two processes are distinct and, therefore, Ofsted’s current inspection judgements and the accreditation against the new requirements from 2024 do not align in all instances.

In respect of the providers accredited to deliver ITT from September 2024, 69 inspections have been carried out since January 2022. Of these, four received a ‘Requires Improvement’ judgement and one received an ‘Inadequate’ judgement in 2022. These five providers have since been reinspected by Ofsted in 2023 and judged as ‘Good’.

Twelve universities were not successful in gaining accreditation to deliver ITT from September 2024, of which six were judged as ‘Good’, one was judged as ‘Requires Improvement’ and since improved to ‘Good’ on reinspection. Additionally, two were judged ‘Inadequate’, of which one has since improved to ‘Good’ with the other yet to be reinspected.


Written Question
Teachers: Training
Tuesday 1st August 2023

Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many universities who lost accreditation in the Initial Teacher Training accreditation process received (1) good, or (2) outstanding, Ofsted ratings in the period since January 2022.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The current cycle of Ofsted inspections tests the effectiveness of existing Initial Teacher Training (ITT) provision in line with the principles set out in its Initial Teacher Education inspection framework. The accreditation process, undertaken jointly with Ofsted, assessed provider potential to deliver high-quality ITT in line with the new Quality Requirements from the 2024/25 academic year as recommended by the ITT market review, particularly the enhanced requirements around mentoring. These two processes are distinct and, therefore, Ofsted’s current inspection judgements and the accreditation against the new requirements from 2024 do not align in all instances.

In respect of the providers accredited to deliver ITT from September 2024, 69 inspections have been carried out since January 2022. Of these, four received a ‘Requires Improvement’ judgement and one received an ‘Inadequate’ judgement in 2022. These five providers have since been reinspected by Ofsted in 2023 and judged as ‘Good’.

Twelve universities were not successful in gaining accreditation to deliver ITT from September 2024, of which six were judged as ‘Good’, one was judged as ‘Requires Improvement’ and since improved to ‘Good’ on reinspection. Additionally, two were judged ‘Inadequate’, of which one has since improved to ‘Good’ with the other yet to be reinspected.


Written Question
Teachers: Training
Monday 24th April 2023

Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what weight is given to an initial teacher training provider's most recent Ofsted judgment when evaluating whether to approve an application to be re-accredited to deliver training from September 2024.

Answered by Nick Gibb

Following a comprehensive process over two rounds the Department has now concluded the accreditation process. The Department does not intend to run any further accreditation rounds before first delivery of the reformed initial teacher training (ITT) in 2024/25.

The Department expects the next round of accreditation to take place in the 2025/26 academic year, with recruitment to ITT courses from September 2026, after the new quality requirements have come into effect. Details will be published on GOV.UK.

The accreditation process was not designed to assess quality of current provision, but focused on assessing providers’ capacity to deliver high-quality reformed ITT from September 2024, in line with the new Quality Requirements developed following the ITT Market Review. These two processes are distinct, and, therefore, Ofsted inspection judgements were not considered as part of the accreditation process. The Department firmly believes that the ITT accreditation process was the best way of assessing ITT providers’ potential whilst ensuring it was fair and manageable for applicants, and the Department is confident in the robustness of our assessments. The Department assessed applications in combination with Ofsted, who brought considerable knowledge and expertise to the process.