1. Carter Review of Initial Teacher Training

2. 2 Introduction and Context What are the aims of the review?  ITT is now a diverse landscape, with a wide range of choice available to both schools and trainees. This review has looked across ITT to identify the features that are common to best practice, in order to help trainees and schools become more intelligent customers of ITT provision.  There has been significant change in the education landscape – for example, in curriculum and qualifications. This review will look at how ITT curricula have kept abreast of that change.  Our Terms of Reference set out the overall aims of the review, which are:  to define effective ITT practice;  to assess the extent to which the system currently delivers effective ITT;  to recommend where and how improvements could be made; and  to support choice in the ITT system by improving the transparency of course content and method.

3. 3 The scope of the review  The scope of the review includes all ITT routes (HEI, SCITT, School Direct as well as Teach First) and a range of subjects and phases.  The review group has focused on areas it deemed particularly important; for example, subject knowledge, subject specific pedagogy, behaviour management training, and special educational needs.  The review group has focused on the quality of ITT provision and not considered related ITT issues, such as recruitment and retention strategies, workforce planning or funding. The Advisory Group  An advisory group has been appointed, representing a diverse range of views, to support this work on the review. The members of the group are:  Professor Samantha Twiselton (Sheffield Hallam University)  Dr Louise Walker (Manchester University)  Sir Dan Moynihan (Harris Federation)  Judith O’Kane OBE (Bright Futures Education Trust)  Daisy Christodoulou (ARK Schools)

4. 4 Progress to date:  The review group has reached the end of an evidence-gathering phase.  We have had extensive consultation with the sector including:  11 themed roundtable discussions with experts;  31 visits to ITT providers including discussions with their partner schools and trainees;  and 24 meetings with professional bodies and other interested parties.  We have reviewed course materials from over 150 courses.  We have considered responses from our formal call for evidence – we received 148 responses, from universities, schools, professional bodies as well as teachers and trainees.  We have also considered the existing evidence base (e.g. international evidence, Ofsted evidence, NQT survey).

5. 5 Emerging themes:  ITT Content  ITT is limited in time and should prioritise what needs to be covered to ensure that new teachers are the best they can be when they begin as NQTs.  ITT should have a relentless focus on pupil progress and all content should be focussed towards how teachers can support children to achieve.  ITT should instil an evidence-based approach, ensuring that all new teachers are intelligent consumers of research and understand the importance of evidence-based practice.  Behaviour management should be treated as a central issue and should offer practical and specific advice.  ITT should systematically address subject knowledge development. ITT should have an emphasis on subject-specific training, delivered by subject experts.  ITT should provide a grounding in child and adolescent development.  ITT should prepare new teachers to assess pupil progress accurately – including the technical aspects of assessment.  All teachers are teachers of SEN – so ITT should prepare trainees for this.  ITT should be explicit about professional issues.

6. 6 Emerging themes:  ITT Content  ITT is limited in time and should prioritise what needs to be covered to ensure that new teachers are the best they can be when they begin as NQTs.  ITT should have a relentless focus on pupil progress and all content should be focussed towards how teachers can support children to achieve.  ITT should instil an evidence-based approach, ensuring that all new teachers are intelligent consumers of research and understand the importance of evidence-based practice.  Behaviour management should be treated as a central issue and should offer practical and specific advice.  ITT should systematically address subject knowledge development. ITT should have an emphasis on subject-specific training, delivered by subject experts.  ITT should provide a grounding in child and adolescent development.  ITT should prepare new teachers to assess pupil progress accurately – including the technical aspects of assessment.  All teachers are teachers of SEN – so ITT should prepare trainees for this.  ITT should be explicit about professional issues.

7. 7 Emerging themes:  ITT Delivery  We have considered a range of different routes. We have found that all have different strengths and meet different trainee and school needs. Diversity and flexibility seems to be a strength of the system.  Effective ITT is built on genuine partnerships where schools play an active or leading role – we have seen excellent examples of this across all routes.  High quality mentoring is critical – mentors need increased status and recognition.  The best programmes make innovative use of time through a range of structured placements and other school based experiences, in contrasting settings.  ITT needs to have systematic links with CPD.  Information for applicants: the current picture is confusing for applicants – clearer and more accessible information is needed.  Information for schools: again, the picture is confusing and clearer information is needed about what different providers can offer to schools involved in School Direct.

8. 8 Emerging themes:  ITT Delivery  We have considered a range of different routes. We have found that all have different strengths and meet different trainee and school needs. Diversity and flexibility seems to be a strength of the system.  Effective ITT is built on genuine partnerships where schools play an active or leading role – we have seen excellent examples of this across all routes.  High quality mentoring is critical – mentors need increased status and recognition.  The best programmes make innovative use of time through a range of structured placements and other school based experiences, in contrasting settings.  ITT needs to have systematic links with CPD.  Information for applicants: the current picture is confusing for applicants – clearer and more accessible information is needed.  Information for schools: again, the picture is confusing and clearer information is needed about what different providers can offer to schools involved in School Direct.

9. 9 Next Steps:  Agreeing recommendations – the group has started to review the evidence and will now start to develop recommendations. There are likely to be recommendations to providers and schools about best practice, as well as to key sector bodies as well as DfE and NCTL.  A report will be provided to Ministers by the end of this year.