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Teachers: Training

Volume 480: debated on Wednesday 8 October 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average number of times was an individual trainee on the initial teacher training course took the basic skills test in (a) literacy, (b) numeracy and (c) ICT in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement. (223714)

The available information is given in the table.

ITT trainees—QTS skills test results

Numeracy

Literacy

ICT

Number passed

Approximate number of tests sat by those who passed

Mean number of attempts required to pass

Number passed

Approximate number of tests sat by those who passed

Mean number of attempts required to pass

Number passed

Approximate number of tests sat by those who passed

Mean number of attempts required to pass

2000-01

22,950

29,380

1.28

23,230

26,480

1.14

n/a

n/a

n/a

2001-02

25,980

33,260

1.28

26,330

32,910

1.25

25,810

28,650

1.11

2002-03

29,090

38,110

1.31

29,620

36,720

1.24

29,170

38,220

1.31

2003-04

31,310

42,580

1.36

32,720

40,250

1.23

32,960

38,560

1.17

2004-05

33,250

49,540

1.49

33,900

47,120

1.39

33,330

45,990

1.38

2005-06

34,130

50,850

1.49

34,150

47,810

1.40

33,250

37,900

1.14

2006-07

34,360

53,600

1.56

35,150

46,460

1.32

35,140

39,310

1.12

n/a = Not applicable

Notes:

1. Includes mainstream (Universities, other higher education institutes, SCITT and Open University) as well as employment based routes.

Source:

TDA

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many graduates completed the Teach First programme in each year since its inception; and if he will make a statement; (223793)

(2) how many graduates he expects to complete the Teach First programme in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement;

(3) what plans he has to increase the number of graduates completing the Teach First programme; and if he will make a statement;

(4) what plans he has to increase awareness of the Teach First programme among graduates; and if he will make a statement;

(5) how many and what percentage of Teach First leavers went on to work in (a) academies and (b) the independent sector in each of the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

The following number of graduates have completed the Teach First programme:

Number

2004

164

2005

177

2006

158

2007

244

2008

253

The Prime Minister announced in June 2008 that the number of Teach First places would double over the next five years to the level where more than 800 top class graduates would be recruited into teaching each year. Accordingly, Teach First is projecting the following number of graduates will begin the programme in each year:

Number

2009

370

2010

460

2011

560

2012

660

2013

760

2014

850

Teach First is already taking forward plans to drive the expansion by increasing the awareness of the programme among eligible graduates. It does not currently have detailed statistics on the destinations of completers who remain in education, but I already plan to require these to be available for the 2008/09 academic year onwards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of secondary school teacher training applications for each subject were accepted in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. (223796)

The only centrally available data on applications for Initial Teacher Training (ITT) courses is for mainstream postgraduate ITT courses. Data on total ITT, mainstream undergraduate ITT and Employment Based ITT are not available centrally.

The following tables show the number of applications and acceptances to mainstream postgraduate secondary ITT courses in England along with the proportion of those applications which were accepted for each subject since 2003-04. Figures for 2008-09 will be available around May 2009.

Post graduate applications and acceptances to secondary ITT courses1,2,3, 2003-04 to 2007-08—England

2003-04

2004-05

Number of applications

Number of acceptances

Proportion of applications which are accepted

Number of applications

Number of acceptances

Proportion of applications which are accepted

Mathematics

2,610

1,660

64

2,920

1,670

57

English (inc. Drama)

4,550

2,430

53

4,670

2,340

50

Science4

3,880

2,500

65

4,040

2,460

61

Modern foreign languages5

2,480

1,580

64

2,300

1,400

61

Technology6

3,790

2,100

55

3,800

2,180

58

History

1,920

1,120

58

1,910

1,010

53

Geography

1,250

980

79

1,310

940

72

Physical Education

2,020

950

47

2,200

1,020

46

Art

1,770

1,020

57

1,690

920

55

Music

610

510

84

640

460

73

Religious education

700

560

80

780

580

75

Other7

950

470

50

1,050

560

53

Total secondary8

26,520

15,880

60

27,300

15,550

57

2005-062006-07

Number of applications

Number of acceptances

Proportion of applications which are accepted

Number of applications

Number of acceptances

Proportion of applications which are accepted

Mathematics

3,250

1,780

55

2,840

1,740

61

English (inc. Drama)

4,950

2,250

46

5,090

2,090

41

Science4

4,310

2,570

60

4,210

2,680

64

Modern foreign languages5

2,220

1,330

60

2,060

1,310

64

Technology6

3,800

2,200

58

3,530

2,160

61

History

1,960

910

46

1,780

740

42

Geography

1,220

860

70

1,120

770

69

Physical Education

2,300

970

42

2,340

870

37

Art

1,650

820

50

1,560

700

45

Music

700

510

73

780

540

69

Religious education

860

630

74

1,070

720

67

Other7

1,140

590

51

1,070

490

46

Total secondary8

28,360

15,410

54

27,450

14,810

54

2007-08

Number of applications

Number of acceptances

Proportion of applications which are accepted

Mathematics

2,590

1,680

65

English (inc. Drama)

4,700

2,010

43

Science4

3,910

2,690

69

Modern foreign languages5

1,810

1,260

70

Technology6

2,980

2,080

70

History

1,710

690

41

Geography

890

690

77

Physical Education

2,370

830

35

Art

1,390

600

43

Music

770

570

73

Religious education

1,110

760

68

Other7

950

420

45

Total secondary8

25,170

14,270

57

1 Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. There may be discrepancies between the sum of constituent items and totals as shown.

2 Some applications to Postgraduate ITT courses are made independently of the Graduate Teacher Training Registry {GTTR) and are not included in the figures.

3 Membership to the GTTR changes between years, therefore the higher education institutions covered may vary.

4 Includes Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geology, Combined/General Sciences and Env/Rural Sciences.

5 Includes French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Celtic Languages and Other Modern Languages.

6 Includes Design and Technology, Information Technology, Business Studies and Home Economics.

7 Includes Economics, Social Studies, Classics, Citizenship and Unspecified.

8 Excludes middle phase.

Source:

Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR)

The number of people accepting offers to ITT courses is a more important indicator of take up rate than applications. Year on year changes in the number of acceptances between 2003-04 and 2007-08 have broadly reflected changes in ITT recruitment targets. While acceptances for postgraduate courses for 2007-08 are a few percentage points down on last year, there are also fewer places on offer.

Figures presented in this response have been published on the GTTR website. Details of what GTTR information has been published is available at:

http://www.gttr.ac.uk/providers/statistics/annualstatisticalreport

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the progress of the National College of School Leadership in developing a replacement for the Fast Track scheme; and if he will make a statement. (223799)

The National College for School Leadership submitted its preliminary advice for a new accelerated leadership programme to the Secretary of State in June 2008.

Departmental officials are working with the College to enable it to provide further advice and full proposals by early November 2008. The Secretary of State will then respond to these.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what assessment he has made of the performance of the future leaders programme; and if he will make a statement; (223800)

(2) how many people are expected to complete the future leaders programme in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement;

(3) what the budget for the future leaders programme is for 2008-09; and if he will make a statement;

(4) what plans he has to expand the future leaders programme across England; and if he will make a statement.

Early, independent evaluation of the programme has been very favourable. The Future Leaders programme is already helping to address the imminent succession planning needs in London school leadership teams, with the majority of participants to date securing a senior leadership team post.

When we published the Children’s Plan at the end of last year, we announced that we would expand the Future Leaders programme so that by September 2011 there will be over 500 Future Leaders in schools across the country’s major city regions.

The programme is part-funded by the Government; for the current spending review period we have allowed £8 million, of which approximately £2 million will be spent in 2008-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment his Department has made of the merits of establishing a national college of teachers; and if he will make a statement. (223804)

No specific assessment has been made of the merits of establishing a national college of teachers. However, the DCSF works with the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) to support and promote effective recruitment and professional development arrangements, not only for teachers, but for the whole school work force.

We also continue to work with the National College for School Leadership (NCSL) supporting the development of leadership teams with broad skill sets, and with the independent General Teaching Council for England (GTCE), to improve standards of teaching and the quality of learning, and to maintain and improve standards of professional conduct among teachers.

The TDA, NCSL and GTCE work effectively together. For example, TDA and NCSL are leading jointly the project to support remodelling in extended schools while TDA and GTCE work closely on the continuing professional development of teachers.