Published: 4th July 2019
From: Department for Education
Members can find below the latest Teacher Recruitment Bulletin from the Department of Education.
Welcome to the July 2019 edition of the Teacher Recruitment Bulletin, which contains vital information to support your recruitment of Initial Teacher Training (ITT) trainees and teachers. Your colleagues can subscribe to this bulletin by emailing: teacher.recruitmentbulletin@education.gov.uk.
Contents
Summer Recruitment and ITT2020 request window
1. Summer Recruitment Service – How to let us know that you are recruiting over the summer
2. Important reminder – summer reject by default (RBD) change
3. Requesting initial teacher training places 2020 to 2021
Marketing and events
4. Train to Teach events 2019 to 2020 – apply for your space by Friday 19 July
5. Case studies to support the Get into Teaching PR campaign
6. ITT marketing and recruitment guide – refresh
Accredited ITT provider and lead school updates and actions
7. Re-registration on the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers
8. Prior experience in schools – ITT provider requirements
Programmes and tools to support ITT2019
9. Subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) courses
10. Skills Test
11. Overseas candidate qualification comparison
Other opportunities: Early Career Framework (ECF) – Invitation to tender; EU candidates; apprenticeships for the school workforce; continuous professional development for teachers
12. Invitation to Tender – early roll out of the Early Career Framework
13. EU student funding continued for 2020 to 2021
14. Apprenticeships for the school workforce
15. New training opportunities for computer science teachers
16. Teacher Subject Specialist Training
17. Women Leading in Education – coaching pledge
Summer Recruitment and ITT2020 request window
- Summer Recruitment Service – How to let us know that you are recruiting over the summer
On 24 June, we wrote to all providers with information on how to opt-in to the Summer Recruitment Service. Candidates will be directed via the Teacher Training Adviser (TTA) service to providers and schools who have confirmed that they will be open in the summer. If you are not recruiting over the summer, you should close your courses on the Find service.
If you will be recruiting over the summer, please let us know by Friday, 26 July.
Please visit GOV.UK to view the Guidance for Publish teacher training courses.
- Important reminder – summer reject by default (RBD) change
From Monday 1 July 2019, we will be reducing the time providers have to make decisions on applications, from 40 to 20 working days.
This change will run from 00:01 on Monday 1 July until 6pm on Friday 20 September 2019. Providers will still have 40 working days to consider applications received up to, and including, Sunday 30 June 2019. Applicants continue to receive ten working days to accept an offer.
Please refer to the UCAS Frequently Asked Questions.
For queries, email the UCAS HEP team at hep_team@ucas.ac.uk or call 0344 984 1111.
- Requesting initial teacher training places 2020 to 2021
ITT providers and School Direct lead schools have until midday on Friday 12 July to request permission to recruit to ITT courses for 2020 to 2021.
All ITT providers and lead schools should enter information on the courses they wish to deliver using the templates provided. These must be submitted to DfE by ITT providers to confirm that all courses have been ratified. DfE will not accept templates directly from lead schools.
In addition, all lead schools must complete a further registration template to provide information about their partner schools for 2020 to 2021.
If you have not received the templates, please contact itt.allocations@education.gov.uk.
Please read the guidance on the process for requesting permission to recruit on GOV.UK.
Marketing and recruitment events and tools
- Train to Teach events 2019 to 2020 – apply for your space by Friday 19 July
Exhibition places at the 2019 to 2020 Train to Teach events are now available to ITT providers.
We have responded to feedback and finalised events 2 months earlier than usual, including the summer 2020 programme, allowing providers to plan their time and resource for the year ahead.
Last year almost 9,000 potential candidates attended a Train to Teach event. By securing a stand, you will meet those exploring teaching as a career and discovering opportunities available to them through your programme.
During last year’s Train to Teach events:
• 93% of attendees found the event very useful or extremely useful
• 89% of attendees found the training provider exhibition very useful or extremely useful
• 96% of attendees said they were likely to make a teacher training application having attended the event
To exhibit at an event and meet potential candidates, please complete all sections of the booking form, with your top 4 preferences by 5pm on Friday 19 July.
- Case studies to support the Get into Teaching PR campaign – career changers, returners and graduates sought
The Get Into Teaching PR campaign is looking for new case studies for a variety of media opportunities, highlighting teaching as an attractive and rewarding job.
We are searching for career changers who have moved into teaching, as well as graduates and people who have returned to teaching after a break, who would be willing to share their story with our PR agency.
Positive media coverage from case studies can benefit the individual, the school and help raise the profile of teaching as a career.
If you have any trainees, newly qualified or more experienced teachers interested in getting involved, please email getintoteaching@kindredagency.com with their name, age, contact details, subject or subjects taught, and school.
- ITT marketing and recruitment guide – free toolkit refresh
Whether you’re filling remaining places for this recruitment year or planning for the 2019 to 2020 recruitment year, make the most of the free resources and guidance in the new-look Initial Teacher Training (ITT) marketing and recruitment guide.
You can find practical advice to promote your programme using low cost and no cost channels, which include updated advice on social media marketing. You can also download and personalise free marketing materials, such as posters and flyers, which now include new co-branding logos to allow you to capitalise on the huge reach of the national Get Into Teaching campaign.
We’ve also provided teacher training information leaflets which cover topics such as finance to assist with candidate communications.
Please email feedback or queries to teacherrecruitment.marketing@education.gov.uk.
Accredited ITT provider and lead school updates and actions
- Re-registration on the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers
If you are an ITT provider currently registered on the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers (RoATP), you will be invited to re-register in July, August or September 2019.
We are aware this is a busy period so have agreed a new window for re-registration with The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). Providers will now need to submit thier applications between Tuesday 1 October and Thursday 31 October 2019
You will receive a notification from ESFA via the BRAVO system before the window opens.
For queries, please email teaching.apprenticeship@education.gov.uk.
- Prior experience in schools – ITT provider requirements
We would like to remind ITT providers and lead schools that they should not reject candidates based on a lack of school experience, whom they otherwise judge as suitable to train to teach. This will ensure that you remain compliant with ITT criterion C1.3. Providers should ensure that their entry criteria on websites and in other recruitment media are accurate and compliant.
For further information, please email itt.accreditation@education.gov.uk
Programmes and tools to support ITT2019
- Subject knowledge enhancement courses – available now for ITT2019 candidates
Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) courses are still available over the summer for candidates applying to ITT2019.
SKE plays an essential role in recruiting prospective teachers to biology, chemistry, computing, D&T, English, geography, mathematics, languages, physics and RE ITT courses.
Last year, nearly 40% of trainee teachers in eligible subjects took a SKE course prior to their teacher training. Courses are funded by DfE and eligible candidates will also receive a bursary of £200 per week during their course to help with living expenses.
To arrange courses for your applicants, contact a SKE provider.
- Skills Test update
We can confirm that new test centres have opened in Workington and Hastings.
We are discussing a possible ‘pop up’ centre around the Folkestone area for clearing, in addition to ‘pop up’ centres in Lincoln and Worcester.
Providers should remind candidates about the importance of attending their Skills Test and that they should arrive at test centres with the correct ID. Last year, over 1300 test places were lost through non-attendance or candidates arriving without correct ID.
Candidates can book the test at Skills Tests.
To view a full list of required documents, please visit Get Into Teaching.
For further information, email skills.test@education.gov.uk.
Following the STA Marking Scheme Error, our delivery partners, PSI are contacting affected candidates. If you have a candidate who thinks they may have been affected, please advise them to contact stamarkingquery@psionline.com.
- Overseas candidate qualification comparison – information for providers
We are pleased to confirm that we have introduced an overseas qualification service, available through the Get into Teaching Line; the service includes:
- An initial verbal check to advise candidates on what their qualifications are equivalent to (guidance only).
- A written NARIC statement of comparability, paid for on behalf of the candidate (if required) and only available once a candidate has applied to ITT.
The verbal check is a candidate-based advice service; the aim is to provide guidance on a candidate’s eligibility prior to applying. Final decisions on candidate eligibility still lie with providers prior to commencement of ITT.
Providers are encouraged to direct candidates to this service prior to application; candidates should call the Get into Teaching Line on 0800 389 2500.
We will shortly remove the table of overseas qualifications last updated 2015, from GOV.UK.
Other opportunities: Early Career Framework (ECF) – Invitation to tender; EU candidates; apprenticeships for the school workforce; continuous professional development for teachers
12. Invitation to Tender for materials and training to support early roll-out of the Early Career Framework – now open
The Early Career Framework (ECF) underpins an entitlement to a fully-funded, two-year package of structured support for all early career teachers, linked to the best available research evidence.
We are pleased to announce that we launched the Invitation to Tender for materials and training to support early roll-out of the Early Career Framework on 28 June 2019. It can be found at: https://education.app.jaggaer.com/esop/guest/go/public/opportunity/current
Interested bidders have been asked to submit bids to develop and deliver a range of products to support schools in the first stage of implementing the Early Career Framework from September 2020. The early roll-out areas are Bradford, Doncaster, Greater Manchester, and the North East.
The deadline for submission of bids is 9 August 2019. Successful bidders will be announced in the Autumn when we will also issue further information.
Please note that any questions that potential bidders have about the process must be made through the online portal by registering here: https://education.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html as required under procurement rules. This is to maintain the total transparency of the process and also because all queries and the responses are shown on the procurement site for everyone to see. Please note no queries can be answered by the DfE through the ECF procurement inbox or by individual email.
- EU student funding continued for 2020 to 2021
To help give certainty, on Tuesday 28 May 2019, we announced guarantees on student finance for EU nationals, including for those intending to study on ITT courses. These guarantees are not altered if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. ITT Trainees who are EU nationals, and who start a course in England in the 2020 to 2021 academic year or before, will continue to be eligible for ‘home fee’ status and student finance support from Student Finance England for the duration of their course, provided they meet the residency requirement.
We recognise how important it is that students and institutions have information on eligibility for student support before applications for courses open. Information on student funding and loans is available on the Funding my Training and Student finance webpages.
Applications for ITT courses starting in academic year 2021 to 2022 do not open until October 2020. We will provide sufficient notice for prospective EU ITT Trainees on fee arrangements ahead of the 2021 to 2022 academic year and subsequent years in future.
- Apprenticeships for the school workforce
Apprenticeships are a great way to recruit and develop staff in schools; funding may be available to schools from the apprenticeship levy to support training costs.
Schools are using a range of apprenticeship standards from hospitality to HR support. Employer groups have also developed 3 school focused apprenticeships, these are:
- Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship
- Post-graduate Teaching Apprenticeship (PGTA)
- School Business Professional Apprenticeship
Training providers interested in offering apprenticeships need to register to become an apprenticeship training provider.
To find out more about apprenticeships in schools, please visit Amazing Apprenticeships.
For further information, please view a guide to apprenticeships for the school workforce.
15. New training opportunities for computer science teachers
High quality, continuous professional development (CPD) courses are available now to equip teachers in state schools with the knowledge to confidently teach computer science. The Accelerator programme, delivered by the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE), provides up to 40 hours of training. Teachers in priority schools could be eligible for a bursary of £100 per day and bursaries are available to help with supply cover.
The NCCE was launched in November 2018, backed by £84 million of government funding. Until 2022, the NCCE will provide free, high quality teaching resources, CPD to support the computing curriculum at all key stages and will address the computing gender balance.
For further information, visit Computer Science Accelerator Programme run by the NCCE.
- Teacher Subject Specialist Training – last chance for 2019 courses
Teacher Subject Specialism Training (TSST) courses are available to upskill existing non-specialist teachers to teach secondary mathematics, core mathematics, physics and modern foreign languages, reducing the need for supply teachers and investing in your current workforce by increasing subject knowledge and confidence. Upskilling existing teachers can also help with timetable planning and vacancy management.
Many TSST courses run in the evenings, at weekends and in the holidays and are free to participants and their schools.
There is still some availability for TSST courses this academic year; courses for 2019 to 2020 will start from September.
For details of courses in your area, please visit teacher subject specialism training courses.
- Women Leading in Education – coaching pledge
The Women Leading in Education programme is helping support women teachers and improve equality and diversity in the workforce. In Diverse Company has been appointed as the national provider for the Women Leading in Education Coaching Pledge.
Leaders from all backgrounds, male and female, are invited to sign up and pledge to coach women to support career progression.
Coaching is available to women teachers at any stage in their career at no cost to participants.
Once registered, coaches gain access to the members’ area of the Teaching Schools Council website and to resources, advice and forums to build their coaching skills as well as details of upcoming matching events across England. This offer is available to both existing and new coaches and participants.
For further information, visit Teaching Schools Council.
To contact In Diverse Company, email wlecoaching@tscouncil.org.uk.
You can see the last 3 issues on GOV.UK