Initial Teacher Education and Training (ITET) Innovation Network

There is ample evidence that the challenges in attracting and retaining new teachers are persistent (NFER, 2024). This does not however mean that they are inevitable.

The Initial Teacher Education and Training (ITET) Innovation Network is coordinated by the UCL Institute of Education Centre for Teachers and Teaching Research (CTTR) and the National Association for School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT). Working in partnership, the Innovation Network brings together a wide range of diverse stakeholders in ITET to:

- Exchange key research, policy implementation and development expertise in initial teacher preparation.

- Increase collaboration, to address the systemic challenges in attracting new entrants, maintain the quality of teachers that young people deserve and retain new teachers in the profession.

- Maintain dialogue with policy makers and implementation leaders at all levels to identify shared priorities for advancing initial teacher preparation.

Why innovation is essential

There is much to be gained by looking closely at the realities of what it is like to learn to teach in contemporary conditions and take a bold view of what might be done differently. The choice to teach is not only informed on a comparative ‘appeal’ basis with other graduate professions. That simplifies the state of things.

Productive change needs to be based on a deepened understanding of the relationship new teachers have with the work they are learning to undertake. If what they learn does not confirm the intrinsic worthwhileness of teaching itself, compensatory measures are unlikely to be effective.

What we do

The Innovation Network includes Initial Teacher Education and Training providers from across the sector (universities, SCITTs, education trusts and national bodies). It brings together headteachers, student and trainee teachers, ITET leadership, professional bodies and researchers to identify positive ways forward based on frank and constructive knowledge exchange about current challenges that impact the preparation of teachers.