Information for Individuals Applying for Initial Teacher Training

ITT providers have a responsibility to ensure that trainees have ‘the health and physical capacity to train to teach and will not put children and young people at risk of harm’ (ITT criteria and supporting advice).  The following outlines the process through which ITT providers will discharge this responsibility.

For the purposes of clarity, the term applicants will be used to cover individuals who have not accepted a place on your programme, recruits to cover those who have accepted a conditional offer of a place on a programme of ITT and trainees to cover those who have accepted an offer and fulfilled all the conditions of the offer.

Applicants should inform ITT providers of any adjustment(s) that are needed to access the interview process at the earliest opportunity.  More detailed information will not be requested until a conditional offer has been made by the ITT provider and accepted by the applicant.

This information is provided to make evident the role description, person specification, typical work patterns and work context that might be expected on a programme of Initial Teacher Training and onwards into employment as a teacher.  The typical expectations placed upon teachers need to be considered within the context of the role.  Factors such as the age range and the subject(s) to be taught will have an impact on these general expectations.  ITT providers will undertake a process with their recruits to determine any reasonable adjustment(s) that might be required to support a non-salaried trainee in meeting these typical expectations.  For salaried trainees, the responsibility for this process lies with the employer.

The following descriptions of the role, person specification, typical work patterns and work contexts in which they are undertaken should give a clear idea of the expectations of the role.

Work patterns and work contexts

This process will involve recruits responding to an online Occupational Health questionnaire specific to the age range and subject(s) to be taught.  This will determine whether reasonable adjustment(s) are required to enable a trainee to complete the ITT provider’s specific training programme.  All questionnaire responses will be confidential between the recruit and Occupational Health provider.  In some cases, a short telephone conversation may be required; rarely, a more detailed conversation may be required.

ITT providers are committed to furthering the equality of opportunity of individuals who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not.

In order to give ITT providers the best chance to support any recruit’s needs, recruits must respond accurately, honestly and promptly to this process.

It must be understood that the reasonable adjustment(s) made for trainees and accepted by the ITT provider are for the purposes of teacher training.  ITT providers are not in a position to guarantee that the same adjustment(s) would be offered in future employment.  All ITT providers will inform recruits before the training commences if they are concerned the adjustment(s) proposed may not be deemed reasonable in future employment as a teacher.