The inspectorate for education and children's services said that pupils were benefiting from school workforce reforms which had seen the introduction of staff from a wider range of backgrounds, skills, and life experiences. Learning mentors and higher-level teaching assistants were among the roles that had made a positive impact on pupils' achievement, especially among those likely to truant, underachieve, or be excluded from school.
Source: The Deployment, Training and Development of the Wider School Workforce, HMI 070222, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (07002 637833)
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | TDA press release | Voice press release | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Nov
The government announced that it would introduce a new legal duty on school governing bodies in England to manage their staff in accordance with their terms and conditions and with the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions document. It would also introduce a power to allow local authorities to issue notices to schools that were not complying with the statutory provisions set out in the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions document.
Source: Press release 24 September 2008, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0870 000 2288)
Links: DCSF press release
Date: 2008-Sep
A think-tank report called for a rejection of the 'command and control' approach to teachers' recruitment, training, and pay. Methods more attuned to the 'modern employment market' were needed, allowing new teachers to 'earn while they learn' – leading to the creation of a dynamic, well-trained, and motivated workforce. Schools in deprived areas should be able to opt out of national pay deals, so that they could attract better staff and pay them more.
Source: Sam Freedman, Briar Lipson and David Hargreaves, More Good Teachers, Policy Exchange (020 7340 2650)
Links: Report | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Jul
A report said that by developing new staff structures and new ways of deploying staff, schools could raise standards, improve behaviour, and reduce exclusion rates.
Source: Alma Harris, Beyond Workforce Reform – Raising achievement, Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (020 7802 2300)
Links: SSAT press release | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Jun
The chief executive of the General Teaching Council for England reportedly said that the number of incompetent teachers working in schools was likely to far exceed official figures.
Source: The Guardian, 2 May 2008
Links: Guardian report | GTCE statement | NASUWT press release | Telegraph report
Date: 2008-May
A think-tank report said that in the previous ten years teachers' pay had improved and the number of people choosing teaching as a career had increased: but teaching was still not attracting the very best graduates, and poorly performing teachers were not being dealt with effectively. Ineffective teaching could mean the difference of a whole grade at GCSE. The report made a series of recommendations designed to improve teaching in England. These included harnessing the expertise of retiring head teachers and older non-teaching professionals, and introducing more rigorous selection procedures for candidates applying for teacher training.
Source: Julia Margo, Meghan Benton, Kay Withers and Sonia Sodha with Sarah Tough, Those Who Can?, Institute for Public Policy Research (020 7470 6100)
Links: Summary | IPPR press release | NUT press release | BBC report | FT report | Telegraph report | Guardian report
Date: 2008-May
Three linked reports examined issues of training and professional development among primary school teachers. An 'audit culture and the pressure for accountability' had narrowed both the curriculum and the teacher's role in delivering it.
Source: Liz Jones, Andy Pickard and Ian Stronach, Primary Schools: The professional environment, Research Survey 6/2, The Primary Review/Faculty of Education/University of Cambridge (01223 767523) | Olwen McNamara, Rosemary Webb and Mark Brundrett, Primary Teachers: Initial teacher education, continuing professional development and school leadership development, Research Survey 6/3, The Primary Review/Faculty of Education/University of Cambridge | Hilary Burgess, Primary Workforce Management and Reform, Research Survey 6/4, The Primary Review/Faculty of Education/University of Cambridge
Links: Report (1) | Briefing (1) | Report (2) | Briefing (2) | Report (3) | Briefing (3) | Review press release | Briefing (overall) | GTC press release | NUT press release | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Apr
A think-tank report examined the training and recruitment of primary and secondary school teachers. Applications for secondary teacher training were falling, and recruitment targets for key subjects would not be met in 2008. A projected rise of around 500,000 in the number of primary school pupils by 2015 would would require an extra 18,000 primary school teachers to keep pupil-teacher ratios stable.
Source: John Howson, The Labour Market For Teachers, Policy Exchange (020 7340 2650)
Links: Report
Date: 2008-Apr
The government announced plans to introduce a new Masters qualification specially designed for teachers, called the 'Masters in Teaching and Learning'.
Source: Being the Best for our Children: Releasing talent for teaching and learning, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report | Text of speech | DCSF press release | GTC press release | NUT press release | Voice (PAT) press release | UCU press release | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Mar
