Response to the Department for Education announcement on reforms to initial teacher training (ITT) courses

02 December 2021

In response to the Department for Education announcement on reforms to initial teacher training (ITT) courses, a Russell Group spokesperson said: 

“Russell Group universities work with over 2,500 schools to train more than 5,500 teachers each year and we share the Government’s ambition to deliver the highest possible standard of teacher training. We have welcomed engagement with Government over the Market Review proposals and are pleased it has considered feedback from the sector and addressed some of the concerns we had.

“Government’s response shows a clear recognition of the importance of provider autonomy, research-led training and the strong partnerships our universities have with schools. However, some of the requirements remain overly prescriptive, for example those relating to the time trainees spend in school placements, which could reduce the time students can spend in the university environment and limit universities’ ability to provide innovative and flexible curricula.

“It is positive that the Government has indicated there will be a more streamlined re-accreditation process alongside a longer timeline for implementation, however we remain concerned about some of the details in the accreditation guidance and the timeframe of the process, especially given some of the new requirements may require substantial restructuring of courses.

“We hope that Government will be able to reconsider these requirements and would encourage further engagement with the sector to ensure there is a smooth process that does not disrupt teacher training.”

The Russell Group response to the recommendations from the Initial teacher training (ITT) market review report (from August 2021) can be found here.