“Risks to teacher supply”: NASBTT responds to DfE teacher training shake-up

The Department for Education (DfE) has today notified Initial Teacher Training (ITT) providers who applied to Round 2 of the ITT accreditation process of the outcome. Figures released show that 179 providers, spanning school and university-based ITT have been accredited to deliver ITT from September 2024.

In response, NASBTT Executive Director Emma Hollis said:

“Firstly, we would like to offer our congratulations to the ITT providers who have been successfully accredited in Round 1 and Round 2 combined and we look forward to working with them to implement the required next steps ahead of 2024-25. We are, however, disappointed that a significant number of high-quality providers have not been accredited, including those judged Good or Outstanding by Ofsted. We are offering one-to-one support for all NASBTT members who are affected.

The bigger picture for teacher recruitment is that some regions, and some subjects, will be disproportionately impacted unless a well thought out strategic response is now developed. There is an added risk that providers who have not been accredited during this process may withdraw from the market in 2023-24 rather than wait until 2024-25, which may result in some regions and subjects experiencing a fallow year whilst the strategic response is being developed.

This is all happening at a time where we are entering a period of economic uncertainty – and history shows that during periods of economic difficulty there is generally a boom in applications for teacher training, meaning we need experienced, established providers to support this demand. These risks were highlighted by NASBTT and others through the market review process and could very easily have been avoided altogether had government chosen to listen to the advice it was given.

We, and others, repeatedly put forward in person, and in writing, to the DfE what we felt were reasonable suggestions to avoid these risks. It is now incumbent upon government to sensibly and rationally consider its strategic response to the picture we are facing. We have committed to continue to work with the DfE in order to ensure that government takes a measured and strategic approach to understand what is really needed across phase, subject and geographical spread and develop solutions which meet that need.

Through my role on the DfE’s new ITT Reforms Steering Group I will personally continue to push for the best possible outcome for NASBTT members, and the future of the ITT sector, including supporting with scenario and next steps planning.”

NASBTT is a registered charity committed to promoting high-quality schools-led programmes of training, education and professional development of teachers. It represents the interests of schools-led teacher training provision in relation to the development and implementation of national policy developments. Its members include SCITTs, School Direct Lead Schools, Teaching School Hubs, Higher Education Institutions as well as a range of other organisations involved in the education and professional development of teachers. It has over 250 members representing more than 12,000 individual trainees.