A career for talented people

ENGLAND – Schools minister Jim Knight has announced new steps to build on successful teacher recruitment schemes, to attract more outstanding people into teaching as a new career, and to support the best teachers to become school leaders more quickly.

Mr Knight said that outstanding teacher training applicants could achieve Qualified Teacher Status in six months instead of a year as part of the government’s Working Together Public Service Reform Paper.

The scheme will further strengthen the teaching workforce, by making it easier for talented individuals to switch career into teaching from other sectors of the economy.

Mr Knight also announced the Accelerate to Headship programme, which will see those identified as future head teachers supported on a fast-track route which would see them gaining positions in school leadership within four years.

Accelerate to Headship, which will be launched in September 2010, will identify up to 200 outstanding new school leaders in all areas of the country.

They build on the success of the Teach First and Future Leaders programmes, which have helped more talented people into the classroom and on to school leadership, and have contributed to unprecedented exam success for young people in England.

The new measures will see:

• A new fast-track teaching course for the highest calibre candidates, shortening the length of time it takes to achieve Qualified Teacher Status to just six months for successful applicants.

• The Accelerate to Headship programme which will set out a clear pathway with competitive entry to enable outstanding people to progress to school leadership in four years.

Mr Knight said: “Our investment in teacher training means we have an excellent generation of teachers and I want to build on that success.

“There are thousands of highly talented individuals in this country who are considering their next move, who want to do something challenging, rewarding, that is highly respected and where good people have great prospects. My message to them is to see what they can offer teaching and what teaching can offer them.

“By cutting the initial teacher training course to six months for the most able candidates, we will make teaching a more attractive choice for experienced people who want to get into the classroom quickly but need high quality Initial Teacher Training.

“I am really pleased that the number of people applying to teach science in schools is up 30 per cent from this time last year.

“I want to see the best possible people teaching in classrooms and running our schools. Teaching is a career for talented people and these programmes will build on the excellence already in our workforce.”