Department for Education (Offline)

A trainee physics teacher writes....http://www.iopblog.org/guest-blogger...er-south-east/

Have a look at what the Institute of Physics is doing for trainee physics teachers: www.iop.org/scholarships

http://bit.ly/vSKADl

The Department has released news of the new Initial Teacher Training Strategy proposals:

• Encouraging more primary specialist teachers to be trained
From 2012/13, the Government will prioritise the allocation of places to courses with a specialism, rather than to generalist primary courses. This will encourage ITT providers to offer specialist courses. We will also offer schools the opportunity to train their own primary specialist teachers and then employ them as specialist teachers. For 2013/14 we expect to introduce additional financial incentives for trainees who undertake a maths, sciences or languages specialism as part of their primary ITT course, and who have a good A-level in maths, a science or a language.

• Offering graduates with first-class degrees in physics, chemistry, maths and modern foreign language significantly better financial incentives to train as teachers
Trainees will receive a bursary of up to £20,000 in their training year – more than double the current maximum of £9,000.

• Requiring all trainees to have high standards of mathematics and English by requiring trainees to pass a tougher literacy and numeracy tests before they start training
Candidates who fail either of the skills tests will be limited to two re-sits for each test. Currently they only take the tests after starting their training course and they are allowed unlimited re-sits. New figures show that one in five trainees fail either of the basic tests first time round. The pass mark will also rise from September 2012. And a review of the tests will be carried out and new tests introduced in September 2013.

• Allowing and encouraging schools to lead their own high-quality initial teacher training
Around 100 outstanding schools have already been selected to be ‘Teaching Schools’. These schools will lead the way on increasing school involvement in the training and professional development of teachers and headteachers.

Have you seen the information on the new 16-19 Bursary, which replaces the EMA?

The 16-19 Bursary Fund FAQs

http://www.facebook.com/educationgov...02283429808538