Discussions

DCSF response to the Teacher retention discussion

Specialist teachers are vital to the success of the Science, Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) programme. It is a well recognised fact that pupils who are taught by teachers with good subject knowledge and who are able to make the subject engaging and inspiring will be more likely to achieve better qualifications, and will be more likely to pursue STEM as a career. This is particularly important in STEM where pupil perceptions are often of a subject that is dry or boring, or one that will not lead to an interesting career. To help address this it is the government's aim that pupils are taught by a specialist teacher in STEM subjects.

By 2014 it is intended that 95 per cent of pupils will be taught by someone with a specialism in maths, and in the same timescale that 25 per cent of all science teachers have a specialism in physics, and 31 per cent have a specialism in chemistry. As part of these targets the Training and Development Agency offers accredited courses to give existing mathematics and science teachers without a mathematics, physics or chemistry specialism the deep subject knowledge and pedagogy they need to teach these subjects effectively. This includes paying supply cover for participants. Those who gain accreditation will receive a 5,000 pound incentive. The TDA aims to provide around 200 places for these enrichment courses every year.

Continuing professional development (CPD) for specialist teachers is central to the government's strategy for STEM. It is vital that teachers have good subject knowledge and the right skills to deliver that knowledge. We recognise that to make the profession rewarding for teachers there have to be opportunities for CPD, and the means for them to access it easily. To facilitate this the government supports several initiatives to ensure that teachers are able to access ongoing, high quality CPD.

National Science Learning Centre / Project Enthuse

The National Science Learning Centre (NSLC) built on the site of the University of York delivers residential courses in CPD to science teachers, lecturers, technicians and teaching assistants delivered 6600 training days in the 2008/9 academic year.

The National Science Learning Centre opened in Autumn 2005, a year after the regional Centres, in a newly-built 11 million pound venue. The Centre houses teaching laboratories, a 300 seat lecture theatre, seminar and teaching rooms, a video conference suite, resource centre, restaurant and accommodation facilities.

Project ENTHUSE is a 30 million pound partnership between industry, government and the Wellcome Trust. ENTHUSE Awards provide funding to cover the cost of attending courses at the National Science Learning Centre, including course fees, supply cover, travel, accommodation. They also include a small amount of money to help teachers implement their ideas once they arrive back in the classroom.

Any teacher, teaching assistant, technician or lecturer from a maintained school or college in the UK can apply for an ENTHUSE Award. Costs vary per course and are detailed in the fees section on each individual course page.

DCSF contribute 2 million pounds per year to the funding of Enthuse Awards and throughput since opening has risen year on year.

Regional Science Learning Centres / Impact Awards

In additional to the National centre itself, the Department funds the NSLC to manage the network of Regional Science Learning Centres which deliver over ten thousand non-residential training days per year.

Regional Centres can be found all over the UK and include organisations such as the Institute of Education in partnership with the Science Museum, Birkbeck College and University College London and the University of Southampton.

The Department also provides Impact Award bursaries of 200 pounds per day, to help teachers pay for CPD at their Regional Science Learning Centre. Course fees are typically only 125 pounds per day, so the Impact Award will pay for the fees and also contribute towards other costs.

If the course the teacher is interested in is marked with the Impact Award logo then it is eligible for an Impact Award of 200 pounds. Any teacher or lecturer in a maintained secondary school or college can apply for an Impact Award for one of these courses.

The DCSF is providing a total of 18 million pounds for the regional centres between 2008 and 2011 in addition to 25 million pounds invested in the previous 5 years.

There are also subject-specific CPD initiatives to assist teachers. Working with the wider mathematics community, the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Maths (NCETM) facilitates, enhances and provides strategic direction for all aspects of continuing professional development in mathematics. It aims to raise the professional status of all those engaged in the teaching of mathematics so that the mathematical potential of learners will be fully realised.

NCETM is managed on behalf of the DCSF by Tribal Education Ltd and was established in response to the recommendations of ACME (Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education) and those made in Professor Adrian Smith's report 'Making Mathematics Count'.

The NCETM, is a virtual centre and associated network. In February 2008, almost 3 300 people (from over 950 schools, colleges and learning providers) attended the Centre's national and regional events; while the portal, the NCETM's online community, now has 13,000 registered members. It differs from the science learning centre network in that rather than deliver CPD, it brokers and facilitates CPD services. More information can be found at the link below:

http://www.ncetm.org.uk/ (opens a new browser window)

Additional CPD opportunities

CPD opportunities in STEM are, of course, only part of what is available to teachers to develop their careers.

In 2007 the Children's Plan contained a commitment to 'make teaching a Masters level profession by working with the social partnership to introduce a new qualification'. The Secretary of State announced details of the proposal to introduce the Masters in Teaching and Learning (MTL) in his speech to the ACSL conference on 7 March 2008. The aim is to build on the talents of teachers by making teaching a Masters level profession, boosting the status of the profession further and creating a world class teaching workforce.

The programme will be focussed initially on NQTs in their first five years of teaching but over time the aim is for MTL to be available to all teachers. The TDA are responsible for the development of the MTL programme, and will be rolling it out from academic year 2009/10 to Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) in schools in the North West region of England and in National Challenge schools and other secondary schools facing challenging circumstances throughout England.

MTL providers (Higher Education Institutions' working collaboratively with each other and with schools) will develop and deliver MTL programmes in each Government Office region, in accordance with the National Framework for MTL which will ensure national consistency whilst allowing flexibility to meet local needs.

Also the Advanced Skills Teacher (AST) grade provides excellent career opportunities for highly skilled teachers to broaden their experience, take on new challenges and to move onto a higher pay scale whilst remaining as classroom teachers - likely to aid retention of good teachers and raise the status of the profession.

In exchange, ASTs make a valuable contribution to raising standards of teaching and learning by sharing their skills with teachers in their own and other schools supporting professional development. They encourage collaboration between schools embedding and extending best practice.

The "New Opportunities" White Paper issued in February offers schools facing challenge the chance to access a package of support to encourage the recruitment and retention of the best teachers and top graduates, including AST appointments, with effect from September 2009.

Enhancement and enrichment

Another important element of the STEM programme is ensuring pupils have access to good and varied enhancement and enrichment opportunities, but this is also of benefit to teachers to by allowing them to get involved in activities that cut across the STEM as well as work outside the classroom. An example of this is through STEM clubs of which there are around 700 nationally. In these clubs, which happen outside the timetable and often include children with a range of abilities in STEM subject, teachers able to pursue interesting and exciting projects such as building rockets, cars or utilising robotics and electronics.

Teachers report that involvement in clubs increased other staff members' perceived level of understanding of science and engineering careers and the STEM agenda, and the majority of respondents indicated their enthusiasm for STEM subjects had grown through involvement in their club.

Practical science CPD

Also in January 2009 the DCSF contracted the ASE in January 2008 to deliver the Improving Practical Work in Science programme. This programme will run from 1st April 2009 until end March 2011. The aim of the programme is to provide teachers/lecturers with innovative and effective, high quality advice, guidance and support regarding the use of practical work in science to inspire students and improve attainment and engagement in science. It will also have the benefit of upskilling teachers in an important area of delivering STEM in a way which will hopefully increase their own interest and engagement as well.

As part of the project a mapping exercise will be undertaken to:

• identify what practical science support already exists at different stages from primary school onwards
• establish whether and how the activities currently address issues raised in the SCORE report
• identify opportunities for the programme to help to extend the existing support to address issues raised in the SCORE report
• identify teachers' needs for support that are not currently met.

Additionally, a communications programme will be developed to raise the profile of practical work and maximising the awareness of the support that is available to support practical work in science through marketing and communications with schools and colleges.

This will:

• ensure that information about all resources for practical work in science is widely available and easily accessible;
• promote existing resources and information about good quality resourcing, of equipment, laboratory design and for other settings such as fieldwork.

The professional development work delivered through the programme will involve the enhancement of existing and potentially the delivery of new professional development opportunities for science teachers/lecturers. The opportunities should consider ways in which expertise in practical work can be developed, and in particular enabling teachers to identify and address the purposes, enablers and barriers of practical work in science.

In addition, a number of publications relating to primary and secondary practical science have been produced and will be distributed in 2009. Details are available from the SCORE website at the link below:

http://www.score-education.org/2projects/practical_work.htm (opens a new browser window)

These publications will help inform ASE's work.

Mentoring

Sharing experience within the system is also important, as is receiving peer support. From September 2009 the Department in conjunction with the TDA will be running a pilot to support to trainees and teachers in their final ITT year and the first two years of teaching with a maths or science specialism. It will:

• promote continued involvement/engagement with a subject community and/or network, including facilitation of awareness and attendance at local and national events;
• promote awareness and, where appropriate, the use of relevant subject specific materials and resources with mathematics and science teachers in their early career years;
• confirm whether a national mentoring programme would support greater retention of science and maths teachers and increase the number of science and maths trainees entering teaching.

Mentors will offer a package of support tailored to the needs of individual teachers and trainees. This package includes a blend of face to face contact, particularly in the initial stage to build trust and rapport; facilitated attendance at events; telephone and email contact.

This mentoring programme of support will complement rather than duplicate existing mentor provision in ITT and Induction.

A more flexible curriculum

With the introduction of the new secondary National Curriculum there has been a reduction in prescription over subject content and increased improved coherence between subjects offers teachers a real opportunity to engage and enthuse learners. More space has been created in the curriculum, allowing teachers to use their skills and knowledge of their pupils to plan and deliver a stimulating curriculum that motivates learners by responding to their particular interests and aspirations whilst relating learning to real-world issues. The increased flexibility also allows teachers increased time for catch up and 1 to 1 tuition and for focusing on personal attributes and skills for life.

Furthermore, with the removal of SAT exams at KS3 in 2008, and now the removal of KS2 exams, we believe teachers have more freedom to organise the curriculum in a way that is beneficial to their learners and less focused on meeting external requirements.

World class facilities for STEM

Through the Buildings Schools for the Future programme the government is investing 21.9 billion pounds in school buildings over the next three years, much of which can be targeted at improving science labs and facilities where this is a priority.

Our Project Faraday has developed inspirational exemplar designs for school laboratories, reflecting the latest thinking on what is required to ensure effective interactive science teaching. They will support, through excellent and appropriate facilities, the drive to improve attainment levels in science. This will also make science labs a more inspirational learning space for pupils, as well as a more interesting space for teachers to work in.

A book showing the exemplar designs from Faraday has been published. Thirteen demonstration projects, reflecting the Faraday designs, are being built throughout the country; the first was completed at the end of 2008.

Support for more mathematics A level

In April 2009 the DCSF contracted MEI to run the Further Mathematics Support Programme, taking over from the now defunct Further Maths Network. A major change between these two programmes has been a shift away from attempting to directly fill a gap in teacher skills when it comes to delivering A level maths and towards more and better CPD for teachers. We expect this to help build capacity in the system which will make achieving the new target for A level maths entries more feasible.

School workforce data

The DCSF is developing a new School Workforce Census that will provide comprehensive data on an annual basis about the individual characteristics, contract details and pay of school teachers. The data collected from schools and local authorities in England will include subjects taught, qualifications and a range of characteristics data - all at individual teacher level - to allow detailed analysis related to the population of science and mathematics teachers. In addition, more detailed vacancy information will also be gathered as part of the new data collection. The development of the School Workforce Census is well advanced, currently undergoing thorough piloting with schools and LAs before a full live roll out in Autumn 2010.