CHARTERED COLLEGE COMMENTS ON TEACHER DEVELOPMENT PLANS

Professor Dame Alison Peacock, Chief Executive of the Chartered College of Teaching, said:
“The Chartered College of Teaching welcomes today’s commitment by the Department of Education to improve the support and development opportunities available to teachers from the earliest stages of their career.

The extension to the induction period will ensure teachers are given professional development and mentoring support at a point where they are building their expertise. This is especially important where retention is a particular issue and more than half of young teachers have considered quitting the profession.

We are also pleased to see the government’s commitment to researching flexible working. Excellent teachers need to be encouraged to join and stay in the profession. We want to see their schools supported to develop their working practices and for teachers with different experiences, commitments and circumstances to be valued.

A commitment to teacher sabbaticals is also a welcome sign. There are huge benefits to teachers spending time in industry, studying or carrying out research. Sabbaticals are a powerful learning opportunity which can have lasting positive impact for the teachers themselves, their schools, and across the sector.

We have an amazing body of teachers doing incredible work in the classroom every day. They deserve the highest levels of opportunity, development and support.”

For further information, please contact our press office at hello@chartered.college or call 020 7911 5589