The Chartered College of Teaching has joined a coalition of education organisations in calling for a halt to the ITT market review.

The coalition of organisations representing most teachers and leaders in England has written to Schools Minister Nick Gibb calling for the immediate halt to the consultation about an overhaul of teacher training because of the danger that it will damage the supply of high-quality teachers to schools.

When the consultation was launched, Dame Alison Peacock – CEO of the Chartered College of Teaching – said: “Anything that has the potential to cause such large scale change needs proper engagement, especially when the sector has yet to properly embed and evaluate the new ITT Core Content Framework… A cursory market review that could threaten professionalism is not the answer.”

The Chartered College of Teaching has published a position paper on the ITT market review looking at the proposals and setting out areas of concern and the potential risks.

The joint letter says: “We know you share with us the conviction that the quality of teaching is the single most important element in raising attainment and closing the disadvantage gap.

“It is therefore extraordinary that a consultation which itself recognises it will lead to ‘far-reaching changes’ to the provision of teacher training in England is launched at the tail-end of a summer term disrupted by the ongoing ravages of the pandemic with a deadline for responses which falls during the summer holidays when schools and colleges will be dealing with the outcome of results days.

“This feels very much like an attempt to railroad through a huge change to the model of teacher training provision with minimal opportunity for scrutiny and meaningful feedback.”

The letter is signed by Dame Alison Peacock, Chief Executive of the Chartered College of Teaching; Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL); Nick Brook, Deputy General Secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT); Patrick Roach, General Secretary of the NASUWT teachers’ union; Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, General Secretaries of the National Education Union (NEU); and Deborah Lawson, Assistant General Secretary of Voice Community.

Read the full letter:

Letter-to-Nick-Gibb-Teacher-Training-15-July-2021