Teacher Training Agency (Hansard, 19 May 1999)

§ Mr. Blunkett

The Report of the Prior Options Quinquennial Review of the Teacher Training Agency (TTA) is published today.

The Report concludes that there is no case at present for abolition or privatisation of the TTA. There will continue to be a need for the core functions of the TTA. But the TTA's responsibilities should be redrawn to take account of the General Teaching Councils (GTCs) and the leadership college, and the need to bring some elements of the Green Paper agenda closer to the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE).

The Report argues that the TTA's current remit is too wide, and that the Agency should concentrate substantially on the two priorities it had when it was established in 1994 (teacher supply and recruitment and initial teacher training). Both areas present key challenges and the TTA will need to devote all of its efforts to meeting the Government's policy objectives in these areas.

Ensuring that there are enough high quality candidates to meet the future needs of schools is crucial to the achievement of the Government's standards agenda. The Report recommends that tackling teacher supply and recruitment should be the TTA's top priority in the next phase of its work. The profile of this work will be significantly boosted, including through the employment of in-house marketing expertise and by taking over the Recruitment Strategy Managers' programme from the Department.

Increasing both the rigour and the flexibility of initial teacher training provision remains vital in order to ensure that each new generation of teachers is properly prepared. The Government wish to build on the start the TTA has made on some elements of the ITT agenda set out in the Green Paper. ITT funding and quality remains core business for the TTA. And it should continue with advisory and developmental work in the area of induction.

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Following the formation of the GTCs and the leadership college, my Department will need to provide a coherent and strategic view across teaching issues. A clear division of roles and responsibilities is also needed between the TTA and the GTCs.

Headship/leadership functions should become the responsibility of the National College for School Leadership in due course, with the DfEE taking lead responsibility for work on headship training as a transitional measure.

The GTC for England should have an advisory role across the piece, but no funding functions at this stage.

My Department will now take the lead in policy development to establish a coherent and strategic programme for continuing professional development. The TTA will retain operational responsibility for the NOF-funded ICT training programme.

My Department will continue to take a strategic overview of research, and the TTA will continue to support the Government's drive for a research-based profession. But the TTA will commission research only in areas within its responsibilities. The GTC and the leadership college will maintain research capability reflecting their responsibilities.

The composition of the TTA Board will need to be changed to reflect the renewed emphasis on teacher recruitment, in particular, and the need for more of an operational rather than policy focus. Teachers need to by more strongly represented.

I have agreed with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales that any final decisions about future arrangements in Wales should be delayed until the National Assembly for Wales is fully established and ready to consider the issue. The TTA Unit in Wales might be placed in the Welsh Office Education Department now.

School meal arrangements in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools in England January each year
	Hertfordshire	Staffordshire	Staffordshire	Stoke
	Percentage of Pupils taking Free meals	Percentage of Pupils Known to be eligible for free meals	Percentage of Pupils taking free meals	Percentage of Pupils Known to be eligible for free meals	Percentage of Pupils taking free meals	Percentage of Pupils Known to be eligible for free meals	Percentage of Pupils taking free meals	Percentage of Pupils Known to be eligible for free meals
Maintained nursery and Primary schools
1988	¹—	¹—	¹—	¹—	¹—	¹—	¹—	¹—
1989	6	¹—	11	¹—	²—	²—	²—	²—
1990	6	¹—	11	¹—	²—	²—	²—	²—
1991	7	¹	12	¹—	²—	²—	²—	²—
1992	9	¹—	15	¹—	²—	²—	²—	²—
1993	11	14	17	20	²—	²—	²—	²—
1994	12	16	17	20	²—	²—	²—	²—
1995	12	14	17	19	²—	²—	²—	²—
1996	12	14	17	19	²—	²—	²—	²—
1997	10	13	16	19	²—	²—	²—	²—
1998	9	11	²—	²—	11	14	24	28
Maintained secondary schools
1988	¹—	¹—	¹—	¹—	²—	²—	²—	²—
1989	4	¹—	6	¹—	²—	²—	²—	²—
1990	3	¹—	5	¹—	²—	²—	²—	²—
1991	4	¹—	6	¹—	²—	²—	²—	²—
1992	6	¹—	7	¹—	²—	²—	²—	²—
1993	7	9	8	13	²—	²—	²—	²—
1994	8	10	9	13	²—	²—	²—	²—

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Teacher recruitment in Wales, which is not part of the Unit's responsibility, is currently handled as part of an integrated England and Wales programme by the TTA in London. To minimise disruption, this should remain the case until decisions can be taken by the National Assembly for Wales. Similarly, no change is proposed for the responsibility of the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales' for funding and accreditation of initial teacher training.

These conclusions take account of a substantial consultation exercise. In broad terms, the TTA are commended by consultees for their work on developing the link between funding and quality, improving standards in teacher training provision, promotion of teaching as a profession, and for implementing the Leadership Programme for Serving Heads. General criticism is expressed in the Report in relation to some aspects of the TTA's funding and accreditation approach, and over the failure to meet the Department's supply and recruitment targets because of continuing under-recruitment by some ITT providers. There were also some general concerns about the TTA's effectiveness, management and organisation, and how it relates to its partners and stakeholders.

I have today written to Clive Booth, TTA Chair, to inform him that I have accepted the Report's recommendations in full.

Copies of the Report will be placed in the Library.