The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill’s teaching status requirement presents an opportunity to think afresh about teacher development, says Katie Waring.
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, if successfully passed through the Houses of Parliament, will require all teachers to hold or be working towards Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). While the Bill has been met with mixed reviews, it is important to consider what this means for schools and trusts on the front line.
At Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust (BDAT), we know great teachers come from all walks of life and having a diverse team is what inspires our pupils. We have therefore developed an innovative approach to supporting colleagues to gain their QTS, providing tailored training pathways that are matched to the needs of the individual and their community.
Our approach has helped 50 colleagues who may not have considered a role in teaching gain QTS in the past five years, supporting more teachers into the classroom and creating a sustainable teaching environment. Here’s how we support aspiring teachers:
Understanding the landscape
It is essential to first understand the different teacher training pathways. There are many options, including traditional university routes, apprenticeships, and assessment-only routes – each with its own structure and benefits. We, therefore, spent time learning about the pathways and their requirements, doing the leg work for our colleagues in navigating this complex space. This enabled us to advise and support staff in choosing which pathway was best suited to them, taking the pressure out of their training and enabling more focus on learning.
For example, we supported Samera to gain QTS in 2022 after coming to the UK from Pakistan. Samera had an overseas teaching background but faced challenges getting her qualifications recognised in the UK. Samera’s school supported her in studying for her GCSEs and degree alongside working, and then through the Early Career Framework with a pathway that worked best with her existing experience and needs.
Spotting talent and upskilling
The potential for an excellent teacher could lie anywhere, so it’s crucial to keep your mind and eyes open for passionate and talented staff. Some of our best teachers did not come from ‘traditional’ career routes and were either career switchers or mature students. We recognise the potential in individuals with valuable skills and experience and provide them with supportive opportunities to take on new challenges. This could be as small as sharing resources about an online webinar, all the way up to supporting them to gain their GCSEs.
Adam’s journey is a perfect example of this. He joined BDAT in a caretaker role and soon realised his passion for teaching. We helped him to first secure an unqualified teaching role, provided a second placement within the Trust, and then achieve his QTS. He now teaches at one of our schools.
By recognising potential and offering the right guidance to those with enthusiasm for teaching, we can nurture a more inclusive workforce.
Community-centred training and mentoring
Community is a golden thread throughout our training. Bradford has a wonderfully diverse array of communities, and it’s important our teachers understand and have experience within these different environments. As such, all our teachers take part in Trust placements. This creates inclusive training and equips our trainees to provide the best support for pupils in their classrooms, bringing immeasurable benefits for engaging learning and personal development; and supports them to teach in our schools long after gaining QTS.
All trainees are also partnered with a dedicated mentor who provides advice and pastoral and wellbeing support. They have regular catchups at each stage of training, maintaining close-knit community support and providing a sense of belonging throughout training. This also helps them to build meaningful relationships and ask questions in a familiar environment, supporting the longevity of their careers beyond achieving QTS.
‘Matchmaking’
We then bring these three concepts – knowledge of the course, individual and community – together to ‘matchmake’ and provide the best possible bespoke experience for our trainees. We carefully pair each trainee with a pathway, and with the agency and flexibility, that best suits their individual needs, whether that be experience, family commitments, financial situations or accessibility requirements. Our placements in schools and mentors are matched with this in mind, too. This helps them gain QTS on their own pathway and empowers them to pursue a career in teaching.
The new QTS requirement will require schools and Trusts to rethink training, and in doing so, creates a chance to transform the teaching careers of individuals who may not have had the opportunity to enter the profession otherwise. With the right approach, we can unlock the potential of every aspiring teacher, contributing to a more inclusive and sustainable workforce for the future.