Assessment only route to qualified teacher status: criteria and supporting advice

Question 1

Summary

Accepted Answer

This guidance contains mandatory criteria and accompanying advice from the Department for Education (DfE).

In these criteria we set out the requirements and responsibilities that all accredited initial teacher training (ITT) providers offering the assessment only route must follow when carrying out their duties relating to the assessment only route.

We reserve the right to update the criteria and accompanying advice to ensure it remains up to date and relevant.

Question 2

Approval

Accepted Answer

Only accredited ITT providers may offer the assessment only route.

To do this, they should: 

inform DfE they would like to offer assessment only
ensure that they meet these criteria 
maintain accreditation as an ITT provider

Accredited ITT providers who do not comply with these criteria may have permission to offer the assessment only route withdrawn. Failure to comply with these criteria may also lead to the withdrawal of accreditation.  Read more about this in the guidance on closure and withdrawal of ITT accreditation.

Question 3

Entry criteria

Accepted Answer

A1.1 GCSE standard equivalent

All accredited ITT providers should:

ensure that all entrants have achieved a standard equivalent to a grade 4^{[footnote 1]} in the GCSE examinations in English^{[footnote 2]} and mathematics
ensure that those who intend to train to teach pupils aged 3 to 11 additionally have achieved a standard equivalent to a grade 4 in the GCSE examination in a science subject

The aim of this criterion is to ensure that all entrants to the assessment only route have demonstrated their achievement of a minimum standard of educational attainment, and for primary applicants that they demonstrate an acceptable level of subject knowledge in the core subjects of the National Curriculum.

Applicants who are otherwise suitable but have not successfully achieved a GCSE grade 4, or recognised equivalent, may be given an opportunity to show that they can meet the required standard either by taking an equivalence test or by offering other evidence of attainment, which should demonstrate a similar level and breadth. Accredited ITT providers should consider making similar arrangements for applicants who cannot provide original certificates as evidence.

DfE does not provide a list of qualifications that can be considered equivalent to the GCSE examinations in English, mathematics and science. It is the provider’s role to determine the equivalency of a qualification. When accredited ITT providers look for evidence that a qualification is of a standard equivalent to GCSE grade 4, they should look at the content not only in terms of its level, but also in terms of its breadth.

Accredited ITT providers should look for additional evidence of breadth of knowledge and understanding in applicants who have key and functional skills certificates but do not have GCSEs at grade 4 or above in English and mathematics.

Qualifications in key and functional skills tests at level 2 are not equivalent to GCSEs in terms of content.

Intellectual and academic capabilities

Accredited ITT providers should consider the full range of applicants’ knowledge, skills, academic background and prior experience to judge their suitability for the assessment only route.

Before confirming that a trainee meets the requirements for qualified teacher status (QTS), accredited ITT providers must ensure that applicants demonstrate competence in the following areas:

speaking, listening and communicating are fundamental to a teacher’s role. Teachers should use standard English grammar, clear pronunciation and vocabulary relevant to the situation to convey instructions, questions, information, concepts and ideas with clarity. Teachers should read fluently and with good understanding
writing by teachers will be seen by colleagues, pupils and parents and, as such, it is important that a teacher’s writing reflects the high standards of accuracy their professional role demands. They should write clearly, accurately, legibly and coherently using correct spelling and punctuation
teachers should use data and graphs to interpret information, identify patterns and trends and draw appropriate conclusions. They need to interpret pupil data and understand statistics and graphs in the news, academic reports and relevant papers. Teachers should be able to complete mathematical calculations fluently with whole numbers, fractions, decimals and percentages. They should be able to solve mathematical problems using a variety of methods and approaches, including: estimating and rounding, sense-checking answers, breaking down problems into simpler steps, and explaining and justifying answers using appropriate language

It is the applicant’s responsibility to secure fundamental English and mathematics, whereas responsibility for assurance lies with the provider. Fundamental English and mathematics may be assured in different ways by different ITT providers.

Further information

The European Network of Information Centres in the European Region (ENIC) provides advice on the equivalence of overseas qualifications.

A1.2 Degree criteria

All accredited ITT providers must:

ensure that, before acceptance onto the assessment only route, all applicants hold a first degree from a United Kingdom higher education institution or equivalent qualification^{[footnote 3]}

The aim of this criterion is to ensure the graduate status of teaching. All entrants must have attained a qualification that demonstrates the level of knowledge, understanding and transferable intellectual skills associated with graduate status.

The Education (School Teachers’ Qualifications) (England) Regulations 2003 requires all entrants to teaching in England to have a UK first degree or equivalent qualification. Any equivalent qualification must be one single qualification, not an aggregation of a number of separate qualifications. The exception to this is where applicants undertake study to extend an existing degree (for example, a foundation level degree) or qualification to secure the required level of academic award to meet degree criteria requirements.

Accredited ITT providers should view original certificates in order to validate an applicant’s degree status. However, they should exercise discretion for recent graduates where there is a delay in receiving the original certificate. In these cases, accredited ITT providers should obtain written confirmation from the relevant degree-awarding institution that the applicant has achieved graduate status. Accredited ITT providers should view the original certificate as soon as it is available.

In cases where an original certificate is no longer available, accredited ITT providers must gain assurance of graduate status and must keep an audit trail of the evidence obtained.

Degree subjects

Legislation does not specify that teachers must have a degree in a particular subject or discipline.

There is no statutory requirement for primary applicants to have a degree in a National Curriculum subject, or for secondary applicants to have a degree in a specified subject, as long as they meet all of the Teachers’ Standards, including those that relate to subject and curriculum knowledge.

Information on degree-level qualifications

Accredited ITT providers will need to make sure that those responsible for decisions on entry are familiar with, or have access to, advice on the range of qualifications generally regarded as equivalent to a first (bachelor’s) degree in the UK, including:

overseas qualifications
professional or vocational qualifications
qualifications no longer available but held by mature applicants

Some master’s degrees may provide the necessary breadth and have a similar type of academic engagement as would be expected from a first degree (for example, significant taught content, equivalent breadth).

It is for the accredited ITT provider to decide whether an applicant’s qualification meets this criterion. Accredited ITT providers whose ITT partnerships do not include degree-awarding bodies may wish to seek advice from those that do.

Further information

The European Network of Information Centres in the European Region (ENIC) provides advice on the equivalence of overseas degrees.

The Frameworks for HE qualifications of degree-awarding bodies describes the higher education qualifications awarded by UK higher education institutions (HEIs) at 5 levels.

A1.3 Suitability

All accredited ITT providers must ensure that, before acceptance onto the route, all applicants, as part of the accredited ITT provider’s selection procedures, have taken part in a rigorous selection process designed to assess their:

suitability to teach
ability to demonstrate meeting all of the Teachers’ Standards without the need for any future training

Accredited ITT providers must ensure that, before anyone is admitted to the assessment only route, they have deemed them suitable to teach. This will help to protect children and young people from applicants who might put them at risk of harm because the applicant’s previous conduct shows they are unsuitable for teaching. Accredited ITT providers should conduct interviews, run appropriate pre-selection checks, and assess if an applicant has the appropriate intellectual and academic capabilities and personal qualities, attitudes, ethics and values to meet the Teachers’ Standards.

Accredited ITT providers should consider a wide range of evidence to judge applicants’ suitability to teach. For example:

information from application forms
results of any entry tests or tasks
interviews

Accredited ITT providers should also get written confirmation of the applicant’s suitability for assessment only from the headteacher of the applicant’s most recent employing school. An alternative senior member of staff may provide this written confirmation if the headteacher is unable to.

Accredited ITT providers or partner organisations should ensure that applicant selection processes give due regard to relevant aspects of part 3 of Keeping children safe in education.

Accredited ITT providers should ensure that at least one member of the recruitment panel has undertaken appropriate safer recruitment training.

Interviews

Accredited ITT providers should consider how information from interviews can help to identify and take account of applicants’ prior experience. The interview process might include classroom observation, discussions of professional portfolios of evidence and discussions with managers.

There is no requirement for a face-to-face interview. Interviews may take place virtually, providing suitable applicant identity checks have been conducted.

Accredited ITT providers must ensure that applicants are given every opportunity, before and during the interview, to inform the accredited ITT provider of any special requirements that require reasonable adjustment.

Equality

To comply with equality legislation, accredited ITT providers must ensure that interview procedures promote equality of opportunity and avoid discrimination.

The Equality Act 2010 requires accredited ITT providers to ensure they are not discriminating against applicants on the basis of any protected characteristic, or applicants with special educational needs (SEN).

Applicants with disabilities are under no obligation to disclose their disabilities. Accredited ITT providers must ensure that their provision does not place applicants with disabilities at a disadvantage. Accredited ITT providers must also consider making anticipatory adjustments to promote positive equality of access for disabled applicants, including access to benefits, facilities and services. They should provide as many opportunities as possible for applicants to identify any special arrangements they may require, for example when inviting them to interview or making arrangements for any entrance tests.

Not all applicants will have declared their disability at the application stage. Accredited providers should give all applicants the opportunity to disclose a disability before and during their assessment. Applicants with declared disabilities should have access to reasonable adjustments appropriate to the teaching profession, to ensure they are given every opportunity to demonstrate that they meet the requirements for QTS.

Health and capacity to teach

Accredited ITT providers should have regard to the relevant aspects of Keeping children safe in education requirements when assessing trainees’ health and capacity to teach, so that children and young people are not at risk of harm. The activities that a teacher must be able to perform are set out in the Education (Health Standards)(England) Regulations 2003. Accredited ITT providers are responsible for ensuring that only applicants who have the capacity to teach remain on the route.

People with disabilities or chronic illnesses may have the capacity to teach, just as those without disabilities or medical conditions may be unsuitable to teach.

Successful applicants may be asked to complete a fitness questionnaire before commencing the assessment. Accredited ITT providers should not ask all-encompassing health questions but should ensure that they only ask targeted and relevant health-related questions which are necessary to ensure that a person is able to teach.

Disclosure and Barring Service checks

Accredited ITT providers should have regard to the Keeping children safe in education statutory guidance when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. They should ensure all applicants have been subject to appropriate pre-selection checks. This will include obtaining and considering Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) criminal records checks and children’s barred list information.

Applicants are not required to be employed by a school. Accredited ITT providers should confirm to schools hosting a non-employed applicant for their period of assessment that the applicant’s criminal record check, including a check of the children’s barred list, has been completed and that the provider has judged the individual to be suitable to work with children. Schools may wish to record this confirmation in their single central record, but they are not required to do so.

Where a school or college allows an individual to start work in regulated activity before the DBS certificate is available, they should ensure that the individual is appropriately supervised and that all other checks, including a separate barred list check, have been completed.

In the case of employed applicants, the responsibility lies with the employer to ensure the checks have been carried out. A provider should not do a further DBS check if they have received notification from the employing school that a satisfactory check has been obtained.

Accredited ITT providers should establish clear safeguarding procedures and protocols that are agreed by all partners in the partnership. This should include a common understanding across the partnership of convictions, offences, cautions and warnings that would not pose a barrier to joining the assessment only route.

Schools should ensure that all applicants are provided with the following:

the child protection policy
the staff behaviour policy (sometimes called a code of conduct)
information about the role of the designated safeguarding lead
a copy of Keeping children safe in education

Accredited ITT providers may wish to recommend to applicants that they register with the DBS update service.

If an accredited ITT provider removes an applicant from the assessment only route, or if they would have removed the applicant had they not left, because that applicant has harmed or poses a risk of harm to children, the accredited ITT provider should seek guidance from DBS and inform DfE by contacting itt.safeguarding@education.gov.uk.

Any queries about DBS checks should be referred to DBS at customerservices@dbs.gov.uk or on 03000 200 190.

Other background checks

Applicants who are unsuited to working with children may not have any previous convictions, and accredited ITT providers should ensure that all those involved in the selection process are vigilant. Accredited ITT providers and employing schools have a duty to ensure that trainees are properly managed and supervised and that, if they have concerns, information is referred to the police and the DBS.

Applicants who have lived or worked outside the UK must undergo the same checks as all other staff in schools and colleges. In addition, further checks should be carried out so that events that occurred outside the UK can be considered. Read the Home Office’s criminal record checks for overseas applicants guidance and our guidance on recruiting individuals who have lived and worked outside the UK in Keeping children safe in education and Recruit teachers from overseas.

Accredited ITT providers and employers must check that applicants are not subject to a prohibition order issued by the Secretary of State.

Childcare disqualification

Accredited ITT providers should have regard to the Disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006 statutory guidance and related obligations under the Childcare Act 2006.

Further advice on the childcare disqualification arrangements can be obtained from DfE at disqualification@education.gov.uk or on 01325 340 409.

Further information

Statutory guidance:

A1.4 School teaching experience

All accredited ITT providers must ensure, before acceptance onto the route, that all applicants have:

a minimum of 2 years’ teaching experience
teaching experience across a minimum of 2 different schools^{[footnote 4]} or a minimum of 5 years teaching experience in a single school

Applicants need to demonstrate sufficient breadth and variety of experience in schools or other settings to enable them to meet all of the Teachers’ Standards. They need to have:

taught children and young people from different backgrounds, across the ability range in their chosen age ranges
gained experience in different approaches to teaching, how children and young people learn, and to school organisation and management

Practical teaching experience for the purposes of assessment only is not restricted to taking place wholly or mainly in England.

Where an applicant’s previous teaching experience is mainly in special schools or alternative provision settings, accredited ITT providers should ensure they also have teaching experience in a suitable mainstream school before acceptance onto the route.

All applicants should have a minimum of 2 weeks mainstream experience. However, providers should require more than this minimum where necessary to be assured that the length and nature of the applicant’s mainstream experience complements their other experience and meaningfully supports their ability to demonstrate meeting all of the Teachers’ Standards.

When determining whether an applicant has sufficient mainstream school experience to meet this requirement, providers may wish to consider factors such as:

the breadth, depth and duration of their mainstream and other experience
the level of need in the special schools the applicant has taught in

Mainstream teaching experience may also be recognised as experience in a second school under criterion A1.4. Providers should use their professional judgement to determine whether the nature, breadth and duration of that experience is sufficient for it to count towards this requirement.

Teaching experience does not need to have been full time, or continuous. Accredited ITT providers should make an informed professional judgement as to whether an applicant’s prior experience of teaching provides enough evidence to allow the provider to confidently count those experiences towards the minimum requirements.

Accredited ITT providers will need to be clear about the nature and extent of the prior experience, whether it offered the applicant the opportunity to teach children and young people, and whether, taken together with other experiences, it prepared the applicant sufficiently to meet the Teachers’ Standards.

Assessment criteria

A2.1 Provision

All accredited ITT providers must ensure that the assessment only provision is designed to:

enable applicants to demonstrate meeting all of the Teachers’ Standards across the age range of assessment
ensure that no applicant is confirmed as having met the requirements for QTS unless they have demonstrated meeting all of the Teachers’ Standards

At the outset, accredited ITT providers should make clear to applicants, and to all of those involved in assessment only, the scope and coverage of the route, including subject and curriculum knowledge and understanding, and the anticipated assessment outcomes.

Assessment only route design should be flexible enough to meet the needs of every applicant. It is important to devise assessment processes that pay due regard to equality and fairness, that are robust and that make consistent and accurate judgements.

Deciding whether an applicant meets the Teachers’ Standards is a matter of professional judgement, taking into account the assessed performance, and all other relevant evidence produced by the applicant. Accredited ITT providers must ensure their assessment practices are designed to ensure that applicants have met the Teachers’ Standards.

Before confirming whether an applicant meets the requirements for QTS, accredited ITT providers must assure applicants continue to meet the criteria set out in A1.1 to A1.4.

Assessment processes must be designed so that applicants are only confirmed as having met the requirements for QTS when they have demonstrated that they meet all of the Teachers’ Standards. Accredited ITT providers will need to devise procedures to do this that are fit for purpose and provide accurate assessments based on secure evidence, while not placing an unnecessary burden on applicants.

A2.2 Phases

All accredited ITT providers must:

ensure that all applicants confirmed as having met the requirements for QTS have been assessed as meeting the Teachers’ Standards within one of the following age phases:
- ages 3 to 11 (primary)
- ages 7 to 14 (middle)
- ages 11 to 19 (secondary)

Assessment must ensure that applicants have the knowledge and skills they need to be able to teach within their chosen phase. Typically, assessment will take place across the following age ranges:

3 to 7, 5 to 11, or 7 to 11 for primary assessment
7 to 14 for middle assessment
11 to 16, 11 to 18, or 14 to 19 for secondary assessment

Accredited ITT providers should consider how the assessment design and applicant’s teaching experience before entry will ensure they can teach across the full ability range of their chosen age phase. When assessing applicants whose teaching experience is mainly in special schools or alternative provision settings, providers should consider their mainstream and specialist teaching experience together. This may include using evidence from mainstream teaching alongside direct observation in specialist settings to demonstrate their ability to teach across the full ability range of the phase being assessed.

For those being assessed in non-specialist primary settings, the assessment process must cover the relevant curriculum subjects. For secondary applicants, accredited ITT providers will need to assess the necessary knowledge and understanding of their subjects and related pedagogy.

Assessment should enable applicants on middle phase programmes to demonstrate they have met the Teachers’ Standards across the relevant curriculum in the primary element of training, and in their specialist subject in the secondary element of training.

Accredited ITT providers should ensure they have the expertise to assess applicants in the age ranges and subjects they teach – this expertise will usually have been developed through delivery of high-quality ITT in these age ranges and subjects.

Phase decisions for applicants in special schools and alternative provision setting

Accredited ITT providers should use their professional judgement and expertise when choosing which phase is most appropriate for an applicant working in a special school or alternative provision setting. Providers should consider the full context of the applicant’s prior and current teaching experience, including the curriculum context, the developmental stage and chronological age of their pupils and the range of subjects they teach, including whether they have a specialist subject.

For example, there may be circumstances where the primary assessment only route is more appropriate for an applicant whose experience is within a specialist school for pupils aged 11 to 16 because they are teaching multiple subjects across an adapted primary-level curriculum and have mainstream experience in a primary school. Alternatively, if an applicant in a special school or alternative provision setting has a specialist subject, teaches GCSE content, and has experience teaching in a mainstream secondary school, the secondary phase may be more appropriate for them.

A2.3 Assessment delivery

All accredited ITT providers must ensure that the process of assessment:

includes the assessment of practical teaching in a school (or early years or further education setting)
typically does not last longer than 3 months

This is to ensure that assessors have the opportunity to verify an applicant’s achievement against the Teachers’ Standards in a practical teaching context, within a suitably short period of time.

Once an applicant has been confirmed as meeting the eligibility criteria set out in A1.1 to A1.4, accredited ITT providers should register them on the assessment only route by creating a trainee record on Register trainee teachers. The assessment only route is intended for very experienced graduate teachers without QTS who can demonstrate meeting all of the Teachers’ Standards without the need for further training. Therefore, the whole process for an applicant should typically be completed in no longer than 3 calendar months from their registered start date. If assessment does not begin immediately from the point of registration, providers should ensure they can evidence their actual start date, and the reason for the delay in registration and commencement of assessment.

Where an applicant fails to meet a provider’s reasonable expectation of providing evidence for assessment within the 3 month period, or where assessment determines that the applicant does not fully meet the Teachers’ Standards, the applicant should be deemed to have failed the route.

Assessments of applicants against the Teachers’ Standards should not be based solely upon evidence of prior experience and achievement. This evidence, whilst being valuable in its own right, must be verified by accredited ITT providers so they can be sure that applicants are continuing to meet the Teachers’ Standards.

Assessment may take place in early years settings, further education settings, independent schools, special schools, alternative provision settings, pupil referral units and mainstream schools with inclusion bases. ITT providers should satisfy themselves that employing schools have the capacity to undertake their responsibilities. Where a school requires significant improvement, it may still be possible for accredited ITT providers to use the school, especially if the improvements to be made do not affect the subject or age range in which the applicant is being assessed. The provider will need to be confident that the applicant will not be disadvantaged by being assessed in the school.

Appropriate adaptions for special schools and alternative provision settings

In all settings, assessment procedures should be rigorous and robust, supporting consistent and accurate judgements.

Accredited ITT providers should consider how applicants can demonstrate the Teachers’ Standards in the context of the specific school environment, the curriculum, and the needs of the pupils they are teaching. In some circumstances, the activities which evidence the Teachers’ Standards may look different to those expected in mainstream settings, in order to be appropriate and relevant in the school context.

Accredited ITT providers may also need to consider how assessment processes, such as practical teaching observations, may need to be adapted to reduce impact on pupils in these settings.

Accredited ITT providers should ensure that assessors have a suitable level of knowledge of teaching in special schools.

Management and quality assurance criteria

A3.1 Management

All accredited ITT providers must:

ensure that their management structure facilitates the effective operation of the assessment only provision

Accredited ITT providers must plan their provision to ensure they comply with the current ITT criteria and provide the opportunity for applicants to demonstrate that they meet all of the Teachers’ Standards. Assessment should be of high quality and accredited ITT providers should seek continuing improvement.

A3.2 Partnerships and structures

All accredited ITT providers must:

ensure that robust governance arrangements are put in place and exercised effectively, with clearly established structures and partnerships

Overarching requirements

The roles and responsibilities of all partners should be clearly defined in partnership agreements. Partnership agreements should be clear, working documents that can be used to guide and inform the contributions of each partner and help to support coherent arrangements across the various contexts in which the assessment takes place. Each partnership agreement should be underpinned by other practices, such as well-understood procedures for communication between the partners and agreed arrangements for the co-ordination of the route.

The partnership agreement should also include details of the:

clear quality assurance procedures for every role that a partner undertakes
content, delivery and impact of the assessment only route
policies for equality of opportunity
organisation and management of the partnership
role of each partner in addressing and managing applicant workload
role of all partners in protecting applicants’ mental health and well-being

The partnership agreement may make reference, for example, to the functions of groups and committees in managing the partnership and the ways in which resources are allocated among partners. It will set out the criteria for removing schools from the partnership, particularly where quality issues arise. The agreement and any associated supplementary documentation should be reviewed and revised by members of the partnership at appropriate intervals.

Roles and responsibilities

All assessors and applicants need to be clear about who is responsible for elements of assessment, how provision is managed and how the elements fit together to ensure that assessment observes all of the Teachers’ Standards.

Partnership agreements should specify the different roles within the partnership including, for example, provision leaders, internal and external moderators. They should also set out how partners contribute towards:

selecting and interviewing applicants
moderating assessment judgements of applicants against the Teachers’ Standards
providing professional development opportunities for colleagues within the partnership
access to resources
any programme committees
quality assurance including improvement planning and self-evaluation
the promotion of equality of opportunity
the safeguarding of children and young people

Changes to partnership structures

Accredited ITT providers must seek DfE approval for any proposed significant changes to their:

accredited legal entity
operating name
partnership arrangements, including addition and removal of partners

The accredited provider must inform DfE of:

changes to the accredited ITT provider’s UK provider reference number (UKPRN)
changes to the Accountable Officer – the person with overall accountability for assessment only in the organisation
details of all partners undertaking any of the following functions:
- recruitment and delivery of assessment only on behalf of an accredited ITT provider
- receiving and managing payments for assessment only

If an accredited provider is in any doubt as to whether they should advise DfE of any changes, they should do so.

Details of any proposed variations should be sent to itt.accreditation@education.gov.uk.

Read further information on these definitions in the Initial teacher training (ITT): forming partnerships guidance.

A3.3 Legislation

All accredited ITT providers must:

ensure that they comply with all current legislation relevant to the assessment only route

Accredited ITT providers must comply with relevant legislation and also satisfy the criteria specified by the Secretary of State and review and update their provision to ensure this. Accredited ITT providers should make sure that all members of the partnership are fully aware of their duties under all relevant legislation and have in place arrangements for ensuring that these are met when selecting and assessing applicants. This includes:

Education (School Teachers’ Qualifications) (England) Regulations 2003 (SI 1662) – statutory requirements for QTS in England
Education (Specified Work) (England) Regulations 2012 (SI 762) – requirements that must be satisfied by individuals who are not qualified teachers in order to be able to carry out specified work in schools
Equality Act 2010 – legislation relating to equality, discrimination, and employment
Data Protection Act 2018
Freedom of Information Act 2000
Lifelong Learning (Higher Education Fee Limits) Act 2023

Accredited ITT providers must also ensure they carry out relevant background checks for all applicants.

From 1 July 2015 specified authorities, including all schools, are subject to a duty under section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 (the CTSA 2015), to have “due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”. Bodies to which the duty applies must have regard to statutory guidance issued under section 29 of the CTSA 2015 (the Prevent duty guidance).

The Prevent duty guidance states that schools and other institutions to which the duty applies should make sure that staff have training that gives them the knowledge and confidence to identify children at risk of being drawn into terrorism and to challenge extremist ideas which can be used to legitimise terrorism and are shared by terrorist groups.

Further information

The following is a list of relevant legislation and guidance. This is not intended to be exhaustive and ITT providers will need to ensure they have identified and comply with all legislation relevant to assessment only.

Equality legislation and guidance:

Equality Act 2010 is the governing legislation for all matters relating to discrimination
Education (Health Standards) (England) Regulations 2003 (SI 3139)
Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (2001)
Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs)
Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) provides guidance for schools and further and higher education institutions
EHRC’s Equality Act codes of practice that relates to equal pay, race, disability and sex and gender discrimination

The work that is reserved to qualified teachers in maintained schools in accordance with section 133 of the Education Act 2002, subject to limited exceptions, is prescribed by the Education (Specified Work) (England) Regulations 2012.

Other relevant guidance includes:

the Health and Safety Executive’s Five steps to risk assessment
guidance for practitioners and managers on Information sharing advice for safeguarding practitioners

Accredited ITT providers should familiarise themselves with the Competition and Markets Authority’s consumer law advice. Any accredited ITT provider that does not meet its obligations to applicants may be in breach of consumer protection law. Find out more about Higher education: consumer law advice for ITT providers.

A3.4 Quality assurance

All accredited ITT providers must:

ensure that they monitor, evaluate and moderate all aspects of provision rigorously
demonstrate how these contribute to securing improvements in the quality of assessment of applicants

Evaluation

Accredited ITT providers should clearly define the arrangements and responsibilities for monitoring and evaluating all aspects of their assessment only provision across all the contexts in which it takes place and identify ways in which it could be improved.

Accredited ITT providers may wish to collect and analyse a variety of data to inform their understanding of the effectiveness of their assessment only provision. For example, they may collect and analyse data or other evidence about:

assessment sessions, in order to establish their fitness for purpose and to identify strengths and weaknesses across the different contributions to the route
candidates’ evaluations of how their assessment needs have been met
internal and external moderation about the effectiveness and accuracy of the assessment of candidates against the Teachers’ Standards
the implementation of equality policies
DfE and Ofsted feedback

Internal moderation

Internal moderation provides a system of checks and balances within a partnership to ensure that trainees in different settings are assessed accurately and reliably. Accredited ITT providers should ensure that arrangements for internal moderation are in place and they work effectively. The roles and responsibilities of those carrying out such arrangements are likely to be contained in the partnership agreement.

Internal moderation procedures could include, but is not limited to:

the involvement of staff with relevant expertise from 2 or more partners when assessing applicants
discussions by relevant staff of all the evidence available, including applicants’ previous experience and achievement

External moderation

External moderators have an important role in ensuring consistency of standards across, as well as within, ITT partnerships. Accredited ITT providers should ensure that external moderators have relevant expertise and experience to enable them to carry out their roles competently. They should also ensure that the views of external moderators are taken into account fully when reaching decisions about whether applicants’ have met the Teachers’ Standards.

Accredited ITT providers should appoint suitable external moderators. External moderators should have no direct involvement with the work of the partnership. They should be able to offer an external perspective on the attainment of the accredited ITT providers’ applicants in relation to the requirements for QTS, which should help to verify the accuracy of the accredited ITT provider’s assessments. Accredited ITT providers should consider how to use external moderators to corroborate and standardise their assessments of applicants.

Accredited ITT providers may wish to consider, when appointing external moderators, whether they have appropriate subject, curriculum or age-phase expertise to enable them to provide specialist feedback.

Accredited ITT providers should have systematic procedures in place in order to demonstrate that monitoring and evaluation have secured improvements in quality and outcomes for applicants. This may mean keeping comparative data and other evidence over a period of time.

Similarly, accredited ITT providers may wish to examine their procedures and practices for enhancing and improving the pedagogical knowledge of all applicants and the knowledge of relevant curriculum areas for primary applicants and evaluate these against the success of applicants in demonstrating meeting the Teachers’ Standards. The evidence will need to be sufficiently robust to enable accredited ITT providers to draw conclusions and act upon them.

All monitoring and evaluation processes and activities should focus on impact and outcomes – particularly in the context of the standards achieved by applicants. Reporting and documenting of these activities should be evaluative rather than descriptive. These activities and processes might feed into improvement plans.

Legislation

This advice refers to:

For the equivalent of grades awarded under the new GCSE grading structure, refer to Your qualification, our regulation: GCSE, AS and A level reforms. ↩
An equivalent to grade 4 in English language or English literature fulfils this criterion. ↩
A first degree comprises 300 HE credit points of which 60 must be at level 6 of the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF). Applicants with a foundation degree will need to supplement this qualification with at least 60 credits at level 6 (HE level 3) in order to attain an equivalent single qualification ↩
Where we refer to schools in the school teaching experience criteria, we also include early years and further education institutions. ↩

Question 4

A1.1 GCSE standard equivalent

Accepted Answer

All accredited ITT providers should:

ensure that all entrants have achieved a standard equivalent to a grade 4^{[footnote 1]} in the GCSE examinations in English^{[footnote 2]} and mathematics
ensure that those who intend to train to teach pupils aged 3 to 11 additionally have achieved a standard equivalent to a grade 4 in the GCSE examination in a science subject

Question 5

A1.2 Degree criteria

Accepted Answer

All accredited ITT providers must:

ensure that, before acceptance onto the assessment only route, all applicants hold a first degree from a United Kingdom higher education institution or equivalent qualification^{[footnote 3]}

The aim of this criterion is to ensure the graduate status of teaching. All entrants must have attained a qualification that demonstrates the level of knowledge, understanding and transferable intellectual skills associated with graduate status.

The Education (School Teachers’ Qualifications) (England) Regulations 2003 requires all entrants to teaching in England to have a UK first degree or equivalent qualification. Any equivalent qualification must be one single qualification, not an aggregation of a number of separate qualifications. The exception to this is where applicants undertake study to extend an existing degree (for example, a foundation level degree) or qualification to secure the required level of academic award to meet degree criteria requirements.

Accredited ITT providers should view original certificates in order to validate an applicant’s degree status. However, they should exercise discretion for recent graduates where there is a delay in receiving the original certificate. In these cases, accredited ITT providers should obtain written confirmation from the relevant degree-awarding institution that the applicant has achieved graduate status. Accredited ITT providers should view the original certificate as soon as it is available.

In cases where an original certificate is no longer available, accredited ITT providers must gain assurance of graduate status and must keep an audit trail of the evidence obtained.

Degree subjects

Legislation does not specify that teachers must have a degree in a particular subject or discipline.

There is no statutory requirement for primary applicants to have a degree in a National Curriculum subject, or for secondary applicants to have a degree in a specified subject, as long as they meet all of the Teachers’ Standards, including those that relate to subject and curriculum knowledge.

Information on degree-level qualifications

Accredited ITT providers will need to make sure that those responsible for decisions on entry are familiar with, or have access to, advice on the range of qualifications generally regarded as equivalent to a first (bachelor’s) degree in the UK, including:

overseas qualifications
professional or vocational qualifications
qualifications no longer available but held by mature applicants

Some master’s degrees may provide the necessary breadth and have a similar type of academic engagement as would be expected from a first degree (for example, significant taught content, equivalent breadth).

It is for the accredited ITT provider to decide whether an applicant’s qualification meets this criterion. Accredited ITT providers whose ITT partnerships do not include degree-awarding bodies may wish to seek advice from those that do.

Further information

The European Network of Information Centres in the European Region (ENIC) provides advice on the equivalence of overseas degrees.

The Frameworks for HE qualifications of degree-awarding bodies describes the higher education qualifications awarded by UK higher education institutions (HEIs) at 5 levels.

Question 6

A1.3 Suitability

Accepted Answer

All accredited ITT providers must ensure that, before acceptance onto the route, all applicants, as part of the accredited ITT provider’s selection procedures, have taken part in a rigorous selection process designed to assess their:

suitability to teach
ability to demonstrate meeting all of the Teachers’ Standards without the need for any future training

Accredited ITT providers must ensure that, before anyone is admitted to the assessment only route, they have deemed them suitable to teach. This will help to protect children and young people from applicants who might put them at risk of harm because the applicant’s previous conduct shows they are unsuitable for teaching. Accredited ITT providers should conduct interviews, run appropriate pre-selection checks, and assess if an applicant has the appropriate intellectual and academic capabilities and personal qualities, attitudes, ethics and values to meet the Teachers’ Standards.

Accredited ITT providers should consider a wide range of evidence to judge applicants’ suitability to teach. For example:

information from application forms
results of any entry tests or tasks
interviews

Accredited ITT providers should also get written confirmation of the applicant’s suitability for assessment only from the headteacher of the applicant’s most recent employing school. An alternative senior member of staff may provide this written confirmation if the headteacher is unable to.

Accredited ITT providers or partner organisations should ensure that applicant selection processes give due regard to relevant aspects of part 3 of Keeping children safe in education.

Accredited ITT providers should ensure that at least one member of the recruitment panel has undertaken appropriate safer recruitment training.

Interviews

Accredited ITT providers should consider how information from interviews can help to identify and take account of applicants’ prior experience. The interview process might include classroom observation, discussions of professional portfolios of evidence and discussions with managers.

There is no requirement for a face-to-face interview. Interviews may take place virtually, providing suitable applicant identity checks have been conducted.

Accredited ITT providers must ensure that applicants are given every opportunity, before and during the interview, to inform the accredited ITT provider of any special requirements that require reasonable adjustment.

Equality

To comply with equality legislation, accredited ITT providers must ensure that interview procedures promote equality of opportunity and avoid discrimination.

The Equality Act 2010 requires accredited ITT providers to ensure they are not discriminating against applicants on the basis of any protected characteristic, or applicants with special educational needs (SEN).

Applicants with disabilities are under no obligation to disclose their disabilities. Accredited ITT providers must ensure that their provision does not place applicants with disabilities at a disadvantage. Accredited ITT providers must also consider making anticipatory adjustments to promote positive equality of access for disabled applicants, including access to benefits, facilities and services. They should provide as many opportunities as possible for applicants to identify any special arrangements they may require, for example when inviting them to interview or making arrangements for any entrance tests.

Not all applicants will have declared their disability at the application stage. Accredited providers should give all applicants the opportunity to disclose a disability before and during their assessment. Applicants with declared disabilities should have access to reasonable adjustments appropriate to the teaching profession, to ensure they are given every opportunity to demonstrate that they meet the requirements for QTS.

Health and capacity to teach

Accredited ITT providers should have regard to the relevant aspects of Keeping children safe in education requirements when assessing trainees’ health and capacity to teach, so that children and young people are not at risk of harm. The activities that a teacher must be able to perform are set out in the Education (Health Standards)(England) Regulations 2003. Accredited ITT providers are responsible for ensuring that only applicants who have the capacity to teach remain on the route.

People with disabilities or chronic illnesses may have the capacity to teach, just as those without disabilities or medical conditions may be unsuitable to teach.

Successful applicants may be asked to complete a fitness questionnaire before commencing the assessment. Accredited ITT providers should not ask all-encompassing health questions but should ensure that they only ask targeted and relevant health-related questions which are necessary to ensure that a person is able to teach.

Disclosure and Barring Service checks

Accredited ITT providers should have regard to the Keeping children safe in education statutory guidance when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. They should ensure all applicants have been subject to appropriate pre-selection checks. This will include obtaining and considering Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) criminal records checks and children’s barred list information.

Applicants are not required to be employed by a school. Accredited ITT providers should confirm to schools hosting a non-employed applicant for their period of assessment that the applicant’s criminal record check, including a check of the children’s barred list, has been completed and that the provider has judged the individual to be suitable to work with children. Schools may wish to record this confirmation in their single central record, but they are not required to do so.

Where a school or college allows an individual to start work in regulated activity before the DBS certificate is available, they should ensure that the individual is appropriately supervised and that all other checks, including a separate barred list check, have been completed.

In the case of employed applicants, the responsibility lies with the employer to ensure the checks have been carried out. A provider should not do a further DBS check if they have received notification from the employing school that a satisfactory check has been obtained.

Accredited ITT providers should establish clear safeguarding procedures and protocols that are agreed by all partners in the partnership. This should include a common understanding across the partnership of convictions, offences, cautions and warnings that would not pose a barrier to joining the assessment only route.

Schools should ensure that all applicants are provided with the following:

the child protection policy
the staff behaviour policy (sometimes called a code of conduct)
information about the role of the designated safeguarding lead
a copy of Keeping children safe in education

Accredited ITT providers may wish to recommend to applicants that they register with the DBS update service.

If an accredited ITT provider removes an applicant from the assessment only route, or if they would have removed the applicant had they not left, because that applicant has harmed or poses a risk of harm to children, the accredited ITT provider should seek guidance from DBS and inform DfE by contacting itt.safeguarding@education.gov.uk.

Any queries about DBS checks should be referred to DBS at customerservices@dbs.gov.uk or on 03000 200 190.

Other background checks

Applicants who are unsuited to working with children may not have any previous convictions, and accredited ITT providers should ensure that all those involved in the selection process are vigilant. Accredited ITT providers and employing schools have a duty to ensure that trainees are properly managed and supervised and that, if they have concerns, information is referred to the police and the DBS.

Applicants who have lived or worked outside the UK must undergo the same checks as all other staff in schools and colleges. In addition, further checks should be carried out so that events that occurred outside the UK can be considered. Read the Home Office’s criminal record checks for overseas applicants guidance and our guidance on recruiting individuals who have lived and worked outside the UK in Keeping children safe in education and Recruit teachers from overseas.

Accredited ITT providers and employers must check that applicants are not subject to a prohibition order issued by the Secretary of State.

Childcare disqualification

Accredited ITT providers should have regard to the Disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006 statutory guidance and related obligations under the Childcare Act 2006.

Further advice on the childcare disqualification arrangements can be obtained from DfE at disqualification@education.gov.uk or on 01325 340 409.

Further information

Statutory guidance:

Question 7

A1.4 School teaching experience

Accepted Answer

All accredited ITT providers must ensure, before acceptance onto the route, that all applicants have:

a minimum of 2 years’ teaching experience
teaching experience across a minimum of 2 different schools^{[footnote 4]} or a minimum of 5 years teaching experience in a single school

Applicants need to demonstrate sufficient breadth and variety of experience in schools or other settings to enable them to meet all of the Teachers’ Standards. They need to have:

taught children and young people from different backgrounds, across the ability range in their chosen age ranges
gained experience in different approaches to teaching, how children and young people learn, and to school organisation and management

Practical teaching experience for the purposes of assessment only is not restricted to taking place wholly or mainly in England.

Where an applicant’s previous teaching experience is mainly in special schools or alternative provision settings, accredited ITT providers should ensure they also have teaching experience in a suitable mainstream school before acceptance onto the route.

All applicants should have a minimum of 2 weeks mainstream experience. However, providers should require more than this minimum where necessary to be assured that the length and nature of the applicant’s mainstream experience complements their other experience and meaningfully supports their ability to demonstrate meeting all of the Teachers’ Standards.

When determining whether an applicant has sufficient mainstream school experience to meet this requirement, providers may wish to consider factors such as:

the breadth, depth and duration of their mainstream and other experience
the level of need in the special schools the applicant has taught in

Mainstream teaching experience may also be recognised as experience in a second school under criterion A1.4. Providers should use their professional judgement to determine whether the nature, breadth and duration of that experience is sufficient for it to count towards this requirement.

Teaching experience does not need to have been full time, or continuous. Accredited ITT providers should make an informed professional judgement as to whether an applicant’s prior experience of teaching provides enough evidence to allow the provider to confidently count those experiences towards the minimum requirements.

Accredited ITT providers will need to be clear about the nature and extent of the prior experience, whether it offered the applicant the opportunity to teach children and young people, and whether, taken together with other experiences, it prepared the applicant sufficiently to meet the Teachers’ Standards.

Question 8

A2.1 Provision

Accepted Answer

All accredited ITT providers must ensure that the assessment only provision is designed to:

enable applicants to demonstrate meeting all of the Teachers’ Standards across the age range of assessment
ensure that no applicant is confirmed as having met the requirements for QTS unless they have demonstrated meeting all of the Teachers’ Standards

At the outset, accredited ITT providers should make clear to applicants, and to all of those involved in assessment only, the scope and coverage of the route, including subject and curriculum knowledge and understanding, and the anticipated assessment outcomes.

Assessment only route design should be flexible enough to meet the needs of every applicant. It is important to devise assessment processes that pay due regard to equality and fairness, that are robust and that make consistent and accurate judgements.

Deciding whether an applicant meets the Teachers’ Standards is a matter of professional judgement, taking into account the assessed performance, and all other relevant evidence produced by the applicant. Accredited ITT providers must ensure their assessment practices are designed to ensure that applicants have met the Teachers’ Standards.

Before confirming whether an applicant meets the requirements for QTS, accredited ITT providers must assure applicants continue to meet the criteria set out in A1.1 to A1.4.

Assessment processes must be designed so that applicants are only confirmed as having met the requirements for QTS when they have demonstrated that they meet all of the Teachers’ Standards. Accredited ITT providers will need to devise procedures to do this that are fit for purpose and provide accurate assessments based on secure evidence, while not placing an unnecessary burden on applicants.

Question 9

A2.2 Phases

Accepted Answer

All accredited ITT providers must:

ensure that all applicants confirmed as having met the requirements for QTS have been assessed as meeting the Teachers’ Standards within one of the following age phases:
- ages 3 to 11 (primary)
- ages 7 to 14 (middle)
- ages 11 to 19 (secondary)

Assessment must ensure that applicants have the knowledge and skills they need to be able to teach within their chosen phase. Typically, assessment will take place across the following age ranges:

3 to 7, 5 to 11, or 7 to 11 for primary assessment
7 to 14 for middle assessment
11 to 16, 11 to 18, or 14 to 19 for secondary assessment

Accredited ITT providers should consider how the assessment design and applicant’s teaching experience before entry will ensure they can teach across the full ability range of their chosen age phase. When assessing applicants whose teaching experience is mainly in special schools or alternative provision settings, providers should consider their mainstream and specialist teaching experience together. This may include using evidence from mainstream teaching alongside direct observation in specialist settings to demonstrate their ability to teach across the full ability range of the phase being assessed.

For those being assessed in non-specialist primary settings, the assessment process must cover the relevant curriculum subjects. For secondary applicants, accredited ITT providers will need to assess the necessary knowledge and understanding of their subjects and related pedagogy.

Assessment should enable applicants on middle phase programmes to demonstrate they have met the Teachers’ Standards across the relevant curriculum in the primary element of training, and in their specialist subject in the secondary element of training.

Accredited ITT providers should ensure they have the expertise to assess applicants in the age ranges and subjects they teach – this expertise will usually have been developed through delivery of high-quality ITT in these age ranges and subjects.

Phase decisions for applicants in special schools and alternative provision setting

Accredited ITT providers should use their professional judgement and expertise when choosing which phase is most appropriate for an applicant working in a special school or alternative provision setting. Providers should consider the full context of the applicant’s prior and current teaching experience, including the curriculum context, the developmental stage and chronological age of their pupils and the range of subjects they teach, including whether they have a specialist subject.

For example, there may be circumstances where the primary assessment only route is more appropriate for an applicant whose experience is within a specialist school for pupils aged 11 to 16 because they are teaching multiple subjects across an adapted primary-level curriculum and have mainstream experience in a primary school. Alternatively, if an applicant in a special school or alternative provision setting has a specialist subject, teaches GCSE content, and has experience teaching in a mainstream secondary school, the secondary phase may be more appropriate for them.

Question 10

A2.3 Assessment delivery

Accepted Answer

All accredited ITT providers must ensure that the process of assessment:

includes the assessment of practical teaching in a school (or early years or further education setting)
typically does not last longer than 3 months

This is to ensure that assessors have the opportunity to verify an applicant’s achievement against the Teachers’ Standards in a practical teaching context, within a suitably short period of time.

Once an applicant has been confirmed as meeting the eligibility criteria set out in A1.1 to A1.4, accredited ITT providers should register them on the assessment only route by creating a trainee record on Register trainee teachers. The assessment only route is intended for very experienced graduate teachers without QTS who can demonstrate meeting all of the Teachers’ Standards without the need for further training. Therefore, the whole process for an applicant should typically be completed in no longer than 3 calendar months from their registered start date. If assessment does not begin immediately from the point of registration, providers should ensure they can evidence their actual start date, and the reason for the delay in registration and commencement of assessment.

Where an applicant fails to meet a provider’s reasonable expectation of providing evidence for assessment within the 3 month period, or where assessment determines that the applicant does not fully meet the Teachers’ Standards, the applicant should be deemed to have failed the route.

Assessments of applicants against the Teachers’ Standards should not be based solely upon evidence of prior experience and achievement. This evidence, whilst being valuable in its own right, must be verified by accredited ITT providers so they can be sure that applicants are continuing to meet the Teachers’ Standards.

Assessment may take place in early years settings, further education settings, independent schools, special schools, alternative provision settings, pupil referral units and mainstream schools with inclusion bases. ITT providers should satisfy themselves that employing schools have the capacity to undertake their responsibilities. Where a school requires significant improvement, it may still be possible for accredited ITT providers to use the school, especially if the improvements to be made do not affect the subject or age range in which the applicant is being assessed. The provider will need to be confident that the applicant will not be disadvantaged by being assessed in the school.

Appropriate adaptions for special schools and alternative provision settings

In all settings, assessment procedures should be rigorous and robust, supporting consistent and accurate judgements.

Accredited ITT providers should consider how applicants can demonstrate the Teachers’ Standards in the context of the specific school environment, the curriculum, and the needs of the pupils they are teaching. In some circumstances, the activities which evidence the Teachers’ Standards may look different to those expected in mainstream settings, in order to be appropriate and relevant in the school context.

Accredited ITT providers may also need to consider how assessment processes, such as practical teaching observations, may need to be adapted to reduce impact on pupils in these settings.

Accredited ITT providers should ensure that assessors have a suitable level of knowledge of teaching in special schools.

Question 11

A3.1 Management

Accepted Answer

All accredited ITT providers must:

ensure that their management structure facilitates the effective operation of the assessment only provision

Accredited ITT providers must plan their provision to ensure they comply with the current ITT criteria and provide the opportunity for applicants to demonstrate that they meet all of the Teachers’ Standards. Assessment should be of high quality and accredited ITT providers should seek continuing improvement.

Question 12

A3.2 Partnerships and structures

Accepted Answer

All accredited ITT providers must:

ensure that robust governance arrangements are put in place and exercised effectively, with clearly established structures and partnerships

Overarching requirements

The roles and responsibilities of all partners should be clearly defined in partnership agreements. Partnership agreements should be clear, working documents that can be used to guide and inform the contributions of each partner and help to support coherent arrangements across the various contexts in which the assessment takes place. Each partnership agreement should be underpinned by other practices, such as well-understood procedures for communication between the partners and agreed arrangements for the co-ordination of the route.

The partnership agreement should also include details of the:

clear quality assurance procedures for every role that a partner undertakes
content, delivery and impact of the assessment only route
policies for equality of opportunity
organisation and management of the partnership
role of each partner in addressing and managing applicant workload
role of all partners in protecting applicants’ mental health and well-being

The partnership agreement may make reference, for example, to the functions of groups and committees in managing the partnership and the ways in which resources are allocated among partners. It will set out the criteria for removing schools from the partnership, particularly where quality issues arise. The agreement and any associated supplementary documentation should be reviewed and revised by members of the partnership at appropriate intervals.

Roles and responsibilities

All assessors and applicants need to be clear about who is responsible for elements of assessment, how provision is managed and how the elements fit together to ensure that assessment observes all of the Teachers’ Standards.

Partnership agreements should specify the different roles within the partnership including, for example, provision leaders, internal and external moderators. They should also set out how partners contribute towards:

selecting and interviewing applicants
moderating assessment judgements of applicants against the Teachers’ Standards
providing professional development opportunities for colleagues within the partnership
access to resources
any programme committees
quality assurance including improvement planning and self-evaluation
the promotion of equality of opportunity
the safeguarding of children and young people

Changes to partnership structures

Accredited ITT providers must seek DfE approval for any proposed significant changes to their:

accredited legal entity
operating name
partnership arrangements, including addition and removal of partners

The accredited provider must inform DfE of:

changes to the accredited ITT provider’s UK provider reference number (UKPRN)
changes to the Accountable Officer – the person with overall accountability for assessment only in the organisation
details of all partners undertaking any of the following functions:
- recruitment and delivery of assessment only on behalf of an accredited ITT provider
- receiving and managing payments for assessment only

If an accredited provider is in any doubt as to whether they should advise DfE of any changes, they should do so.

Details of any proposed variations should be sent to itt.accreditation@education.gov.uk.

Read further information on these definitions in the Initial teacher training (ITT): forming partnerships guidance.

Question 13

A3.3 Legislation

Accepted Answer

All accredited ITT providers must:

ensure that they comply with all current legislation relevant to the assessment only route

Accredited ITT providers must comply with relevant legislation and also satisfy the criteria specified by the Secretary of State and review and update their provision to ensure this. Accredited ITT providers should make sure that all members of the partnership are fully aware of their duties under all relevant legislation and have in place arrangements for ensuring that these are met when selecting and assessing applicants. This includes:

Accredited ITT providers must also ensure they carry out relevant background checks for all applicants.

From 1 July 2015 specified authorities, including all schools, are subject to a duty under section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 (the CTSA 2015), to have “due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”. Bodies to which the duty applies must have regard to statutory guidance issued under section 29 of the CTSA 2015 (the Prevent duty guidance).

The Prevent duty guidance states that schools and other institutions to which the duty applies should make sure that staff have training that gives them the knowledge and confidence to identify children at risk of being drawn into terrorism and to challenge extremist ideas which can be used to legitimise terrorism and are shared by terrorist groups.

Further information

The following is a list of relevant legislation and guidance. This is not intended to be exhaustive and ITT providers will need to ensure they have identified and comply with all legislation relevant to assessment only.

Equality legislation and guidance:

The work that is reserved to qualified teachers in maintained schools in accordance with section 133 of the Education Act 2002, subject to limited exceptions, is prescribed by the Education (Specified Work) (England) Regulations 2012.

Other relevant guidance includes:

Accredited ITT providers should familiarise themselves with the Competition and Markets Authority’s consumer law advice. Any accredited ITT provider that does not meet its obligations to applicants may be in breach of consumer protection law. Find out more about Higher education: consumer law advice for ITT providers.

Question 14

A3.4 Quality assurance

Accepted Answer

All accredited ITT providers must:

ensure that they monitor, evaluate and moderate all aspects of provision rigorously
demonstrate how these contribute to securing improvements in the quality of assessment of applicants

Evaluation

Accredited ITT providers should clearly define the arrangements and responsibilities for monitoring and evaluating all aspects of their assessment only provision across all the contexts in which it takes place and identify ways in which it could be improved.

Accredited ITT providers may wish to collect and analyse a variety of data to inform their understanding of the effectiveness of their assessment only provision. For example, they may collect and analyse data or other evidence about:

assessment sessions, in order to establish their fitness for purpose and to identify strengths and weaknesses across the different contributions to the route
candidates’ evaluations of how their assessment needs have been met
internal and external moderation about the effectiveness and accuracy of the assessment of candidates against the Teachers’ Standards
the implementation of equality policies
DfE and Ofsted feedback

Internal moderation

Internal moderation provides a system of checks and balances within a partnership to ensure that trainees in different settings are assessed accurately and reliably. Accredited ITT providers should ensure that arrangements for internal moderation are in place and they work effectively. The roles and responsibilities of those carrying out such arrangements are likely to be contained in the partnership agreement.

Internal moderation procedures could include, but is not limited to:

the involvement of staff with relevant expertise from 2 or more partners when assessing applicants
discussions by relevant staff of all the evidence available, including applicants’ previous experience and achievement

External moderation

External moderators have an important role in ensuring consistency of standards across, as well as within, ITT partnerships. Accredited ITT providers should ensure that external moderators have relevant expertise and experience to enable them to carry out their roles competently. They should also ensure that the views of external moderators are taken into account fully when reaching decisions about whether applicants’ have met the Teachers’ Standards.

Accredited ITT providers should appoint suitable external moderators. External moderators should have no direct involvement with the work of the partnership. They should be able to offer an external perspective on the attainment of the accredited ITT providers’ applicants in relation to the requirements for QTS, which should help to verify the accuracy of the accredited ITT provider’s assessments. Accredited ITT providers should consider how to use external moderators to corroborate and standardise their assessments of applicants.

Accredited ITT providers may wish to consider, when appointing external moderators, whether they have appropriate subject, curriculum or age-phase expertise to enable them to provide specialist feedback.

Accredited ITT providers should have systematic procedures in place in order to demonstrate that monitoring and evaluation have secured improvements in quality and outcomes for applicants. This may mean keeping comparative data and other evidence over a period of time.

Similarly, accredited ITT providers may wish to examine their procedures and practices for enhancing and improving the pedagogical knowledge of all applicants and the knowledge of relevant curriculum areas for primary applicants and evaluate these against the success of applicants in demonstrating meeting the Teachers’ Standards. The evidence will need to be sufficiently robust to enable accredited ITT providers to draw conclusions and act upon them.

All monitoring and evaluation processes and activities should focus on impact and outcomes – particularly in the context of the standards achieved by applicants. Reporting and documenting of these activities should be evaluative rather than descriptive. These activities and processes might feed into improvement plans.

Legislation

This advice refers to:

For the equivalent of grades awarded under the new GCSE grading structure, refer to Your qualification, our regulation: GCSE, AS and A level reforms. ↩
An equivalent to grade 4 in English language or English literature fulfils this criterion. ↩
A first degree comprises 300 HE credit points of which 60 must be at level 6 of the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF). Applicants with a foundation degree will need to supplement this qualification with at least 60 credits at level 6 (HE level 3) in order to attain an equivalent single qualification ↩
Where we refer to schools in the school teaching experience criteria, we also include early years and further education institutions. ↩

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Applies to England

Summary

Approval

Entry criteria

A1.1 GCSE standard equivalent

Intellectual and academic capabilities

Further information

A1.2 Degree criteria

Degree subjects

Information on degree-level qualifications

Further information

A1.3 Suitability

Interviews

Equality

Health and capacity to teach

Disclosure and Barring Service checks

Other background checks

Childcare disqualification

Further information

Statutory guidance:

A1.4 School teaching experience

Assessment criteria

A2.1 Provision

A2.2 Phases

Phase decisions for applicants in special schools and alternative provision setting

A2.3 Assessment delivery

Appropriate adaptions for special schools and alternative provision settings

Management and quality assurance criteria

A3.1 Management

A3.2 Partnerships and structures

Overarching requirements

Roles and responsibilities

Changes to partnership structures

A3.3 Legislation

Further information

A3.4 Quality assurance

Evaluation

Internal moderation

External moderation

Legislation

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