The revised framework of professional standards for teachers

1. v 03 The revised framework of professional standards for teachers February 2008

2. The context – review of standards for classroom practitioners TDA has reviewed the following standards for classroom practitioners: • Professional standards for teachers • Professional standards for Higher Level Teaching Assistants • Level 3 National Occupational Standards for Teaching/Classroom Assistants • Level 2 National Occupational Standards for Teaching/Classroom Assistants The NCSL is currently working with social partners to review the standards for school leadership

3. The wider context for teachers- new teacher professionalism The new teacher professionalism agenda, as described by RIG in their submission to the STRB in May 2005, aims to develop a culture whereby • teachers and head teachers feel confident and empowered to participate fully in Performance Management • those who manage staff engage in a professional dialogue with them, respect them as professionals, make decisions about their work and contribute in an open, equitable and fair manner • teachers feel both an entitlement to, and a duty to engage in, school-focussed CPD which is effective and relevant to their professional development, career progression and aspirations

4. The wider context for teachers- performance management • Performance management provides a single and coherent vehicle for assessing the overall performance of a teacher or head teacher, in the context of their job description and the relevant pay progression criteria, and making plans for the individual’s future development in the context of the school’s improvement plan. • Performance management and professional development should be an ongoing part of everyday activities and not a separate activity adding to workload. • Professional standards provide the backdrop to discussions about performance and future development. • Revised Performance management arrangements were published in October 2006 and come into effect in September 2007. • Further information on performance management is available at • www.tda.gov.uk/pm

5. Why have these standards been reviewed? • To bring coherence to the framework of professional and occupational standards used throughout the school workforce • To create a coherent and progressive framework which will provide a helpful reference point for the school workforce as they review and plan their training and development • To support new developments emerging in the context of new teacher professionalism including revised performance management arrangements (in place from autumn 2007)

6. National occupational standards • National occupational standards to support teaching and learning in schools cover the role of teaching assistants and other classroom-based roles such as cover superviser. These came into force June 2007 • New NVQs at levels 2 and 3, based on the national occupational standards, are available

7. Alignment with the wider children’s workforce

8. HLTA standards • Revised 2007 to take account of: • Changing context for teaching assistants’ work • New policy developments across the Children’s Workforce (Every Child Matters, common core) • Revision of the teachers’ standards • Further information is available on the TDA website

9. The revised framework of professional standards for teachers • Four sets of standards reviewed: • QTS, Induction, Post-threshold, Advanced Skills Teacher • New set of standards for the Excellent Teacher scheme • Three inter-linked sections: • Professional attributes, professional knowledge and understanding, professional skills • Induction standards are known as core standards, they apply to NQTs and mainscale teachers. • The standards are progressive and cumulative. Core standards underpin all the subsequent standards The introduction to the standards within the booklet “Professional Standards for Teachers. Why sit sill in your career?” contains important messages and context regarding the new framework

10. The purpose of the revised standards • The standards provide clarity of the expectations at each career stage. They provide the context for regular discussions about teachers' career aspirations and their future development, within or beyond their current career stage. The standards will therefore form a backdrop to performance management. The standards will: • provide a supportive framework • provide a helpful reference point when identifying training and development needs • help teachers to plan their career progression • inform decisions about career and pay progression • set out expectations of each career stage • The QTS standards will inform teacher training

11. What progression across the standards looks like • The framework of professional standards is progressive: • post threshold teachers make a distinctive contribution to raising standards across the school by acting as role models for teaching and learning and providing mentoring and coaching to less experienced teachers • ASTs and Excellent Teachers provide models of excellent and innovative teaching and use their skills to enhance teaching and learning by undertaking and leading school improvement activities and CPD for other teachers. ASTs also carry out developmental work across a range of workplaces.

12. Career progression • As now, to access each career stage, a teacher needs to demonstrate that he/she has met the relevant standards. As now, teachers seeking to cross the threshold are assessed by their head teacher. Teachers seeking Excellent Teacher or AST status need to apply and be assessed through an external assessment process. • The standards clarify the professional characteristics that a teacher should be expected to maintain and build on. After the induction year, teachers are expected to continue to meet the core standards and to broaden and deepen their professional knowledge, understanding and skills within that context. This principles applies at all other career stages. • Whilst not all teachers will necessarily want to move to the next career stage, the standards will also support teachers in identifying ways to broaden and deepen their expertise within their current career stages.

13. When will the revised standards for teachers be used in schools? • New standards to be used as a backdrop to revised performance management arrangements which must be in place by Autumn 2007 • Used from September 2007 for: • pay and career progression purposes • training and developmental purposes

14. Guidance available on TDA website • Guidance on QTS standards • Guidance on core standards for NQTs • ‘Craft of teaching’ guidance • No further guidance is planned

16. A changing landscape • Children’s agenda • Workforce remodelling • Personalised learning • Professional development • New professionalism

17. Children’s agenda • C5: Recognise and respect the contribution that colleagues, parents and carers can make to the development and well-being of children and young people and to raising their levels of attainment. • C18: Understand how children and young people develop and how the progress, rate of development and well-being of learners are affected by a range of developmental, social, religious, ethnic, cultural and linguistic influences • C25 Know how to identify and support children and young people whose progress, development or well-being is affected by changes or difficulties in their personal circumstances, and when to refer them to colleagues for specialist support

18. Workforce remodelling • C6: Have a commitment to collaboration and co-operative working where appropriate • C21: Know when to draw on the expertise of colleagues, such as those with responsibility for the safeguarding of children and young people and special educational needs and disabilities, and to refer to sources of information, advice and support from external agencies. • C40: Work as a team member and identify opportunities for working with colleagues, managing their work where appropriate and sharing the development of effective practice with them.

19. Personalised learning • C10: Have a good, up to date working knowledge and understanding of a range of teaching, learning and behaviour management strategies and know how to use and adapt them, including how to personalise the learning experience to provide opportunities for all learners to achieve their potential. • C19: Know how to make effective personalised provision for those they teach, including those for whom English is an additional language or who have special educational needs or disabilities and how to take practical account of diversity and promote equality and inclusion in their teaching.

20. Personal professional development • C7: Evaluate their performance and be committed to improving their practice through appropriate professional development • C8: Have a creative and constructively critical approach towards innovation, being prepared to adapt their practice where benefits and improvements are identified • C9: Act upon advice and feedback and be open to coaching and mentoring

21. Promoting the standards • Wallchart • Booklet • Website • Performance management support • Support from local authorities • Trainer support from TDA regional trainers

25. Where can I find the standards? • www.tda.gov.uk/teachers