红桃影视

Less than one in five free placements to study new national professional qualifications (NPQs) have been taken up so far, leaving the government miles off its target of 150,000 starts by 2024.

Ministers pledged in 2021 to meet the target by the end of 2023-24, after launching a reformed suite of the qualifications to boost teacher and leader development.

They allocated 拢184 million in funding for the three years. Former schools minister Robin Walker said at the time the reforms would “develop the world-leading teachers and school leaders who will guide, care for and educate our children for years to come”.

But an published today shows 29,425 courses have been started so far. It means the government will have to deliver another 120,575 course starts in around 18 months to meet its target.

The Department for Education said providers had 鈥渞eported experiencing challenges鈥� relating to Covid-19 disruption, confusion about 鈥渟pecialist鈥� NPQs, which make up over half of the starts so far, and overlaps 鈥渨ith other qualifications/opportunities鈥�.

The evaluation looked at NPQs in executive leadership, headship and senior leadership, and specialist NPQs in teaching, teacher development and behaviour and culture.

A further two 鈥� in leading literacy and early years leadership 鈥� were launched last term.

Specialist NPQs prove more popular

Of the 29,425 starts so far, 15,898 were on specialist NPQs, with the teaching qualification most popular with 7,400 starts. There were 13,423 starts on leadership NPQs, most of which were on the senior leadership framework (8,452).

The DfE said a higher proportion of those taking specialist NPQs were already in the role they were undertaking or had 鈥渞esponsibilities linked to the qualification鈥�. But a higher proportion of those taking leadership qualifications were not yet in those roles.

Despite a 鈥渉igh number of starts overall, providers highlighted that recruitment across the first two cohorts was lower than they had forecast鈥�, the DfE said.

According to the department, a 鈥渓ack of clarity surrounding whom each specialist NPQ is targeted at has created a challenge for some providers who believe that this has affected uptake鈥�.

Providers also described an 鈥渙verlap鈥� between some specialist and leadership NPQs, which 鈥渉ad affected recruitment鈥�.

For example, senior leaders in primary schools with responsibility for behaviour and culture had chosen to take the senior leadership NPQ, rather than the specialist qualification.

‘Overlap’ with ECF forces mentors to choose

There was also an overlap with the government鈥檚 early career framework entitlement to two years of induction, 鈥渂ecause the mentors in the ECF are the same people who may be undertaking this NPQ and do not have time to do both鈥�.

The 鈥渕ost common barrier鈥� that NPQ participants experienced in the application phase 鈥渞elated to their concern surrounding finding the time to complete the NPQ outside of their working hours鈥�.

This was flagged as a challenge by 45 per cent of respondents to a DfE survey of 3,250 school staff. Forty-three per cent said they did not encounter any challenges.

Although 鈥渃omprehensive awareness of the reforms is low, early findings indicate that they are still having a positive impact on the sector鈥�.

Participants 鈥渄escribed how their qualification had led to an increase in skills and knowledge which many have been able to apply directly to their teaching and ways of working鈥�.

The DfE鈥檚 funding for the qualifications also appears to have made a difference to teachers鈥� decisions to choose NPQs over other qualifications, with 53 per cent citing that as a reason.