Newly qualified teachers should benefit from Government proposals on induction periods

Select Education, the UKís education recruitment consultancy, has welcomed Government proposals to change induction arrangements for newly qualified teachers. The Government has just completed a consultation on the proposals, which will relax the rules for newly qualified teachers, allowing them in some cases to undertake longer periods as a supply teacher before starting their induction year. The proposals also allow for newly qualified teachers to undertake their induction period in a further education college and to carry out their induction in half-term periods at schools within the same LEA.

John Dunn, Marking and Projects Director of Select Education commented on the proposals, ëThere is no doubt that some newly qualified teachers, especially in primary, have found it difficult to get work this year, simply because there are more teachers coming out of training and lower primary school rolls. Also, some schools are reluctant to take on the additional work involved in dealing with the induction period ñ especially when there are more teachers around.í

The changes will also help newly qualified teachers who have childcare and other responsibilities that make it difficult for them to secure a suitable induction post. Under the new proposals, newly qualified teachers will be able to re-apply to LEAs to extend the limit of four terms on the amount of short-term supply work which they can undertake before completing or undertaking induction.

LEAs make their decisions, on a case-by-case basis, as to whether it is appropriate to extend the entitlement to short-term supply work. The LEA has discretion to extend the period of short-term supply work by up to a maximum of 12 months; there is no limit on the number of extensions that the LEA can grant provided it is satisfied that the individualís failure to undertake induction is based on a shortage of suitable posts locally.

John Dunn said, ëSupply teaching enables teachers who want to work flexibly to make their skills available to the education service at a time and in a way that suits them best. These proposals will help supply teachers who for some reason cannot find a suitable induction post to use their skills ñ that can only benefit them and the schools in which they are working.í

Finally, the proposals would also allow NQTs who are employed for half a term in one school and the following half term in another school in the same LEA to count this towards their induction. At the moment only periods of more than one term count.

John Dunn summarised, ëAll in all the proposals are a sensible compromise between allowing newly qualified teachers more flexibility at a time when it may be difficult to find a post that will offer induction arrangements, and ensuring that teaching standards remain high.í