Anne McKeown, June 2008
Statements with responses and sources
b.Part-time teachers who teach for only a few hours a week are in an associate teacher role. / NOT TRUE
From September 2007, it is not the amount of time that someone teaches but the responsibility they have in their teaching role that determines whether they are considered to be in a full or associate teacher role.
Responsibilities identified with the full teacher role include planning the curriculum for a subject area, designing and developing materials, developing learning programmes appropriate for learners, developing a range of effective and innovative approaches in teaching, evaluating the effectiveness of a range of assessment methods for different learners and contexts.
All teachers of ESOL, literacy and numeracy are considered to be in a full teacher role. / Teachers and trainers in a full teacher role are required to demonstrate ‘…an extensive range of knowledge, understanding and application of curriculum development, curriculum innovation or curriculum delivery strategies.’
Further Education Teachers’ Qualifications (England) Regulations 2007
See a full list of roles and responsibilities for a full teacher role on the LLUK website:
Guidance for awarding institutions on teacher roles and initial teaching qualifications,
August 2007, Version 3
d.
Teaching qualification requirements only apply to teachers in further education colleges. / TRUE
The regulations apply only to the FE sector. However the policy on workforce reforms applies to the whole sector, including community learning and development, further education, offender learning and work-based education. The LSC requires that all publicly funded providers have a qualified workforce and inspection procedures are in place to ensure this. / ‘… reforms embrace teacher training across the whole of the Learning and Skills sector in England. Trainers in work-based learning and tutors in adult and community learning need access to teacher training like their college-based colleagues’ Paragraph 1.5 ‘Equipping our teachers for the future: Reforming initial teacher training for the Learning and Skills Sector’ DfES
Ref. ITT Reform 1 0845 602 2260
e.
Primary or secondary school teachers who wish to teach in the Learning and Skills sector have to start their training again from the beginning. / NOT TRUE
Primary and secondary school teachers with QTS for schools and already working in the lifelong learning sector are fully qualified.
New teachers with QTS joining the lifelong learning sector from September 2007 will be required to gain QTLS within two years. They can do this by completing a CPD module in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector, available from March 2008.
In addition, primary and secondary school teachers who wish to teach ESOL, literacy or numeracy will need to complete subject specific training to become qualified subject specialists. / LLUK insert in the Education Guardian, 9 October 2007,
“Checklist for the model professional”
f.
Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) Level 4 is equivalent to university degree level. / TRUE – though it isn’t the same as a full degree course.
QCF level 4 is the same as the first year of a university degree.
Higher education institutions frequently offer degrees across three levels - 4, 5 and 6 (formerly called HE1, HE2 and HE3). Level 7 is masters degree level M.
The new Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) is unit based and supported by a system of credit accumulation and transfer. / See the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority website for information about the development of the Qualifications and Credit Framework
h.
The teachers’ qualifications and registration regulations only apply to new teachers. / NOT TRUE
The requirements to hold teaching qualifications appropriate for role and to apply to the Institute for Learning for a License to Practise and Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills status (QTLS) apply to new teachers from September 2007.
Teachers who were in post at the time of the reforms in 2001 (generic), 2002 (literacy and numeracy) and 2003 (ESOL) are still expected to have a minimum level 4 teaching qualification and a subject specific qualification.
All teachers will be required to register with the Institute for Learning for their commitment to continuing professional development (CPD). / For full information on the regulations and how they apply to different teachers / tutors / trainers, check the Institute for Learning website.
Check the Institute for Learning and SVUK websites for news on the development of a tariff system for legacy qualifications and experience – Tariff of Legacy Qualifications TLQ.
k.
All teachers and trainers in the Learning and Skills sector need to have GSCE Maths and GCSE English in order to be fully qualified. / NOT TRUE AT THE MOMENT
From September 2007 it is likely that all new teachers and trainers in the Learning and Skills sector will need to demonstrate personal competence in English and Maths at level 2 in order to apply to the Institute for Learning for Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status. For many people this will be assessed on their initial teacher training programme.
Specialist teachers of English (literacy and ESOL) or Mathematics (numeracy) will be expected to have an English or Maths qualification or demonstrate competence at a minimum level 3 before taking an initial teacher training course. / See the LLUK document on the minimum core of language, literacy, numeracy and ICT on initial teacher training programmes
m.
To be fully qualified, all teachers of literacy, numeracy and ESOL must complete a Diploma in teaching in the lifelong learning sector (DTLLS) and a subject specific Diploma or equivalent qualifications. / TRUE
People may achieve full qualification in different ways, on separate or integrated, full-time or part-time programmes.
Part-qualified teachers or those with ‘legacy qualifications’ can apply to join relevant programmes at an appropriate point, depending on their experience, previous qualifications and the regulations of the awarding institution.
Teachers who were in post prior to 2001 are exempt from the regulations, but may wish to update by following a teacher training programme. / Your regional specialist advice service may be helpful in identifying the routes that might suit and matching them with the local availability of teacher training courses. Find your regional advice service on the talent website
Check the Institute for Learning and SVUK websites for news on the development of a tariff system for current qualifications and experience – Tariff of Legacy Qualifications TLQ.
q.
People can train in literacy and ESOL or in literacy and numeracy at the same time. / PARTIALLY TRUE
At present subject specialists generally need to choose one subject: adult literacy, adult numeracy or ESOL.
There are some teacher training progammes which offer both literacy and ESOL teacher training – these are pilots for 07/08. Otherwise, teachers are expected to be fully qualified in their first subject, before going on to further CPD units in another subject / Check your regional specialist advice service to see whether courses which combine specialisms are offered in your part of the country.
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