The Education Workforce Council (Accreditation of Initial Teacher Training) (Additional Functions) (Wales) (Amendment) Order 2017

The Explanatory Memorandum has been prepared by the Education and Public Services Group of the Welsh Government and is laid before the National Assembly for Wales in conjunction with the above subordinate legislation and in accordance with Standing Order 27.1.

Cabinet Secretary’s Declaration

In my view this Explanatory Memorandum gives a fair and reasonable view of the expected impact of the Education Workforce Council (Accreditation of Initial Teacher Training) (Additional Functions) (Wales) (Amendment) Order 2017.

Kirsty Williams

Cabinet Secretary for Education

3 October 2017

1. DESCRIPTION

1.1 The Education Workforce Council (“the Council”) is continued in existence under section 2 of the Education (Wales) Act 2014 (“the 2014 Act”). Section 4 of the 2014 Act sets out the main functions of the Council and Section 5 of the 2014 Act allows the Welsh Ministers to make an Order conferring or imposing additional functions on the Council. The Education Workforce Council (Accreditation of Initial Teacher Training) (Additional Functions) (Wales) (Amendment) Order 2017 confers a further function on the Council to have regard to the Welsh Ministers’ forecast of demand for newly qualified teachers when exercising its Accreditation Function.

1.2 The Welsh Ministers have a role in managing teacher supply for maintained schools in Wales by forecasting demand for newly qualified teachers and setting intake targets for recruitment to initial teacher training (ITT) courses in Wales. Intake targets based on forecast demand for newly qualified teachers are currently notified to the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW). HEFCW is required under the provisions of section 86(6)(a) of the Education Act 2005 to have regard to any forecast of demand for newly qualified teachers notified to them by the Welsh Ministers in carrying out its functions. A draft version of The Education Workforce Council (Accreditation of Initial Teacher Training) (Additional Functions) (Wales) (Amendment) Order 2017 will be laid before the National Assembly for Wales for their approval.

2. MATTERS OF SPECIAL INTEREST TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

2.1 None.

3. LEGISLATIVE BACKGROUND

3.1 Under section 85 of the Education Act 2005, HEFCW has the function of administrating its funds for the purpose of providing financial support for institutions in Wales which provide teacher training. HEFCW is required under the provisions of section 86(6)(a) of the Education Act 2005 to have regard generally to any forecast of demand for newly qualified teachers notified to them by the Welsh Ministers in carrying out its functions.

3.2 The Welsh Government notifies HEFCW of the numbers of primary and secondary teacher trainees required as it previously had the role of accrediting courses of ITT under regulation 7 of the School Teachers’ Qualifications (Wales) Regulations 2012 (“the 2012 Regulations”). This letter is immediately published by HEFCW as a circular. ITT primary numbers are then allocated by HEFCW directly to providers via a circular based on prior allocations. For secondary numbers, HEFCW are required to write to the WG Higher Education Division with proposals for allocating these numbers between the three statutory ITT Centres (South West Wales Centre of Teacher Education, North and Mid Wales Centre for Teacher Education and South East Wales Centre for Teacher Education and Training). Once agreed, these numbers are notified to providers via a circular.

3.3 In considering the allocation of secondary numbers, the Welsh Government has previously informed HEFCW when allocating intake targets, that they should bear in mind Welsh Ministers’ continued focus on literacy and numeracy in order to raise school standards. Mathematics and Welsh (where there are a range of supporting factors) are included in the priority subjects group.

3.4 The Education Workforce Council (Accreditation of Initial Teacher Training) (Wales) Regulations 2017 revoked regulation 7 of the 2012 Regulations. The Accreditation function for courses of ITT were then conferred on the Education Workforce Council (“EWC”) by the Education Workforce Council (Accreditation of Initial Teacher Training) (Additional Functions) (Wales) Order 2017 (“the 2017 Order”).

3.5 This Order amends the 2017 Order so as to confer a further function on the Council which requires it to have regard to the Welsh Ministers’ forecast of demand for newly qualified teachers when exercising its accreditation function.

3.6 Education in Wales: Our national mission, sets out that in order to deliver the new transformational curriculum and assessment arrangements from 2022, we will need to focus on the following four key enabling objectives.

• Developing a high-quality education profession.

• Inspirational leaders working collaboratively to raise standards.

• Strong and inclusive schools committed to excellence, equity and well-being.

• Robust assessment, evaluation and accountability arrangements supporting a self-improving system.

3.7 In developing a high-quality education profession we will work with key partners to ensure that all teachers enter the profession having experienced significantly improved initial teacher education (ITE).

3.8 Professor Furlong’s independent report ‘Teaching Tomorrow’s Teachers’[1], was published on 9^th March 2015. The report recommended that the process of accrediting programmes of initial teacher education should be the responsibility of the professional regulatory body, as it is in other parts of the UK and teaching and non-teaching professional bodies across the world; and that an ‘Accreditation of Initial Teacher Training Committee’ should be established within the Council in order to undertake this function.

3.9 The expanded role of the Council in relation to the accreditation of Initial Teacher training (ITT) is in line with the ethos that the profession must take responsibility for leading changes in teaching, leadership and for developing and supporting the profession collectively. This approach supports the views of Professors’ Furlong about the conditions for delivering their recommendations, and it is in line with effective professional governance in a range of other professions and in the education system in Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Scotland and countries outside of the UK (Australia, New Zealand and Canada).

3.10 This Order will follow the National Assembly for Wales’ Affirmative Resolution Procedure.

4. PURPOSE AND INTENDED EFFECT OF THE LEGISLATION

4.1 There are a range of measures for ensuring the quality of training provisions relating to the education workforce. In terms of ITT, the Welsh Government does not directly control what courses are offered at particular institutions, including whether they are offered through the medium of Welsh. However, it manages initial teacher supply through the setting of overall intake target allocations for recruitment to ITT in Wales. These are notified to HEFCW, which is required (under the Education Act 2005, section 86(6)(a)) to have regard to any forecast of demand for newly qualified teachers that is notified to it by the Welsh Ministers).

4.2 The Welsh Government has set out to create, systematically, a new climate of higher expectations for schools^{^[2]}. While ITT is recognised as a major contributor to teaching quality in most countries with advanced school systems, the evidence from inspection and self-evaluation shows that ITT provision in Wales is not meeting the standards set by the highest performers globally.

4.3 The formation of the three non statutory ITT Centres (South West Wales Centre of Teacher Education, North and Mid Wales Centre for Teacher Education and South East Wales Centre for Teacher Education and Training) the result of Government policy which encouraged reconfiguration across the university sector, particularly in response to substantial decreases in teacher training places available. The Centres are based within lead universities in Wales and provide comprehensive teacher training provision across the three regions for both primary and secondary education.

4.4 Welsh Government notifies HEFCW of the numbers of primary and secondary teacher trainees required. This letter is immediately published by HEFCW as a circular. ITT primary numbers are then allocated by HEFCW directly to providers via a circular based on prior allocations. For secondary numbers, HEFCW are required to write to the WG Higher Education Division with proposals for allocating these numbers between the aforementioned ITT Centres, for agreement by the Welsh Government. Once agreed, these numbers are notified to providers via a circular.

4.5 In considering the allocation of secondary numbers, the Welsh Government has previously informed HEFCW that they should bear in mind Welsh Ministers’ continued focus on literacy and numeracy in order to raise school standards. Mathematics and Welsh (where there are a range of supporting factors) are included in the priority subjects group. The EWC, having been given responsibility for accrediting ITT provision, will be required, as part of that additional function, to have regard to the intake targets from September 2019.

4.6 A Teacher Planning and Supply Model (TPSM) is used to inform decisions on intake targets. The TPSM has two elements: firstly a Desired Stock Model (DSM), which projects the number of teachers required, based on pupil projections and current pupil-teacher ratios; and secondly a Teacher Supply Model (TSM), which projects the numbers of in-service teachers and subsequent over/under supply of teachers, given flows in and out of service.

5. CONSULTATION

5.1 No public formal consultation has been undertaken. However, both HEFCW and the EWC have been consulted in the development of this policy and kept informed through the whole process, and neither has raised any concerns.

6.REGULATORY IMPACT ASSESSMENT

6.1 A Regulatory Impact Assessment has not been prepared as the Order does not impose any additional costs on business, employers or third parties.

7. EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY AND WELSH LANGUAGE

7.1 No negative impacts relating to these duties are considered to arise from the making of this Order.

8. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

8.1 The aim of this Order isto deliver the improvements we all seek to learner outcomes, by investing in the development of a skilled and committed professional workforce.