Headteachers are to ask the government to tackle staffing shortages by approving the first apprenticeship for teachers.

The scheme would allow A-level students to join the profession without going to university. It is being proposed by the Teaching Schools Council, which believes that a teaching apprenticeship could play a crucial role in attracting people from less affluent backgrounds into the profession.

Teaching Schools Council member Stephen Munday told TES that it was hoped the apprenticeship could help schools in more disadvantaged areas to recruit staff.

“I can see how for some parts of the country this could be a very positive route-way for youngsters who might not necessarily take seriously the possibility of a degree. And for schools where recruiting is tough, they would see it as a positive,” the chief executive of Cambridgeshire’s Cam Academy Trust said. “There is a serious win-win here.”

If given the go-ahead, the new apprenticeship scheme would mean that prospective teachers could be paid while they trained and worked towards a degree, which would drive down the cost burden of qualification.

‘Great appetite for an apprenticeship route’

The apprenticeship is expected to be submitted for government approval next month by a partnership of training providers led by the Teaching Schools Council.

Sir Andrew Carter, chief executive of South Farnham School in Surrey, who is leading the apprenticeship bid on behalf of the council, said: “There seems to be a great appetite for some apprenticeship route into teaching.

“About 50 schools have contacted me - some are teaching schools representing alliances.”

The Department for Education was contacted for comment. 

This is an edited version of an article in the 19 August edition of TES. Subscribers can view the full article here. This week’s TES magazine is available at all good newsagents. To download the digital edition, Android users can click here and iOS users can click here

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