The march away from postgraduate initial teacher training led by higher education institutions has continued, with more than half of trainees now in school-led routes. 

According to new figures from the Department for Education, in the 2015-16 academic year 52 per of first-year postgraduate trainees started school-led ITT, with 48 per cent in university-led training.

The proportion of school-led trainees has been slightly inflated by the DfE’s decision to include Teach First trainees in the school-led route for the first time this year.

‘Better job prospects’

But even with Teach First trainees stripped out, the shift away from postgraduate university ITT has continued. Excluding Teach First, 46 per cent of postgraduate trainees were in school-led routes. In 2014-15 this figure was 44 per cent, and in 2013-14 it stood at just 33 per cent.

A higher proportion of final-year trainees on school-led routes achieved qualified teacher status awards - 93 per cent - compared with 90 per cent on higher education-led routes. 

They were also more likely to get a job than their university-trained peers, with 96 per cent of those awarded QTS in a teaching post within six months. For trainees who had gained QTS from an HEI-led route, the figure was 93 per cent.

Overall in 2015-16, 95 per cent (23,380) of final-year postgraduate ITT trainees awarded QTS were in a teaching post within 6 months, the same proportion as the previous year.

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