The Teacher Training Agency says: “We obviously don’t have all the details of this case, but it would be disappointing if some schools still don’t understand their professional as well as statutory responsibility to new teachers.
“We want to hear from NQTs who don’t get an appropriate programme of monitoring and development. But NQTs also have a role in making induction work. They need to understand what they can expect from induction, so that they can raise concerns as soon as they come up. They also need to know that there are various people they can talk to about those concerns, including their local authority induction co-ordinator.”
John Beattie, chair of the General Teaching Council for England, says: “The induction period is a vital part of any teacher’s professional preparation.
The GTC is responsible for hearing appeals from those few who do not pass.
We have an important role to play in terms of contributing to an understanding of what constitutes good practice”.
A Department for Education and Skills spokesperson says: “The department’s induction guidance states that newly qualified teachers should not face acute or demanding pupil discipline problems. It outlines clearly the responsibility of the headteacher to notify the appropriate body (usually the local education authority) of induction being provided in their school.
The guidance sets out the early action that should be taken where an NQT is making unsatisfactory progress, which includes notifying the NQT as soon as possible of any concerns and increasing the level of support.
“The primary aim of induction is to provide teachers with the support and guidance they require during the early stages of their career. This is borne out by the statistics: since the introduction of induction in 1999, approximately 60,000 teachers have passed, whereas fewer than 100 have failed.”
