NAFWC41/06 - Becoming a Qualified Teacher: Handbook of Guidance

Summary

The National Assembly for Wales has made two items of legislation under Standing Order 29 - Qualified Teacher Status Standards 2006; and Criteria for Initial Teacher Training Accreditation by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales 2006, which contains requirements for the provision of ITT courses.

The Assembly’s QTS Standards (which must be met by all trainees who wish to be qualified teachers) and the Requirements for the Provision of ITT Courses (which all courses run by accredited ITT providers offering QTS must meet) give ITT providers increased flexibility in the way they design their programmes, and encourage increased use of professional judgement. The purpose of this Handbook of Guidance is to help providers as they exercise this judgement and to help them maximise the opportunities for development that the QTS Standards and ITT Course Requirements offer. It contains non-statutory guidance aimed at helping everyone involved in ITT to understand the aims and scope of both the Standards and Requirements.

The Handbook of Guidance is in two sections. The first gives guidance on the QTS Standards and will be of particular interest to trainees, ITT providers, their partner schools and employers. It includes suggestions about the kind of evidence students might provide to show that they meet the Standards. The second section covers the ITT Course Requirements and is intended mainly for ITT providers, although it may also be of interest to trainees.

A related publication, Information Document 21/2006 Becoming a Qualified Teacher: Standards for Qualified Teacher Status: Requirements for the Provision of Initial Teacher Training Courses sets out in one publication for easy reference the QTS Standards and the requirements for the provision of ITT courses contained in the legislation made under Standing Order 29. It also provides some explanatory material and notes the statutory background.