New measures announced to enhance development opportunities for teachers

The government has launched a consultation on new measures designed to strengthen Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and deliver a better career progression pathway for teachers.

Under plans outlined by the Department for Education, efforts will be made to boost the support and mentoring available to new teachers, with the overall period before teachers gain QTS also potentially set to be extended to enable this, giving even greater standing to the teaching profession.

If these changes became statutory from September 2019 as planned, they would apply to teachers starting their initial training from that point, with these staff members having the same pay, rights and protections as current newly-qualified teachers.

There will also be a renewed focus on the importance of high-quality development opportunities for existing teachers, with proposals including the expansion of current qualifications, new guidance about professional development entitlements, ringfencing development budgets for schools in need, and setting up a new fund to encourage teachers to take sabbaticals to gain expertise that could aid their students.

The consultation will be open until March 9th 2018, with input from to be invited from teachers, heads, academics and sector leaders, among others.

Education secretary Justine Greening said: "Great teachers help unlock children's talents, so investing in them is vital if we want to drive school improvement across the country.

"We're taking steps to make sure high-quality professional development is a fundamental part of a teacher's career, whether they decide to move into a leadership role or want to continue teaching the classroom. These new measures aim to boost that support from the moment they start their career."

This announcement coincided with news that schools are being invited to bid for a share of the next round of the Leadership Equality and Diversity Fund, which will provide more than £1.8 million over the next two years to help teachers from underrepresented backgrounds to progress into leadership roles.