Month: January 2013

Telegraph Education Reports: Unqualified teachers are majority of staff in some schools

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to read this on the Telegraph website click here

Fully qualified teachers are in the minority at a string of English schools, new figures suggest.

Exam hall: Examiners failing to make the grade, heads claim

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Mr Young was sacked for gross misconduct in January 2010 Photo: ALAMY

By Rosa Silverman

11:22AM GMT 13 Jan 2013

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Fully qualified teachers are in the minority at a string of English schools, new figures suggest.

Five primary and five secondary schools, teaching a total of 5,500 children, are reportedly employing trainee teachers, classroom assistants and outside specialists in subjects like languages rather than staff with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Two of the primaries are in the North West, while the others are in Yorkshire, London and the South East.

Three of the secondary schools are in London and the others are in the East Midlands and East of England.

At least 30 per cent of teachers are not fully qualified in 41 primary and 12 secondary schools, according to tables placed in the House of Commons library and uncovered by Conservative MP Andrew Griffiths.

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The figures date from November 2011, the latest period available.

Three of the secondary schools where qualified teachers are in the minority are academies.

All mainstream state schools have had to ensure their teachers hold “qualified teacher status” (QTS) after completing officially recognised training.

But the Government announced last year that academies would be given the same freedom that private schools have to hire anyone they think would succeed in the classroom.

Mr Griffiths told The Sun: “It’s staggering there are schools where professional teachers are in the minority. It raises serious questions about how they are run.”

Shadow Education Secretary Stephen Twigg added: “The quality of teaching is the No1 factor determining how good a school is, but the Tory-led Government is putting standards at risk.”

The Department for Education declined to comment but a source suggested that some schools may not have provided accurate information.

Train to Teach Roadshows 2013: London Sat 23 Feb and Brighton Sat 9 March – sign up to attend now

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Select the markers to find your nearest event

Get into teaching

Teaching has changed. More than seven out of 10 new trainee teachers now have a 2:1 or higher – this is a record rise of six percentage points compared to last year. Come to our Train to Teach Roadshows and find out how you can train for this rewarding and challenging career.

Throughout the day, you’ll be able to:

  • Attend a presentation with guidance on the routes into teaching, including School Direct, plus invaluable information on applying for teacher training
  • Speak to teaching experts and receive one-to-one advice on your training options
  • Receive help with your teacher training application form at our application form clinic
  • Meet initial teacher training (ITT) providers in your region to find out about their courses and entry requirements
  • Meet representatives from schools participating in the School Direct Training Programme to find out more about the programme in their schools
  • Talk to current teachers about what it’s like to be a teacher
  • Meet with professional subject associations to hear how they support the teaching of specific subjects in schools

The events are completely free and are taking place in Newcastle, Manchester,London, Cambridge, Brighton, Bristol and Birmingham throughout February and March 2013.

They are designed specifically for people who are interested in teaching in secondary schools. If you are interested in teaching in primary schools, please visit the age groups page on our Get into teaching site

Visit our get into teaching YouTube channel to find helpful videos about life as a teacher.