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Memorandum submitted by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA)
1) INTRODUCTION
1.1 The role of teacher training in providing the school workforce with the knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to deliver the curriculum to its full potential is crucial. The current secondary curriculum design framework allows teachers to use their professional skills, creativity and specialisms to develop learning experiences that stimulate and appropriately challenge pupils and allow them to progress. QCA's support for the Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum (IRPC) is intended to achieve a similar outcome.
1.2 The education sector is experiencing significant change in the areas of curriculum, qualifications and assessment, therefore requires a high quality of training to adapt to and learn from new ways of working. QCA continues to support the ITE and CPD sector with the timely evidence, advice and guidance on current education policy it needs to develop and deliver successful training and development.
1.3 QCA believes strongly that the only effective curriculum is one that is co-developed with stakeholders. In order to do this QCA has a programme of consultation not only with teachers and other education professionals, but also with the wider workforce.
1.4 QCA believes that close collaboration across all sectors of the teaching profession is the best way to develop a curriculum that supports innovation, personalisation and meets the nation's needs in the 21st Century. 2) EVIDENCE AND COLLABORATION
2.1 QCA has a remit to build the evidence base for a future world-class curriculum. There are considerable areas of overlap between the evidence we gather regarding trends in curriculum development and implementation issues pertinent to skilling the school workforce. QCA operates a Curriculum Evidence Advisory Panel (CEAP) to coordinate our evidence gathering processes and identify areas for partnership working. The panel contains representatives from GTC(E), TDA, NCSL and SSAT among others, which allows data to be used across the agencies to support research activities associated with policymaking. The panel will explore opportunities to develop closer data sharing partnerships with ITT / CPD providers for mutual benefit.
2.2 QCA has recently agreed a protocol with TDA on ways of working together and areas for collaboration with the ambition of ensuring a coherent approach to supporting the reform agenda and achieving better outcomes for children. We recognise that our organisations have closely aligned responsibilities, for the development of a world class curriculum and for the professional development of the school workforce who will deliver it. As such, the QCA-TDA Memorandum of Understanding will assist us in achieving coherence for schools and ensuring that our programmes of development for all those working as part of the school team are responsive to the changes being introduced to the National Curriculum and to qualifications.
2.3 With regard to the TDA's Professional Standards for Teachers, we welcome the prominence given to curriculum and subject knowledge, but would welcome a more explicit reference to curriculum development, particularly to cross-curriculum planning. The new Secondary Curriculum exists as a design framework, containing sufficient flexibility for teachers to be able to interpret and personalise the school curriculum to the needs of their pupils. In order for teachers to maximise the opportunities offered by the new programmes of study, they must be equipped with the skills and confidence needed for effective curriculum development.
2.4 There are currently no additional standards at Advanced Teacher Level regarding curriculum development or planning. We would expect Advanced Skills Teachers to have an integral role in curriculum leadership across the school, as well as encouraging and developing all staff levels to engage creatively with school curriculum design.
2.5 In September 2008, QCA commissioned our research partners CUREE to investigate what good CPD needs in order to support teachers undertaking curriculum development. The research established that when teachers engage in curriculum development work in ways that are properly planned, resourced and supported, the development work they do can itself be an important and effective form of CPD. By structuring curriculum development for learning and/or by using curriculum development as a vehicle or site for CPD, school leaders create opportunities that do double duty, thus increasing efficiency and effectiveness. Organising CPD and curriculum development this way can also make professional learning and practice development around the curriculum feel like an intrinsic part of the teacher's 'day job' rather than an additional burden.
2.6 Furthermore, when curriculum development work is undertaken by teachers in groups, the range and diversity of professional perspectives increases, enriching both the learning experience and the quality of the outcomes beyond what one teacher, however expert, could achieve on their own. For example, QCA's curriculum networks bring together one or more representatives from a cluster of schools to create new opportunities for curriculum co-development and for collective professional learning.
2.7 The research shows that CPD can effectively support teachers in undertaking curriculum development, and therefore results in learning gains for teachers and for their pupils. This form of CPD involves:
· Peer support to encourage, extend and structure professional learning, dialogue and experimentation;
· Specialist support, including modelling, workshops, observation, feedback, coaching, and introducing a menu of research-based strategies for enhancing learning
· Planned meetings for structured discussion - including exploring evidence from teachers' classrooms about their experiments with the new approaches and of their beliefs about teaching, the subjects being explored and their learners
· Processes for sustaining the CPD over time to enable teachers to embed the practices in their own classroom settings - including informal day-to-day discussions and observations between teachers, and using work they would have to do anyway (such as lesson planning and designing schemes of work or curriculum development) in workshops
· Recognition and analysis of teachers' individual starting points and building on what they know and can do already
· Developing teachers' ownership of their learning, by offering them scope to identify or refine their own learning focus (within a menu set by the programme or the school), and to take on a degree of leadership in their CPD, and
· A focus on pupil learning and pupil outcomes, often explicitly as a way to analyse starting points, structure development discussions and evaluate progress, both formatively and summatively.
2.8 Curriculum network activities and action research opportunities offered by QCA could have a positive impact with trainees and NQTs. Early engagement with ITT students regarding research-informed curriculum innovation offers potential long term benefits for the workforce. QCA intends to continue to explore the links between ITT, CPD and effective curriculum development and reform.
2.9 The evidence we receive from teachers in the classroom has a direct impact on the policy advice we develop. The concept of teacher as researcher can be an important mechanism for the way we review and develop the national curriculum. QCA is a member on the TDA's Masters in Teaching and Learning (MTL) Board, and provides regular support to the MTL working groups. We fully support the MTL initiative and recognise the need for teachers to embed advanced skills in research and evaluation as part of their professional development. In addition, evidence gathered from the wider workforce is important. QCA is a member of TDA's National Advisory Group on the training of the children's workforce and helps to shape a strategic approach to initial and continuing professional development. We anticipate that initiatives of this type will have a positive impact on the way QCA integrates action research in to our curriculum monitoring processes.
2.10 To support the process of developing the profession, QCA have recently produced a DVD film entitled 'teachers as learners', which shows how ITT trainees can be agents of curriculum change in schools. QCA has actively engaged with the ITT community to encourage the discussion of curriculum development and innovation issues amongst their student cohort and partner schools. We have also encouraged reform within ITT programmes and curricula. We have found that during our engagement with the ITT sector, the concepts contained within QCA's Big Picture of the Curriculum have been particularly well received.
2.11 QCA provides funding and operates the International Review of Curriculum and Assessment Frameworks Archive (INCA), which is supported and managed by National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER). This resource contains detailed descriptions of government policy on education in 20 countries worldwide. The TDA also fund a section of the archive focussing upon initial teacher training frameworks for pre-school, primary, lower secondary and upper secondary education in schools (3-19 age range). In 2008, TDA commissioned two thematic probes looking at wider workforce issues (including CPD issues) as well as recruitment and retention issues for schools in challenging circumstances. These probes are due for publication in 2009, and will provide a much needed international perspective to the issues.
2.12 QCA,
as UK ReferNet Coordinator has strong partnerships with the
2.13 QCA is a project partner in an EU Commission report 'Cross-curricula key competences', which is due for publication by the Commission in summer 2009. The report will look to identify the competences required by teachers to deliver quality teaching and learning of key skills across the curriculum.
2.14 QCA will continue to gather and utilise international evidence concerning teacher training issues with utmost importance to support the development and implementation of a world class curriculum for the 21st Century.
3) INNOVATION, PERSONALISATION AND EVERY CHILD MATTERS
3.1 The success of new curriculum design, novel assessment strategies and new qualifications is dependent on the ability of the workforce to innovate, personalise and adapt to new ways of working. Similarly, the way that education policy translates into effective outcomes in schools and colleges requires a workforce eager to learn and take risks where appropriate. QCA provides information, advice and guidance for teachers, local authorities and other key stakeholders to support change and exemplify effective practice.
3.2 The success of the Assessment for Learning (AfL) strategy, for example, is wholly dependent on effective teacher training. The QCA has worked with the National Strategies and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) as partners in the AfL strategy, which states that "every teacher is equipped to make effective judgements about learners' attainment and how to plan to improve it" and that "every school has systems for making regular, useful and accurate assessments". With this in mind, we welcome the Department for Children, Schools and Families investment of £150 million over three years (2008/2011) to support CPD for teachers in AfL. We are confident that AfL is a powerful way to raise pupils' achievement.
3.3 QCA has begun to pilot a range of new Assessing Pupils Progress (APP) materials for schools, in collaboration with teachers. These are now being launched nationally across key stage 3 subjects. As more and more schools introduce APP, new structures are being proposed and considered to ensure that standards are kept consistent throughout the country. Many schools and teachers are already developing new knowledge and skills to use the APP tools effectively and are demonstrating the new opportunities available to develop more effective assessment practice.
3.4 We would like to move from a position where ITT and CPD providers are able to preview changes in curriculum, qualifications and assessment, rather than respond to it. To realise this vision, we would like to see a greater co-operation between providers and policy organisations in the development and implementation processes. We would urge both policy agencies and training providers to develop a future-looking approach to ensure that their teaching programmes and policy initiatives retain a dynamic link with curriculum innovation. To help realise this, QCA is currently planning to discuss secondary implementation with ITT and CPD providers throughout 2009.
3.5 For the purposes of quality assurance, QCA would like to re-emphasise the importance of inspection and regulatory frameworks in ensuring that providers and training programmes consider the latest curriculum policy and remain up to date with curriculum developments. QCA will explore this further in our work with providers and system leader organisations.
3.6 From our work with schools, we have identified that there is further scope for development in the way that schools embed the Every Child Matters outcomes across the curriculum. Whilst many schools are developing good practice in the practical areas of the policy, there remains uncertainty about how the outcomes articulate with the curriculum. QCA will be working closely with providers of ITT and CPD in the coming year to explore this issue further. 4) INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF THE PRIMARY CURRICULUM
4.1 A move towards a more flexible curriculum, coupled with a new design framework will create important challenges for the workforce, but will create more opportunities for teachers to use their professional skills and judgments. In the early stages of the Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum, QCA held a colloquium event with several high quality providers of primary ITT, their students and NQTs, resulting in a clear harmonisation of themes and interests. Work towards creating a portrait of an effective teacher of a new curriculum was initiated and will continue through QCA's ongoing engagement with providers.
4.2 The QCA 0-14 Advisory Group which is serviced by QCA to support Sir Jim Rose and the IRPC includes membership from one major high quality ITT provider and from the TDA. We have found this mechanism for collaboration particularly useful.
4.3 In addition to our ongoing liaison with the GTC(E) on their Teaching and Learning Academy (TLA) initiative, QCA held a joint conference in December with members of the GTC(E) network entitled 'Future of the Primary Curriculum'. The feedback gathered at this event has informed QCA's evidence to Sir Jim Rose. QCA continues to work collaboratively with GTC(E) and several ITT providers to develop events, films and material designed to strengthen providers' understanding of, and commitment to the new curriculum. This work will particularly focus on subject knowledge, the implications of the Children's Plan for the development of the children's workforce as a whole. 5) CONCLUSION
5.1 The importance of high quality ITE and CPD to the successful implementation of a new curriculum and to the delivery of new qualifications cannot be understated. The nation requires a workforce capable of contributing to the effective development and implementation of education policy.
5.2 We are committed to continue developing positive relationships with providers and allied system leaders to ensure that innovation and reforms are influenced by, and communicated to the wider workforce.
5.3 QCA, and our successor body, QCDA, is committed to work with our strategic partners to support the development of a 21st Century workforce capable of leading change and creating curriculum opportunities that maximise impact on young learners.
February 2009 |