Strategic Board for Teacher Education Minutes June 2024

Attendees and apologies

• Orlando Heijmer-Mason, Scottish Government
• Zak Tuck, Scottish Government
• Stuart Robb, Scottish Government
• Stuart Bain, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA)
• Lesley Whelan, Education Scotland
• David Burgess, Education Scotland
• Pauline Stephen, General Teaching Council Scotland (GTCS)
• Tara Lillis, NASWUT
• Graham Hutton, School Leaders Scotland (SLS)
• Zoe Robertson, Scottish Council of Deans Education (SCDE)
• Seamus Searson, Scottish Secondary Teachers Association (SSTA)
• Dr Bernadette Casey, Association of Heads and Depute in Scotland (AHDS)

Apologies 

• Catriona Smith, Association of Heads and Depute in Scotland
• Laurence Findlay, Aberdeenshire Council
• Barbara Couper, Scottish Catholic Education Service
• Barrie Sheppard, National Parents Forum for Scotland
• Lorraine Davidson, Scottish Council for Independent Schools
• Khadija Mohammed, University of the West of Scotland

Items and actions

Welcome and Introductions 

Orlando Hiejmer-Mason welcomed members to the meeting, his first as Chair.

 

Minutes of 15 May 2024

Members had the opportunity to comment on these minutes and these have been incorporated into the revised version. There was no further comments on the latest version. Minutes and papers will be published on the Scottish Government website in due course.

 

Matters Arising 

Centre for Teaching Excellence (CfTE)

 

1. Members provided an update on the work of the co-production group on the CfTE. Key points included:

• Final meeting of co-production group took place on 18 June.
• Members keen that teachers voices shaped the Centre and that teachers have time and space to engage with the Centre and services it provides.
• Discussion on relationship between the Centre and national education agency.
• Paper discussed at the 18 June meeting on research as focus of the Centre, and discussion on main functions being research and knowledge sharing.
• Members looking for a model that encouraged building criticality rather than a model which presented info to educators in a static way.
• Final specification to be further developed along with revised paper on remit and purpose of the Centre.
• Anticipated that the Centre will be based at one university, via a procurement process.

   

Other comments from members.

• At anti-racism in Education Programme group 26 June, broader discussion about structures that exist to release teachers to engage in national work and ensure teacher voice influences national work.
• An ask for clarity on the wider landscape and where the centre links into other structures and organisations.
• The chair committed to pick up the point on clarity with Scottish Government Education Reform colleagues.
• An ask for it to be noted that discussion at SBTE on the development of the centre should not to be taken as tacit agreement of the board.

 

SBTE Workplan

Workstream 1 - Workforce planning and increasing diversity of the profession

The secretariat updated on progress with this workstream. The following points were made:

 

• A short-life working group has met twice and plan to meet again in August.
• Clear that some data will be held at local authority level but also at school level.
• Working with Scottish Government analysts to interrogate available data to consider recruitment and retention challenges at primary and secondary level.
• Workplan also revised to incorporate diversity as a key focus of this work.
• Aim is to influence teacher workforce planning process for 2024/25 and inform work to tackle teacher recruitment and retention challenges relating to diversity, geography, sector, subjects and supply.

Board members made the following points:

• Already more than 40 routes across 11 HEIs into teaching. Could we review these rather than move to creating new alternative routes.
• Can we look at why some alternative routes no longer exist – possibly linked to funding.
• Can we develop a data journey following data from ITE – probationer – employment journey. Can we encourage all orgs who hold the data to work together on this and share data.
• Consider international research / initiatives. For example, work in Australia on ‘hard to staff’ schools.
• Initial Teacher Education (ITE) intake targets are not the full solution to recruitment challenges.
• What could we do later in teachers careers to help them register in an additional category / qualification.  
• Work required to pull together critical strands of activity across the three SBTE workstreams, as all are inter-connected and we risk working in silos. Also ensure other groups, e.g. Teacher Induction Scheme Organisational Review Group, are also aligned.
• Commitments and structures in Workstream (WS) 3 will help to tackle issues being considered under WS1 and WS2.
• SCDE are considering alternative approaches to redistribution of Initial Teacher Education numbers.
• Further consideration required on how teachers on supply lists are being factored into the workforce planning / data gathering work.
• Need to consider why some subjects are not filled – not all connected to routes into teaching. Consider opportunities for teachers to expand their knowledge and qualifications – requires support and funding. 
• Focus required on making teaching an attractive career and encouraging people into the profession.

 

Workstream 3 - Continuum of Teacher Education

 

Workstream leads from GTCS, SCDE and Education Scotland provided an overview of work to date on the development of a framework for Teacher Education and Development in Scotland. A paper was presented at the last SBTE meeting and now looking for feedback on general direction.

 

Two general themes have emerged in feedback to date – 1) getting things right for phase 4 teachers helps get things right across the entire framework. 2) Phase 2 – post ITE – how to make improvements here and ensure it is focussed on teacher preparation.

 

Board members made the following comments:

• Good paper. Pleased with the direction of travel.
• Clarity and inconsistency of language e.g. what do we mean by ‘newly qualified teacher’, ‘qualified school-based educators’, ‘accomplished colleagues’.
• Could be clearer on what a flexible route into teaching would look like under the framework.
• Requires time space and resourcing for the framework to work within our schools.
• Need clarity on next steps, how will this work fit alongside other elements of education reform.
• Value schools have in hosting students isn’t captured sufficiently in the paper. Some concern about suggestion of limiting the schools that students can go to – both for the student and for host school. There is a risk the schools miss out on connections to HEIs and new mechanisms of pedagogy or practice and new research, which exposure to student teachers brings.
• Selection of placements needs considered – good to have a wide range of experiences and other criteria e.g. will a specific department / principal teacher have the time to support a student teacher.
• Graduate teachers should be additional, not part of staffing.
• Early career phase is crucial as currently weakest link in the journey.
• Welcome idea of effective PRD processes as not always proper processes in place currently.
• Phase 4 – career enrichment. Would be useful to develop examples of this e.g.  secondments to Local Authorities, lead teachers, mentors, career breaks etc.  
• The Chair summed up that there was positivity about direction of travel and some really useful detailed feedback.

 

The workstream leads reflected that:

 

• The common language we use is mission critical.
• More work is required on whether all schools are equipped to give student / graduate teachers the experience they required.
• Work required over the summer to tease out options that we want to really focus on moving forward.
• On delivery, this is associated with funding and a commitment to change. Need for senior official and political buy-in.
• Financial modelling required on how to deliver the SBTE workplan.
• Consideration of using Scottish approach to service design as part of this work.
• The work of WS3 is the overarching work of SBTE and the other WS flow from that. In terms of resourcing - helpful to see it that way.

 

Workstream 2 - Improving the promotion of Teaching as a valued career

The Secretariat gave an update on progress with this workstream. The following points were made:

 

• A sub-group has been established to take this forward. The group comprises membership from the teacher unions, local authority employers, universities, SCES and Scottish Government. 

 

• Actions are the development of a joint social media campaign planned for Autumn and development of a common narrative that can be deployed across the communications channels of all stakeholders.

 

Board members made the following points:

• Encouraged by buy-in across SCDE and with Scottish Government on work to promote teaching as a valued career.
• Engagement with Diversity in the Teaching and Education Workforce Sub-Group – what is the read across between WS2 and this AREP sub-group.

• Need to address deeper issues as to why people don’t come into teaching.
• Request to update the Teach in Scotland website.

• The Chair asked about the scope of SBTE and points members have made about WS3 essentially being the work of SBTE. Is the balance right?
• Members reiterated that WS3 is all-encompassing and the other WSs  flow from WS3.
• Some concern about progressing quickly with related pieces of work in isolation, rather than considering the system as a whole. WS3 should be the driver.   
• Members suggested undertaking a planning and timelining process under WS3 and mapping in the work under WS1 and WS2, as there are inter-dependencies.
• In person events are helpful and output of those has accelerated the work of SBTE.
• Risk of disconnect between SBTE and wider education reform piece.
• Clarity required on financial and political commitment to the SBTE workplan.