Teaching has changed

There’s a new generation of top-class teachers who are giving a boost to vital EBacc subjects
‘Teaching is a high-status profession, which is attractive to top graduates’
29 November 2012

More than seven out of 10 new trainee teachers now have a high-quality degree, according to latest figures from the Teaching Agency. This is a record rise of six percentage points compared to last year. “We want high calibre teachers in the classroom,” says Rachel Houchen, a French and German teacher with a 2:1 from Oxford University.

She’s in good company: 71 per cent of 2012/13 trainee teachers hold a 2:1 degree or higher. “Teaching is a high-status profession, which is attractive to top graduates,” she says.

The quality of trainee teachers has improved in all the key English Baccalaureate subjects — including maths, physics, chemistry and modern foreign languages, which traditionally have been hard to recruit to. Overall 66 per cent of those entering teacher training in these shortage subjects now have a 2:1 or higher degree classification — up from 55 per cent last year. In fact, 2012/13 has seen the most physics graduates start their teacher training since 1979.

Tax-free bursaries of up to £20,000 are on offer for the brightest graduates. Associations, including the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Chemistry and BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, are also offering prestigious scholarships.

There have been developments in training too. School Direct, the new school-based route, allows schools to recruit to planned vacancies.

From this year, candidates must also pass their professional skills tests before training starts.

If you’ve got a degree you are proud of, why not use your subject expertise in teaching?

Search ‘get into teaching’ or call 0800 389 2500 or visit standard.co.uk/learntoteach

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