After looking at the current Teaching Standards as Wordles in a previous post I was keen to look at the document for the new standards, which will be in force by Septemeber 2012.
Changes in the Standards
There has been a few changes to how the document is to be used, for example there are no longer different documents / levels for gaining QTS and then for Core teachers. Now they are all judged against the same set of standards and it is these that have been released and I’ve used for the wordle, combining the text for the Personal / Professional Standards section with the Standards for Teaching section. The thinking behind this is that the first year in teaching should be focused on consolidating skills already gained in the training phase. More information can be found in the FAQ that accompanies the release of the document. The published standards can be found on the DfE Website (PDF).
The Wordle For The New Teaching Standards:
I’m pleased that this has shown the focus to be on Pupils, Teaching and Understanding, and reading the document it looks like it will be easier to use in practise as the number has been decreased, but only just if you count all of the bullet points. Having mentored NQTs I welcome any changes that reduce the burden of paperwork upon them that is in addition to their regular teaching duties. While being organised can currently reduce this I am hopeful that the changes will reduce this demand further.
In parts the 2nd part Personal & Professional Conduct section is a little condescending, but isn’t outlining anything I wouldn’t expect from teachers anyway.
Still to come
As part of the review the DfE are still to look at standards for progressing in teaching, the outcomes of this review will be published in the Autumn. This will include publishing the standards that will replace the requirements currently in place for Advanced Skills Teachers and Excellent Teachers.
