Excellent teachers can inspire interest and appreciation in science and chemistry from an early age.
The keys to ensuring every student has access to excellent science and chemistry teaching are:
- effective deployment of subject specialist teachers
- effective initial teacher training (ITT)
- effective continuing professional development (CPD) and recognition for teachers
Currently we support effective ITT through our teacher training scholarships. Also, our secondary level CPD courses and licence to offer Chartered Teacher Status (CSciTeach) form part of our teacher CPD support.
On this page
Subject-specialist teaching
Continuing professional development
Teaching Excellence Framework (England)
Also in Education policy
Curriculum & assessment
High-quality teaching
Importance of practical and technical skills
Resourcing & diversity
Subject-specialist teaching
Our subject-specialist teacher campaign
We are currently campaigning for more specialist primary science and secondary chemistry teachers in schools across the UK. In addition, the campaign recognises the importance of increasing the provision of subject-specific CPD.
Supply of Teachers – response to inquiry
November 2015
We responded with other science organisations to the Education Select Committee's inquiry into the Supply of Teachers. Our response included recommendations for government to tackle teacher shortages, as well as recognition of the extent of and the causes of, the issues in teacher recruitment and retention.
Skills for the chemical industry: training the teachers
June 2015
The quality of technical education in the further education (FE) sector is dependent on the quality of its teaching workforce. In Skills for the Chemical Industry – Training the Teachers we explore ways in which the FE sector can improve capacity to train high quality technicians. As well as providing recommendations for colleges, policy-makers and industry, we highlight case studies of successful technician training.
Carter Review of ITT (England)
September 2014
We responded (read the response) to this independent review of ITT. We highlighted the importance of the following.
- Pre-ITT subject specific knowledge
- Post-ITT subject specific continuing professional development
- Appropriately skilled ITT trainers
- Evidence-based classroom practice
- A balanced course content to include learning, assessment, classroom management and pedagogy
Subsequently, the Carter Review has been published, and the Government has published its response to the review’s recommendations.
We have also published a set of principles for routes into teaching the sciences at secondary level. The principles cover the purpose of initial teacher training, the support trainees should receive, and how to ensure courses are high-quality.
Continuing Professional Development
Strengthening Qualified Teacher Status and improving career progression for teachers
March, 2018
We responded to the Department for Education’s consultation on Strengthening QTS and improving career progression for teachers. We were supportive of most of the proposals put forward by the DfE, including, an extended induction period for new teachers, the introduction of an early career content framework and a stronger mentoring provision for new teachers. We also welcomed plans to expand professional qualifications to include specialisms and a pilot fund for work-related sabbaticals.
Teachers' professional development standard
October 2015
We responded to the Department for Education's call for evidence to inform the development of a new standard for teachers' professional development. The response highlighted the importance of ensuring subject-specific professional development was incorporated into the standard.
Developing the teaching profession to a world-class standard
February 2015
We responded to Department for Education's proposals to establish to establish a College of Teaching. We supported the creation of an independent professional body for teaching to recognise and enhance the teaching profession. We also highlighted the need to involve teachers and the wider education community in ensuring a relevant and on-going framework for professional development.
Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF)
Higher Education White Paper
May 2016
The Government published the White Paper Success as a knowledge economy: teaching excellence, social mobility and student choice. This describes detail how the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) will operate in the first four years and is similar to the proposals set out in the preceding Green Paper. In line with many responses submitted to the Green Paper, including our own response, the HE White Paper announced that the TEF will involve phased implementation, piloting, and alignment with existing processes (e.g. PSRB accreditation). The core metrics used in the TEF will remain the same which is of concern to the much of the HE sector.
Success as a knowledge economy: teaching excellence, social mobility and student choice
Teaching Excellence Framework: year two
September 2016
Detailed information has now been published about how the TEF will operate in year two, including members of the TEF panel and staff and student guides. We had responded to a technical consultation on how the second year of the TEF assessment process will operate. Whilst we were broadly in favour of the suggested criteria, we expressed concerns that the metrics were still not appropriate and that the additional information submitted by the provider should be more structured. We also highlighted that it was crucial to ensure the correct makeup and training of the TEF panel, as well as there being transparency and information sharing throughout the assessment process.
Technical consultation for year two of the TEF
Our response to the technical consultation
Subject-level TEF consultation
May 2018
We responded to a technical consultation about how the TEF should operate at subject level. We suggested improvements to the models which were piloted in the 2017/18 academic year and reiterated our concerns about the validity of some of the assessment metrics used. We also said that declarations about degree accreditation should not generally be a mandatory requirement for TEF assessment and that a measure of teaching intensity should not be introduced.
Education Policy
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