The proportion of TDA funded programme that are provided by Universities UK members is 84%. This provision is proven to be of high quality by successive Ofsted inspections and is informed by high quality and innovative research.
The key focus for our work on teacher education is the joint Universities UK/GuildHE Teacher Education Advisory Group or TEAG.
TEAG is chaired by Professor Sir Bob Burgess, Vice-Chancellor, the University of Leicester, and is made up of made up of UUK and GuildHE member vice-chancellors with education departments. The group meets regularly with the following government departments and sector agencies:
- The Department for Schools, Children and Families (DSCF)
- The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (DBIS)
- The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)
- The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA)
- Ofsted
- The Quality Assurance Agency. We also have regular contact with the Universities Council for the Education of Teachers (UCET).
TEAG have identified a number of areas for which Universities UK and GuildHE will be undertaking work in the 2009/10 academic year.
Funding and the allocation of places
Key themes to this area of work will be around the sustainability of education departments in the context of reduced Initial Teacher Education (ITE) places and issues relating to post-compulsory provision.
Research
This work will focus on the sustainability of academic research within education departments, the contribution of education research to raising attainment in schools and the development of public policy.
Regulation
TEAG is supportive of the work Ofsted and the QAA are undertaking to work more closely together and avoid overlap wherever possible. TEAG has met regularly with Ofsted and the QAA to follow progress.
Continuing Professional Development
The education departments of our members provide a broad range of high quality research informed CPD for teachers and education staff. TEAG has already undertaken work to raise the profile of this activity and will continue to do so over the next year. We will be closely following the development of the new Masters in Teaching and Learning and aim to ensure that full use is made of the existing expertise within higher education institutions.