Accounting officer assessment: initial teacher training (ITT) market review
Updated 30 April 2024
Applies to England
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Accounting officers have a responsibility to scrutinise significant policy proposals, projects or programmes and make sure the actions of the public organisation they lead meet the 4 accounting officer standards (regularity, propriety, value for money and feasibility) as set out in managing public money.
From April 2017, the government has committed to making a summary of the key points from these assessments available to Parliament when an accounting officer has conducted an assessment of a project or programme within the government’s major projects portfolio (GMPP).
The accounting officer assessment was included within the initial teacher training (ITT) market review programme full business case and this is a summary.
Background
Improving teaching quality is the most direct policy lever we have available to improve school standards and influence pupil outcomes. As a result, improving teaching quality has significant cross-government interest.
The 2015 Carter Review found that there was ‘considerable variability’ in ITT course content, leading to a number of government interventions to drive up quality, including the introduction of the ITT core content framework (CCF).
The ITT review was subsequently commissioned by the government with the aim of ensuring that all providers of accredited ITT leading to qualified teacher status (QTS) deliver consistently high quality ITT, in line with the CCF.
An expert advisory group was appointed in summer 2020 to carry out the review. Their report was published on 5 July 2021. A 7-week public consultation followed to test the sector’s views on the review’s recommendations. The ITT market review report includes 14 recommendations, with the central recommendation suggesting the introduction of a series of new quality requirements for all ITT providers of courses that lead to QTS. The review also recommended a robust re-accreditation process should take place to ensure that all providers have the capacity and capability to meet the new requirements in full.
Implementing these recommendations aims to support improvements to standards of teaching by ensuring that all trainees receive consistently high quality training, in line with the CCF and in an efficient and effective market. The department has committed £36 million over the current spending review period to implement the recommendations and we anticipate that the expected benefits of these reforms will be the improved quality of ITT courses which lead to QTS, improved quality of early career teachers entering the teaching profession and improved teacher retention in the early years of a teacher’s career.
Assessment against accounting officer standards
Regularity
The department has the statutory authority to set the criteria that ITT providers must meet to provide a course leading to QTS and to set the framework against which Ofsted can inspect these providers, under section 18b of the Education Act 1994 and the Education and Inspections Act 2006.
The department has statutory authority under section 14 of the Education Act 2002 enabling the Secretary of State to provide financial assistance in the form of grant funding for educational related purposes, including teacher training, and permits the directing of funds to schools and companies. Expenditure on educational related purposes is covered within the departmental ambit.
Propriety
The ITT review has complied with departmental and governmental governance and assurance requirements and expectations. The full business case was approved by the department’s Investment Committee and subsequently by HM Treasury. We are additionally planning an evaluation for the programme in line with a condition as set out by HM Treasury.
There has been ongoing, extensive engagement with the sector throughout the ITT review to ensure openness and transparency in order to support successful delivery. Ongoing monitoring and management of the programme will ensure this continues and that resources will be used efficiently throughout delivery.
Value for money
There is a good rationale for investment in ITT. We know that the quality of teaching is the single most important in-school factor for improving pupil outcomes. It is particularly important for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. We also know that the benefits of teaching quality include improved GCSE attainment and subsequent lifetime earnings, as outlined in the business case.
While there are many examples of existing, excellent practice in ITT, and the ITT market review seeks to build on those, overall, the available evidence suggests that there is variation and more we can do to improve the quality, consistency and coherence of ITT. Implementing the recommendations of the ITT market review provides an opportunity to build on the CCF, to align ITT with the early career framework programme and update national professional qualifications embedding evidence-informed approaches into ITT courses.
Feasibility
The programme is assessed as deliverable. The programme team is adequately resourced, has adhered to all internal review and approval processes and has established strong project and portfolio management methodologies and processes to monitor and manage the project. Additionally, delivery and impact reporting is provided to HM Treasury as outlined in the departmental spending review settlement letter. The timeline for delivery is also assessed as feasible given the resulting accredited providers will begin delivering their courses from September 2024.
As the programme progresses, any potential risks around training sufficiency will be actively managed.
Conclusion
As accounting officer for the Department for Education, I have considered this assessment against the 4 accounting officer standards, and I am satisfied the ITT market review programme relies on clear legal powers, meets the standards of managing public money and accords with the generally understood principles of public life; represents good value for money for the Exchequer as a whole; and is feasible to deliver.
If any of these factors change materially during the lifetime of this project, I undertake to prepare a revised summary, setting out my assessment of them.
This summary will be published on the government’s website (GOV.UK). Copies will be deposited in the Library of the House of Commons, and sent to the Comptroller and Auditor General and Treasury Officer of Accounts.
Susan Acland-Hood
Permanent Secretary