Project

Part 3 report

Executive summary


Perception of quality and performance of second year teachers
Early professional development and support
Career development
Progression to the second year and retention
Project methodology

 

Executive summary

This report relates to Part 3 of the Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) Quality Improvement study commissioned by the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) which focuses on the second year of teaching.
 

Perception of quality and performance of second year teachers
  • Second year teachers develop confidence as they settle into the role and develop an understanding of the wider context of the school including developing a better understanding of school policies and procedures.
  • Second year teachers become more confident: in their dealings with parents; in time and behaviour management; in relationships with other staff; about curriculum and assessment issues; in understanding of school policies and procedures; and in relation to taking on additional school-wide responsibilities.
  • Additional school-wide responsibilities are an issue for primary second year teachers but less so for secondary based second year teachers who are less likely to be offered promotions this early in their careers.
  • Generally the perceived influence of Initial Teacher Training (ITT) route diminishes and individual characteristics are seen as more important than route in the longer term.
  • Overall second year teachers are seen by senior leaders to be more able to manage both classroom behaviour and their own time and are better at liaising with both parents and their school colleagues than during their NQT year.

 

Early professional development and support
  • The second year of teaching marks a major transition in the types and levels of professional development activity and support offered to early career teachers, with a major reduction in targeted, structured support and integration of second year teachers into the monitoring and support systems applied to all teachers.
  • Professional development needs connected with wider concerns and responsibilities were more frequently identified by both senior leaders and second year teachers than classroom practice development needs. In primary schools these needs usually related to additional responsibilities the second year teachers were undertaking. In secondary schools the needs were part of preparing for future responsibility. Early professional development needs related to classroom practice were diverse and more frequently identified by senior leaders and mentors than second year teachers.
  • Targeted structured support, in the form of formal mentorship, professional development activities designed specifically for second year teachers, or time off timetable was rarely provided. Generally second year teachers gained support through the processes open to all staff.
  • Support for second year teachers was primarily provided through the performance and professional development systems applicable to all staff. Generally more support was provided in schools in the most deprived areas, and more support was available in primary than secondary schools.
  • There was a notable difference in who provided support in primary and secondary schools. Senior leaders in primary and special schools played a more direct role in supporting second year teachers than in secondary schools. In secondary schools departments were the main location for support and Heads of Department played a key role in providing both formal and informal support.
  • Informal support from other staff was both an intentional strategy highlighted by senior leaders, and a common and important aspect of the support experienced by second year teachers.
  • The vast majority of second year teachers were satisfied with the level of support they received. There were mixed views amongst senior leaders, NQT mentors and second year teachers about the change in the type and level of support between the NQT year and the second year of teaching. Some felt it was time for teachers to become more independent and others that the reduction in support was too large and too sudden.

 

Career development
  • There was a strong expectation within primary schools that second year teachers would take on additional responsibilities. This expectation was not shared by secondary schools.
  • Views on the promotion of second year teachers were not divided by type of school; rather readiness for promotion was seen to depend on individual characteristics.
  • Primary teachers tended to describe their future plans as leaving their school for promotion only if no opportunities arose where they currently work. In contrast, secondary teachers spoke of seeking promotion per se irrespective of location.
  • Seeking promotion to gain experience and new challenges rather than for career development was also important for a small number of teachers.

 

Progression to the second year and retention
  • Most teachers progressed smoothly from the NQT year to the second year in teaching. The quantitative data indicated that there were only a small number of key areas in which there were weaknesses in relation to NQTs' ability to progress,: notably multi-agency working (seen as a problem by 40% of secondary NQTs and 16% of primary NQTs), and working with teaching assistants for 8% of secondary teachers (but just 1% of primary teachers). Senior leaders also saw a weakness regarding multi-agency working for over a quarter of NQTs.
  • The majority of schools did not have a major retention problem in relation to second year teachers. However, as with the NQT year, a small number indicated there was a problem related to those schools facing challenging circumstances.
  • Most schools took the view that staff leaving for promotion was positive, or at least acceptable, although those who had trouble recruiting replacements were understandably sometimes less sanguine.
  • The vast majority of second year teachers intended to stay in their current school in the near future.
  • In the longer term, the vast majority of teachers were looking for promotion, and almost all of these were prepared to move schools if necessary, and in some cases preferred to move to get a variety of experiences.
  • There was disagreement over the importance of professional development to retention, with most second year teachers not seeing it as a factor, whereas some senior leaders thought it was important.

 

Project methodology
  • A mixed method approach to data collection was used incorporating case studies and national surveys of senior leaders and second year teachers.
  • In April and May 2009, a set of visits took place in 49 case study schools. Interviews were conducted with teachers, senior leaders and mentors. The case study schools were the same schools that were visited in 2008 for part 2 of the study.
  • The survey data reported here relates to progression from the NQT year into the second year, and was gathered during winter 2008/09.