Terms of reference

1. Towards a new vision for initial teacher education in the post compulsory education and training sectors: a review for Welsh Government, was published in March 2023. The review, which examined the current initial teacher education (ITE) provision for Post-Compulsory Education and Training (PCET) was commissioned following recommendations from the 'Post-16 Professional Learning Scoping Study (Welsh Government, 2019a)' and a subsequent thematic review of post compulsory education and training (PCET) ITE by Estyn (2021a). Dr Steve Bell from Estyn was seconded to Welsh Government to undertake the review on behalf of the Welsh Government (commissioned by the then Further Education and Apprenticeships Division), as part of the wider Post-16 Workforce Development programme. Recommendations from the report can be found in Annex A.
    
2. Effective implementation of a new ITE Framework for PCET will enhance the professional status of practitioners in the PCET sector and support and improve the notion of parity of esteem with practitioners and institutions in the compulsory education sectors. The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Minister for Further and Higher Education are both supportive of this approach. In addition, there are substantive benefits for learners in terms outcomes and continued participation by having a quality assured workforce in place that is fully supported. 
    
3. Following the new planning and funding environment for the sector created by the establishment of Medr, the implementation, and subsequent delivery of some of the recommendations will need to include collaboration and partnership working on the potential forward work programme with Medr officials. 

4. Teachers who successfully complete a PGCE course of ITE to become a schoolteacher also gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). This, and completion of a statutory induction period, are required by legislation to enable a person to undertake specified work and to be paid as a qualified teacher in a maintained school. There is also extant, but outdated, legislation which specifies the minimum teaching qualification required to be a qualified teacher/lecturer in an FE college. Approved qualifications include the PCET PCE, PgCE and PGCE awards. FE colleges also consider a practitioner with a PGCE (QTS) qualification to teach in an FE college.
    
5. However, a PCET ITE award does not confer QTS, and so practitioners who have qualified through the PCET ITE route are not considered qualified to teach in maintained schools, although they may, in certain circumstances teach vocational courses within the local curriculum. They may teach in independent schools, where QTS is not mandatory. In addition, PCET ITE course provision, unlike ITE for schoolteachers, is not formally accredited by the EWC. This has been a point of concern, both in terms of parity of approach and professional recognition between the schools and post 16 workforce, along with concern over the quality of provision through the absence of controlled and planned inspection/quality assurance. 
    
6. It is accepted that the ITE for PCET arrangements have needed review for some time. Following the establishment of Medr, now is an opportune time. Areas we would particularly need to address include:
   1. the need to consider and support parity between schoolteachers and FE teachers in terms of entry requirements and use of incentives, and support the promotion of career in the Tertiary sector
   2. potential portability of teaching qualifications
   3. appropriate accreditation of course provision
   4. support for professional learning for newly qualified lecturers and on-going professional learning for in service staff
       
7. Effective implementation of a new ITE Framework for PCET will enhance the professional status of practitioners in the PCET sector, supporting and improving the parity of esteem with practitioners and institutions in the compulsory education sectors. A high-level expert advisory group to advise on the reform process, future change plan and the sequencing of improvements has been established.
    
8. Welsh Government recognise that subordinate legislation will be required to amend existing requirements and (or) introduce new statutory arrangements during such a planned 5-year change programme, and this will need to be considered as part of any proposals.
    
9. Adopting a 5-year change process for ITE for PCET will allow time for each of the stages of the reform to be planned, implemented and evaluated, with course considerations (including design and validation) taken into account throughout. 

10. The group will be expected to:

• provide expertise and leadership
• be a strategic ‘influencing’ voice
• advise Welsh Government on how best to review and restructure the ITE for PCET arrangements in 2025 to 2026 to work towards a 5-year work programme to effect change

11. We would expect members of the advisory group to use their experience and expert knowledge to consider and sequence the required changes to the Framework and the future programme of delivery. 

12. During the first 12 months of the reform programme:

• the group will identify a unifying vision and undertake further scoping work to test, inform and support changes required to ITE PCET provision, and provide evidence-based research when considering the 5-year future work programme
• the group will ensure bi-lingual support is provided through all proposals and future work package developments
• the group will propose, sequence and support the development of a future workforce programme and legislative framework
• the group will provide its expert view to support and advise Welsh Ministers, equipping them to make well-informed, evidenced based decisions concerning the review and the strategic approach adopted
• following the advice captured in the group sessions, produce a ‘Programme of Work Stage 2’ Document which can inform potential decisions in the next Senedd term

13. In stage 1 of the change programme (during the first 12 months) the Advisory Group will be required to: 

1. develop and agree a unifying vision for post 16 workforce, particularly for the PCET workforce
2. consider the broad recommendations and 6 key themes referenced in the review report to support a Framework for Action

These are broadly:

• establishing a national, collaborative, evidence informed change process
• strengthen partnerships to ensure students/trainees receive diverse and high-quality teaching experiences and mentor support
• adopt a coherent and comprehensive ITE PCET curriculum, linked to professional standards and a consistent award structure
• prepare trainees to teach in a bilingual society
• recognise and enhance professional status and support early and career-long professional development and
• enhance PCET practitioners’ opportunities for career development within and across PCET sector and wider education system (Annex A)

3. review the current operational landscape and identify workable solutions for the future delivery of ITE for PCET
4. inform and scope, short and medium to long term deliverable work packages which would support our commitment to increasing participation and attendance by improving the quality of the PCET workforce
5. propose the timeframe and sequencing of developing and implementing the proposed changes
6. build an evidence-based benchmark (data)
7. consider what subgroups are needed in the first year to take forward specific actions and quick wins

The group has agreed to have 3 subgroups. These will be:

1. Professional learning: chaired by Yana Williams: Colegau Cymru
2. Core curriculum: chaired by Caroline Lewis: Universities and Schools Council for the Education of Teachers (USCET)
3. PCET incentives: chaired by Rhian Pound-McCarthy (Medr)

The groups’ objectives are being finalised in conjunction with their chairs, and they will report back to the advisory group within an agreed timescale.

14. The Group’s membership will be flexible and on a ‘as required’ basis. The group will be chaired by Dafydd Evans. Dafydd Evans has a range of relevant experience and was the Chief Executive Officer of Grwp Llandrillo Menai 2016 to 2018, Principal of Coleg Llandrillo 2014 to 2016, and the Principal of Coleg Menai 2009 to 2014. He previously worked with Welsh Government on resource allocation and reconfiguration of the post-16 sector in Anglesey and Gwynedd. He is an associate assessor for Estyn and has undertaken inspections on several colleges. Dafydd is also a former Chair of Colleges Wales.
     
15. It is proposed that the group includes the following stakeholders:

• Independent Chair: Dafydd Evans
• Welsh Government Policy leads, (Tertiary Education Directorate)
• Dr Steve Bell (Author of PCET Review March 23 and Estyn Post 16 representative)
• Medr: workforce team representative
• Education Workforce Council (EWC)
• USCET PCET Cymru ITE Sector stakeholder
• University and Colleges Union (UCU) as Joint Trade Union representative
• Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol
• Colegau Cymru representative
• FE College Teacher: recently undertaken PGCE PCET qualification
• National Training Federation for Wales (NTFW)
• HEI or FE lecturer: PGCE PCET course provider representative
• Adult Learning Wales (ALW)

16. A contract has been agreed between the Chair and Welsh Government. 
     
17. If core members are unable to attend the meeting, a delegated representative may attend in their place subject to agreement with the Chair. Delegates must have the authority to represent their area.

• The secretariat will be provided by Welsh Government Officials.
• Meetings will take place monthly on a virtual basis until it is considered they are needed less frequently.
• Should in person meetings, or specific focus groups be required, reasonable expenses will be paid.
• Agenda and papers will be issued 7 days in advance of the meeting.
• Each meeting will be recorded for transcript purposes and, a summary note of the discussion will be distributed to members within 10 working days. The transcripts will then be deleted. All members will be asked to deliver actions/commitments by agreed timescales or within one month of each meeting.
• These terms of reference will be reviewed regularly to determine that they remain fit for purpose and relevant over time.

Recommendations from the ‘Towards a new vision for initial teacher education in the post compulsory education and training sectors’ review for Welsh Government:

Establishing a national, collaborative, evidence-informed and evaluative reform process

1. Welsh Government should commit to a planned 5-year reform process for PCET ITE.
2. Establish a high-level standing advisory group to advise on the reform process.
3. Develop a unifying vision for PCET initial teacher education in Wales.
4. Refine data collection processes to record the number of trainees in training and appropriate demographic information, trainees’ outcomes and their destinations. Publish annual statistics relating to PCET ITE.
5. Estyn should carry out a series of sector reviews to inform the review process and evaluate its progress.
6. Establish a professional network for PCET ITE teacher educators.

Build and strengthen partnerships to give trainees rich, diverse and high quality experiences and mentor support

7. Establish an accreditation panel, criteria and process for PCET ITE, including arrangements for quality assurance and inspection.
8. Accredit PCET ITE programmes. Ensure that any accreditation process requires provision to be delivered by HE-FE partnerships, with each partnership having at least one HEI and at least one ‘anchor’ FE college.
9. Improve the quality of, and access to, mentoring for PCET ITE trainees.
10. Improve the quality of trainees’ teaching practice experience.

A coherent and comprehensive PCET ITE curriculum, linked to the professional standards, and a consistent award structure

11. Ensure that PCET ITE awards have consistent titles, levels of demand and credit values.
12. Develop a core curriculum, linked to the professional standards, that would be delivered by all providers.
13. Using the existing PCET professional standards, develop additional criteria and guidance which can be used to describe the expectation of PCET practitioners on completion of their ITE programmes, and during their induction.
14. Develop differentiated modules, as part of the core curriculum, which promote, encourage and support Welsh medium and bilingual teaching and learning.
15. Ensure that any future incentive programme for PCET ITE trainees includes incentives for trainees to teach or study bilingually or through the medium of Welsh.
16. Develop opportunities for trainees carrying out teaching practice experience or studying though the medium of Welsh at any institution to have a community of peers and benefit from collaborative experiences with colleagues.
17. Ensure that trainees carrying out teaching practice experience or studying though the medium of Welsh have access to a teaching mentor with expertise and experience of bilingual delivery.

Recognise and enhance professional status and prepare trainees for career long professional learning and development

18. Establish a professional status, Qualified Practitioner Status (PCET), abbreviated to ‘QPS (PCET)’, for practitioners who have completed a PCET ITE award.
19. Develop an induction process for early career PCET practitioners who have completed a PCET ITE award, which both supports professional learning, reflection and development, and gives assurance that practitioners meet the PCET professional standards.
20. Review and update the Further Education Teachers’ Qualifications (Wales) Regulations 2002 so that they reflect the new qualification structure.

Enhance PCET practitioners’ opportunities for career development within the PCET sectors and across the broader education system

21. Investigate and develop a methodology and regulatory framework for PCET practitioners to be employed as qualified teachers in maintained schools.
22. Develop PCET practitioners’ opportunities for in-service degree- and postgraduate-level study in the field of education.