Initial teacher education and newly qualified teachers
An important factor highlighted within this report relates to the placement of student teachers in early years centres.
With the reduction of teachers in nurseries in local authorities, universities are finding it difficult to place teacher education students in pre-school settings with experienced teachers. Headteachers and teachers expressed concern that student teachers are not being given sufficient encouragement and support to establish a career within the early years sector. With recent nursery school closures and teachers not being placed full time in centres, the placement of student teachers in early years establishments has proved to be difficult. Local authorities and teacher education institutions have worked effectively together to establish a database to support student placements in schools. This information will be important in helping to identify where students can undertake quality experience in pre-school centres with teachers.
Difficulties in accessing sufficient, high quality early education establishments for student teacher placements should be addressed in liaison with teacher education institutions and local education authorities, building on their existing joint working. |
Under recent changes to GTCS registration, it has not been possible for newly qualified teachers (NQTs) to carry out their probationary period wholly in a nursery school or class. NQTs are placed in primary or secondary schools for their first year of practice. Teachers have reduced opportunities to specialise or follow a career path in nursery education.
The rules applied by GTCS, whereby newly qualified teachers cannot fulfil their probationary period wholly in a nursery school or class, should be reviewed to avoid the loss of new and enthusiastic teachers coming into the early education workforce. |
Recruitment and retention of staff
Some difficulties in recruiting teachers to work in nurseries were found during this study. The key reasons given by local authorities include:
Difficulties with recruitment in a few, mainly rural, councils have been a factor in councils changing existing pre-school staffing structures. Recent announcements by the Scottish Government to provide access to a teacher for every nursery age child, starting in deprived areas, and additional resources to reduce class sizes in P1 to P3, both have the potential to address some of the recruitment issues identified above.
There is a need to address, at a national level, the full range of issues which limit staff recruitment and retention, particularly in rural situations, to ensure high-quality experiences for pre-school children. |