Trainee teachers who take the school-based training route are more likely to enter the teaching profession than those who train in universities, a new study shows.
Nearly 81 per cent of trainees on school-based programmes such as School Direct go on to take up teaching jobs compared with 76.1 per cent of those who graduate from courses run by universities, says a report on the study findings from the Centre for Education and Employment Research.
School-based routes also tend to be higher rated by newly qualified teachers, despite university programmes receiving better grades from Ofsted inspectors.
In its Good Teacher Training Guide 2013 the Centre ranks the King Edward’s Consortium, an employment-based initial teacher training programme (EBITT) in Birmingham, as the best overall teacher training provider. Tied for second place was The University of Cambridge and Billericay Educational Consortium, a school-centred initial teacher training programme (SCITT) specialising in primary teacher training.
The report follows controversy over the government's decision to shift more funding for teacher training from universities to schools.
"On balance, the evidence is quite promising for the government's intended reforms," it concludes.
Get the full picture from HEi-know: Briefing Report 122