Qualifications for numeracy teachers

Introduction

This document is designed to provide information on the range of qualification pathways available for people who are:
  • completely new to teaching and are thinking of joining the Lifelong Learning numeracy workforce
  • currently teaching numeracy and are not sure whether they meet the requirements of the 2007 regulations
  • currently teaching another subject or in another sector (primary, secondary or HE) and who wish to teach numeracy in the lifelong learning sector.
It also outlinesthe continuous professional development (CPD) requirements and sample opportunities for CPD available to numeracyteachers at centres in the West Midlands and online.

The 2007 Regulations: an overview

All newteachers must achieve a threshold qualification to teach:
  • Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS)
. . . followed by a qualification appropriate to their role, and a licence to practice:
  • Certificate in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (CTLLS) followed by Associate Teacher Learning and Skills (ATLS)
  • Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (DTLLS) followed by Qualified Teacher in Learning and Skills (QTLS)
All new and existingteachers must register with the Institute for Learning in relation to a CPD requirement that, for a full-time practitioner, amounts to a minimum of 30 hours per year.
Full teachers carry out the full range of teaching responsibilities, whether on a full-time or part-time basis; Associate teachers have a significantly more restricted role.

The 2007 Reforms: implications for teachers of numeracy

All new numeracy teachers appointed from 1 September 2007 are now required to hold or acquire, within a specified period of time, a Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (DTLLS) at minimum Level 5 (or its equivalent) and an appropriate subject-specific qualification. Only with such qualifications will practitioners be able to apply for Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status.
It is important to note that mathematics (numeracy) teachers are considered to have a fullteaching role, even if they are teaching part-time. There is no Associate Teacher role in Skills for Life subjects. Consequently, numeracy teachers must achieve the Diploma in teaching Mathematics (Numeracy) in the Lifelong Learning Sector.
QTLS is the only professional status available for teachers of numeracy.

Initial teaching qualifications for numeracy teachers

Teachers of numeracy will need to gain an appropriate qualification for teaching their subject. Qualifications have been developed to allow for a number of different routes to achieving the requirements for subject-specialist teachers.
The titles of the qualifications are:
  • Level 5 Additional Diploma in Teaching Mathematics (Numeracy) in the Lifelong Learning Sector
  • Level 5 Diploma in Teaching Mathematics (Numeracy) in the Lifelong Learning Sector
  • Level 5 Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (Mathematics Numeracy).
These routes may comprise a single qualification or a combination of two qualifications. The routes detailed are named as follows:
  • The Additional Route
  • The Concurrent Route
  • The Fully Integrated Route
  • The Partly Integrated Route.

The Additional Route

This route is additional to the requirement to hold a generic teaching diploma and is achieved as a separate qualification to initial generic training. On completion of the additional route, teacher trainees are awardedLevel 5 Additional Diploma in Teaching Mathematics (Numeracy) in the Lifelong Learning Sector. The additional routeis for teachers who are part-qualified:

  • existing teachers of literacy, language or numeracy who have a full generic qualification, but who have no or little subject specialist training at Levels 4 and 5
  • those holding a recognised subject-specific teaching qualification who wish to teach an additional Skills for Life subject
  • those who are new to the profession who are unable to find an initial integrated or concurrent route.

The Concurrent Route

This routerequires unqualified teachers to take a generic teaching qualification and a diploma qualification in literacy, numeracy or ESOL at the same time, achieving Level 5 Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector and Level 5 Additional Diploma in Teaching Mathematics (Numeracy) in the Lifelong Learning Sector. The concurrent route is for:

  • unqualified teachers who are unable to find an appropriate or available integrated route
  • unqualified teachers of vocational and other subjects who wish to take a generic teaching qualification in their primary subject but also qualify as subject-specialist teachers of numeracy
  • those wishing to enter teaching in the sectoror unqualified teachers currently working in the sector who have neither an approved generic teaching qualification nor a recognised subject qualification.

The Fully Integrated Route

The fully integrated route means that teacher trainees complete their required teaching qualification and their subject-specialist qualification within a 120-credit diploma programme. On completion of the qualification they will gain Level 5 Diploma in teaching Mathematics (Numeracy) in the Lifelong Learning Sector. The fully integrated route is for:

  • unqualified teachers or those who wish to teach in the sector who have neither a recognised generic teachingqualification nor a recognised subject qualification

The Partly Integrated Route

The partly integrated route is a pathway within the Level 5 Diploma for Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector.The subject specialism will be reflected in an ‘endorsed subtitle’. The subject will be in brackets as an extension to the qualification title: Level 5 Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (Mathematics Numeracy)

Titles of qualifications

National awarding bodies are required to use the titles outlined above for their qualifications. Higher education institutions (HEIs), although encouraged to use similar titles to avoid confusion, can name their own qualifications.

For example, PGCE in Numeracy, Professional Diploma in Education and DTLLS Numeracy are the same qualification.

General Professional Recognition Learning and Skills(GPRLS)

A process for experienced and competent teachers, tutors and trainers in the FE sector who do not hold an acceptable teaching qualification but can demonstrate that they meet the new professional standards. It is for:

•existing members of the workforce (pre September 2007)

•those part-qualified for their role when the 2007 regulations were introduced

•experienced teachers who are new to the learning and skills sector

What are the benefits of gaining professional recognition?

Recognition offers an alternative to having to achieve further qualifications or undertake unnecessary training for those whose skills, knowledge and experience in teaching already enable them to meet the standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the learning and skills sector. Contact SVUK for more details:

The Institute for Learning and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for teachers of numeracy

The Institute for Learning(IfL) is the professional body for teachers, trainers, tutors and student teachers in the Learning and Skills sector.

Teachers who qualified beforeSeptember 2007 are required to:

•register with the Institute for Learning

•demonstrate commitment to CPD

•choose whether or not to apply for QTLS.

Teachers who qualified after September 2007 are required to:

•register with the IfL within six months of appointment

•complete PTLLS within one year

•complete Certificate or Diploma within five years

•achieve QTLS within five years of appointment

•demonstrate commitment to CPD.

CPD is defined by the IfL as: ‘a means ofmaintaining, improving and broadening relevant subject knowledge and skills in your subject specialism and your teaching so that it has a positive impact on practice and the learner experience’ –any activity carried out for the purposes of updating knowledge of the subject taught and developing teaching/training skills.

Examples of online CPD for numeracy teachers

The National Centre for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics (NCETM), along with with the Quality Improvement Agency (QIA), has developedan online CPD module for teachers working in the lifelong learning sector.

NCETM alsooffers further opportunities for CPD via courses and conference, research reports, speaking to other practitioners and engaging in a wide range of numeracy and maths activities. More details about these are at:

Move On

The Move On website has extensive resources to support teachers and learners to extend their maths skills. Teachers can download a wide range of resources to support their teaching and see how to make maths learning more relevant, engaging and meaningful.

The Excellence Gateway

The Excellence Gateway is a website for practitioners within the learning and skills sector in England. It provides access to a wide range of resources, examples of good practice research, events, the latest news relating to the lifelong learning sector, and a forum for speaking to colleagues in the sector.

There is a Skills for Life section on the site and access to the new online Skills for Life core curricula, which can be found at:

The Skills for Life Improvement Programme can also be accessed from the Skills for Life home page on the Excellence Gateway. This site has details of training events and resources to download.
sflip.excellencegateway.org.uk

Not all CPD activity involves ‘doing a course’. Numeracy teachers can read research reports, try out new teaching and learning resources and discuss areas of interest with colleagues. The IfL advises that there is a growing body of research on CPD that shows that the kinds of professional development that make the most difference to practice are based on professional dialogue about teaching and learning, and the improvement of practice through a variety of activities, including coaching, mentoring, shadowing and peer support.The important thing is to show that you have:

•reflected on your learning from the activity you’ve engaged in.

•identified and recorded the difference to your practice

•identified and recorded the impact on learners and others.

Further information on CPD requirements for teachers can be found at:

In the West Midlands, numeracy teachers can find out about training courses and CPD opportunities from The West Midlands Centre for Excellence in Teacher Training: www2.warwick.ac.uk/study/cll/wmcett/.