Reflecting on initial teacher training: Where are we and where should we be?

Where is ITT now? Initial teaching training has been of great interest to politicians since 1983. Debate has centred around: the move towards a more schools-led model the consequential role of universities in ITT the nature of teaching as a craft or a profession what the content of initial teacher training should include.   There are clear statements of what the national expectations for teacher training must be and these impact on the actual content. The ‘Teachers’ Standards’ (DfE, 2011) is perhaps the most obvious, along with ‘Initial Teacher Training (ITT): Criteria and supporting advice’ (DfE, 2018). Helpfully, perhaps, the government commissioned a review of the content of initial teacher training, led by Sir Andrew Carter. The findings led to the statement that, ‘ITT should introduce new teachers to crucial elements of knowledge, skills and understanding that all teachers need’ (DfE, 2015, p. 3). The recommendations of the Carter Review wer