Sara Tanton, Deputy Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “We are supportive of apprenticeships as a route into teaching. To ensure the scheme is successful, it’s crucial that the knowledge and training provided to apprentices has parity with the other routes into teaching, so that the profession has confidence employing them once they qualify. 

“It’s important to remember that this will only be the right route for a small number of employers as there are only very marginal gains to be had, given the investment needed from them in terms of the apprentice’s salary and time required from existing staff over the four year period, against the benefits they may later accrue. This will likely be reflected in the relatively low number of apprenticeships available each year.

“With this in mind, it’s vital that the government does not lose sight of the urgent need to improve teacher recruitment via other routes. The recruitment and retention crisis can only be addressed by taking significant steps to improve pay and conditions and making teaching a more attractive proposition for graduates.” 

ASCL’s full consultation response is available to read here.