SPA - Supporting Professionalism in Admissions

National Developments

Teacher training offers for 2011

A number of higher education institutions have contacted SPA recently in relation to good practice following the TDA's decision that, because it has not yet had its budget nor its targets agreed for next year, providers should "avoid making firm unconditional offers of ITT places until we have confirmed your allocations" (email to all providers from Jeremy Coninx, 28 July 2010). Institutions will also be aware of the wider issues this year with regard to funding of higher education and the new white paper on education published by the government in England on Wednesday 24 November.

These raise a number of immediate issues for ITT and GTTR providers, specifically in terms of ensuring fairness whilst continuing to recruit but not making offers.

SPA has discussed the issues with a number of HEIs and UCAS/GTTR, and recommends the following good practice principles, which apply to both ITT (UCAS) and GTTR providers:

  1. For primary applications, in accordance with the GTTR timeline, providers should continue to carry out recruitment and selection processes i.e. liaison with applicants and interviews, up until the 1 December 2010, the final date for receipt of primary applications to be given equal consideration by first choice training providers.
  2. In accordance with GTTR principles for secondary courses and middle years applications, providers should also continue to carry out recruitment and selection processes i.e. liaison with applicants and interviews, and should explain the position in relation to allocations at applicants' interviews. Some providers may find it useful to refer to SPA's good practice guidance on offer-making - one model which might be helpful is to use a 'gathered field' of all applicants who may be considered for an offer following interview, ranking all such applicant's and rejecting those whom are clearly unsuccessful. By ranking all potential students after all interviews are completed and internal decisions have been made, offers could quickly be made to applicants once funding is known.
  3. Offers, both unconditional and conditional, should not be transmitted until the TDA funding allocations are known.
  4. 'Stops' may be placed on applicants in the GTTR and UCAS schemes who are due to be rejected at the Reject by Default date.
  5. The principle in both GTTR and UCAS is that offers should not be made with conditions that are not within the power of the applicant to fulfill. For example, the GTTR Admissions Guide and Decision Processing Manual 2011 states that offers should not be made that are conditional upon a 'satisfactory interview', this is a subjective measure and not within the power of the applicant to fulfill. Therefore the same principle applies that conditional offers should not be made "subject to funding" as that is also not within the power of the applicant to fulfill.
  6. Providers should note the general principles in relation to Initial Decisions on page 15 in the GTTR Admissions Guide and Decision Processing Manual 2011, specifically - "When an applicant accepts an unconditional offer, you are committed to provide a place, subject to satisfactory criminal record and health checks" and "When an applicant accepts a conditional offer and meets all the conditions of this offer, you are committed to provide a place".
  7. Providers should also note the business rule in relation to 'Changes after making initial decisions and before applicants have replied' on page 20 in the GTTR Admissions Guide and Decision Processing Manual 2011, specifically - "You are committed to the terms of conditional offers (including course and entry date) and you should not make any changes without the applicant's full agreement" and "If an applicant accepts an unconditional offer, you are committed to providing a place on that course and for that date of entry. You can only change an unconditional offer with the applicant's full agreement".
  8. Providers should clearly articulate their policy on this issue, communicate this to applicants and make it transparent on their websites.

UCAS/GTTR will provide an update on issues relating to teacher training applications and decision making in the near future.

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Created: November 2010