Faced with a growing shortage of teachers, local councils across the country are being encouraged by the Government to develop innovative schemes to combat the schools' recruitment crisis.
A range of programmes has been devised to attract people from other walks of life into education, with bonuses for graduates switching professions and grants for postgraduate training. However, authorities like the London borough of Newham have set up programmes focusing on existing school staff by enabling teaching assistants, with few academic qualifications but plenty of experience of life at the chalkface, to train as teachers.
Another pioneering body, Lancashire County Council, has won national recognition for its Graduate and Registered Teacher Programme, empowering nursery nurses and classroom assistants to undergo teacher training without giving up their jobs. The county does not actually suffer from a shortage of teachers, but the council runs the scheme so it can capitalise on the expertise and experience of dedicated classroom support staff.
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