Reassessing Variability of Induction for Newly Qualified Teachers: statutory policy and schools' provision

Abstract

Since September 1999, all newly qualified teachers (NQTs) in England who wish to teach in the maintained sector have to complete an induction period. In the light of the introduction of this statutory policy, this article critically re-examines a central, long-standing perceived failure of previous induction policies, namely the variability of provision between and within schools. It draws upon an analysis of the government's induction circulars [Department for Education and Employment (DfEE), 1999, 2000; Department for Education and Skills (DfES), 2001] and uses empirical data from a larger DfES-funded project to evaluate the implementation of the policy. We argue that, for the majority of schools, induction provision has become less variable and more coherent due to the introduction of statutory induction. However, there remains a significant minority of NQTs whose reported experience does not reflect this. An attempt is made to map out the distinctive settings and circumstances where specific aspects of statutory induction are not consistently received by NQTs.