In her Review of Vocational Education, Professor Alison Wolf found that the quality of vocational education was suffering in some schools because it was often delivered in the absence of qualified professionals who could teach it. Professor Wolf recommended that the Department clarifies and evaluates the rules relating to the teaching of vocational content by qualified professionals who are not qualified teachers.
In response to Professor Alison Wolf’s recommendation, Ministers agreed, on 18 January 2012, to remove the current restrictions that permit maintained schools only to appoint instructors for the period during which a qualified or trainee teacher is unavailable.
An online consultation was available between 26 March and 18 May 2012, seeking views on proposed changes to the Education (Specified Work) (England) Regulations 2012, which sets out the conditions to be satisfied by those without qualified teacher status who want to teach in England.
The results of the public consultation findings are available to download from this page.
Revised regulations came into force on 1 September 2012. This amendment will give schools greater freedom to appoint industry experts, who are not qualified teachers, to work as instructors teaching and supporting the teaching of appropriate vocational courses.
