The Commission Vision
Does teaching need a Commission?
This is the question the Commissioners asked first. In answering this question Commissioners examined the research on the current state of the teaching profession and found that from early career professionals through to leadership there are many systemic problems which beset the profession. Some of these problems come from government policies. But Commissioners found that too many are caused by school cultures which fail to nurture teacher expertise, support teacher experience and treat teachers as valued professional people.
This is an issue which affects every stage of teachers’ journeys throughout the profession.
So the Commission established a vision for the teaching profession.
The Commission’s vision
- Every lesson in every school is taught by a suitably qualified specialist teacher whose knowledge and skills are supported and developed throughout their career.
- Every school leader is supported to build professionally empowering school cultures where staff and pupils thrive.
The teaching workforce is transformed so that teachers are:
- valued by society
- motivated by the demands of their roles and enthusiastic about their working lives
- fulfilled in their work, able to use their professional agency and to contribute creatively
- supported by their school on their professional journey
- reflecting the diversity of the pupils they teach
- enjoying good working conditions, and pay, that support their work and their professionalism
- choosing in far greater numbers to remain in teaching as a worthwhile, enriching and rewarding career
Schools, school employers and groups of schools are persistently focused on establishing, sustaining and developing school cultures and workplace conditions in which teachers and leaders thrive, with:
- a sense of belonging, community and relationships, based on trust, that promote professional agency and resilience
- support, mentoring and development opportunities provided by expert leaders
- access to worthwhile professional learning throughout their careers
- meaningful teacher voice in institutional decision-making
- integrated approaches to pupil behaviour, lesson design and pupil attendance which enable better experiences of school for pupils and greater job satisfaction for teachers.
Having a vision is one thing. Realising it is another, far more challenging task. The pages on this website contain the Commission’s analysis and recommendations to realise its vision. The analysis and recommendations are written for time poor, intellectually curious fellow professionals.
We want to hear from you too. If you have comments on the analysis underpinning the recommendations, on the recommendations themselves, or recommendations of your own, we want to hear from you. Please go to the comments, questions and responses page (link).
