Data Collection
The initial teacher training (ITT) census is collected annually and counts trainees registered on a course on the second Wednesday in October. For 2022/23 this was Wednesday 12 October 2022.
This statistical release presents detailed provisional data for 2022/23 and revised data for 2021/22.
For 2022/23 we received data from 226 providers in England comprising 155 School Centred ITTs and 71 HEIs. The final data was extracted on 14th November 2021.
This year the ITT Census publication was produced using data extracted from the Register Trainee Teachers service for the first time. This is a move from the previous data source, DTTP (Database of Teacher Training Providers) but still includes data collected in the HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency) ITT collection. To improve data quality, small changes have been made to some variables and the removal of variables which were no longer essential. We have endeavoured to ensure the impact of the changes is as minimal as possible, but as with any change in data source, comparisons between 2021/22 revised and previous years should be treated with some caution.
Quality assurance
Data for the ITT census were completed, reviewed and signed-off by providers. The data collection and publication team within DfE carried out additional quality checks and data validations throughout the data entry process. After the data was extracted, the production team undertook a further quality assurance process to recode and correct some of the data.
This quality assurance process identified a small number of issues. These, along with the solutions that have been implemented, are outlined below:
All data
- A large number of duplicate trainees were identified and removed during the quality assurance process. Data were then validated and signed-off by the production team.
- One provider has submitted data which appears inconsistent with previous years. Further checks are being undertaken to verify the data and revised data will be released if there are found to be issues.
2021/22 revised data:
- In the previous data source, DTTP, data was collected on whether a trainee had a place allocated. This was used along with other data, to identify and remove self-funded trainees. Data on allocated places is no longer collected in Register. However, to maintain consistency in approach between the provisional and revised 2021/22 data methodologies, the data collected previously via DDTP on allocated places has continued to be used to determine self-funded trainees in 2021/22. Data for 2022/23 is based on Register data only and does not therefore use information on allocated places in identifying self-funded trainees.
- This year there have been larger revisions than usual to trainee numbers. This is likely due in part to the change in data source. Where large differences existed, these were investigated and verified by the publication team.
- Where a trainee was marked as deferred but had a QTS award date in Register, the trainee state was verified against the award status in the Database for Qualified Teachers to ensure trainees were not incorrectly excluded due to referrals.
2022/23 provisional data:
- Due to a technical issue with the mapping of disability information into Register, disability data for 2022/23 includes a significantly larger proportion of unknowns than past years. As the issue is impacting some disability categories more than others, the decision has been made to publish this data once the issue has been fixed. Disability data is therefore currently unavailable for 2022/23 but available for all other years.
Characteristic breakdowns (i.e. sex, nationality, ethnicity, and degree class) for biology, chemistry and physics trainees was not available for one provider. Therefore, there will be a greater number of trainees in these subjects with unknown characteristics. This information will be available upon revision of the data.
Teacher Workforce Model (TWM)
For entrants starting in 2021/22, the department’s annual postgraduate ITT targets (PGITT) have been chosen, for the first time, using analysis from the newly developed Teacher Workforce Model (TWM). The TWM replaces the previously used Teacher Supply Model (TSM). The TWM considers both recruitment and retention alongside estimates of teacher demand. For more information please see the latest publication here.