A leading government think-tank has said that poor teaching can be the difference between a pass and fail at GCSE level.
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said that having an 'excellent' teacher could increase student's marks by at least one grade, whereas a 'good' teacher could give a 0.6 of a grade boost.
The findings have just been published in an IPPR report called Those Who Can? It called for more rigorous training and selection of teachers. The report also highlights that only one-in-four teachers have regular monitoring of their classroom performance.
The report contrasted the English system of initial teacher training (ITT) with those of several overseas countries, where they recruit only the brightest of graduates to the profession. It also suggested that graduate ITT courses should be doubled in length to two years, using psychometric testing to assess candidates' suitability and introducing a nationally-set exam for applicants.
Other recommendations included 20 days of development training each year and that teachers should regularly observe the lessons of colleagues.
The IPPR estimate that it would cost £481 million to implement the report's recommendations in full.
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said that having an 'excellent' teacher could increase student's marks by at least one grade, whereas a 'good' teacher could give a 0.6 of a grade boost.
The findings have just been published in an IPPR report called Those Who Can? It called for more rigorous training and selection of teachers. The report also highlights that only one-in-four teachers have regular monitoring of their classroom performance.
The report contrasted the English system of initial teacher training (ITT) with those of several overseas countries, where they recruit only the brightest of graduates to the profession. It also suggested that graduate ITT courses should be doubled in length to two years, using psychometric testing to assess candidates' suitability and introducing a nationally-set exam for applicants.
Other recommendations included 20 days of development training each year and that teachers should regularly observe the lessons of colleagues.
The IPPR estimate that it would cost £481 million to implement the report's recommendations in full.
