GovWire

As a teacher training provider you should ensure that candidates are treated fairly.

This includes giving them information they need and the best chance of succeeding in their future applications if you do not offer them a place.

This guidance shows you how to do this. You should also ensure you comply with the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) criteria.

Give candidates relevant course information

When publishing course information, include your training locations and contact details. Keep these up to date.

When a course is full, make this clear to prevent candidates from applying.

If candidates apply to a course that becomes full, let them know as soon as you can. Suggest alternative courses or providers for them to consider.

Use a candidates references to check that its safe for them to work with children

When they apply, a candidate will give details of people who can give references for them.

You should only contact these people after the candidate has accepted an offer. Use the candidates references to check that its safe for them to work with children.

Make a decision about each application by its deadline

You normally have 40 working days to make decisions about applications. However, deadlines vary throughout the recruitment cycle.

You should meet the deadlines, as they cannot be extended. Carry out interviews before the deadlines so that you can make decisions in time.

If you do not make a decision in time, the candidate will be informed that their application to your course cannot progress and advised to consider other courses. You should do everything you can to avoid this.

Give candidates time to respond to your offers

Candidates can wait until 10 working days after theyve received decisions on all their applications before accepting or declining any offers.

Do not ask candidates or encourage them in any way to respond sooner than they have to. They should choose the right course for them.

Give candidates detailed and constructive feedback

If you reject an application, tell the candidate why. Be clear about how they can improve their application.

Give detailed feedback even if you reject an application because your course is full.

Set relevant offer conditions and deadlines to meet them

When you set conditions, give candidates a deadline to meet them. Give all candidates the same amount of time to meet the same conditions.

Succeeding at an interview should not be an offer condition. Interviews must take place before an offer is made.

Make sure you have places for deferred offers

When deferring offers, ensure you have places for candidates the following year.

Check accessibility needs

Check whether candidates have said they have any accessibility needs, so that you can make any reasonable adjustments.

Publish your complaints procedure

You should make it easy for candidates to make a complaint. Give details of your complaints procedure on your website.