Posts
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Highlighting fees for international candidates on apply
Giving international candidates better visibility of what fees they would need to pay for the courses they are applying for.
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Identifying and prioritising problems and riskiest assumptions for 2024
In December 2023, the team reviewed the service, and defined the direction for design work in 2024.
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Enhancing the user experience and interface for application pages
We have revamped and refined the application interface, making it more user-friendly and efficient
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Improving the visa and immigration status question
We removed a confusing free text box and replaced it with a list of defined radio options.
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Improving the designs when a candidate submits an application
We added a page to help candidates review their application before submitting it and improved the content around submitting an application.
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Giving applicants the best chance of success
We designed a new pattern that encourages candidates improve their personal statement just before they submit their application
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Grouping and ordering applications for candidates
We included headings in between the list of applications a candidate sees when they start applying for teacher training.
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Helping users navigate between their task list and submitting applications
We designed and added extra navigation links and buttons to help candidates navigate between their task list and submitting applications.
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Helping candidates understand why they cannot submit an application
There are some scenarios where we need to stop candidates from submitting applications, we developed content to help them understand what they need to do to submit their applications.
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Helping candidates prepare for the 2023 to 2024 recruitment cycle
During August and September 2023, we planned a series of email communications to candidates to help them prepare for the 2023 to 2024 recruitment cycle for initial teacher training (ITT).
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Making changes to email notifications for candidates
As part of our work to change the applications process for the 2023 to 2024 recruitment cycle, we reviewed all the email notifications we send from Apply
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Stopping candidates from applying for courses that do not sponsor visas
We designed a pattern to stop international candidates applying for courses that cannot sponsor visas.
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Making the right to work or study and immigration questions clearer
We improved the right to work or study questions in ‘Personal details’ to make them easier to understand
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Explaining to candidates when they can start applying to courses
We made the content clearer to help candidates understand when they can start applying for courses in the new recruitment cycle.
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Improving the content when a candidate selects a course from Find
We improved the content a candidate sees when selecting a course from Find postgraduate teacher training by making sure it follows GOV.UK Design System patterns and the GOV.UK style guidelines.
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Changing how we ask candidates about what location they are applying to
We changed the content on the question asking candidates what location they are applying to when they choose a training provider and course.
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Testing new designs for the personal statement
As part of our work to change the application process, we tested 2 designs for how candidates would write their personal statement in the new recruitment cycle.
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Allowing candidates to edit their application form after they’ve submitted it
As part of our work to change the application process, we designed a way for candidates to edit parts of their application form after they’ve submitted it.
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When Francis felt frustrated
We developed a story about subject knowledge enhancement courses. The purpose of the story is to show how we can empathise with users by capturing their pain points in an engaging way.
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Improving the content in the ‘Interview needs’ section
We improved the content on the question where we ask candidates about their interview availablity
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Exploring ways to integrate multiple services in the becoming a teacher journey
We sketched some ideas for ways that the different services involved in becoming a teacher could be more joined-up.
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Moving the equality and diversity survey
We moved the equality and diversity survey to a new section on the application form.
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Changing the way candidates choose courses
We changed the way candidates can apply to courses by moving the flow to a different section of the service.
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Adding a navigation bar
Why we added a new navigation bar to the candidate interface
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Changing the application process for candidates
We designed a new way for candidates to fill out and submit their applications for teacher training to give them more flexibility to manage their applications.
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Changing how we ask candidates why they withdrew an application
Why we changed how we ask candidate why they withdrew their application from an open question to a list of options.
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Merging the personal statement
We merged the two personal statement sections into one and improved the guidance around what we say to candidates to help them write a good personal statement
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Telling candidates they need to do a subject knowledge enhancement course
How we designed a way to tell candidates they have a subject knowledge enhancement course as a condition of their offer.
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Asking if rejection feedback is helpful
How we are experimenting with measuring the usefulness of rejection feedback.
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Asking candidates if they received free school meals
How we are trying to assess the impact of the social-economic background of candidates on their chances of success.
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Changing how we ask about disabilities and health conditions
Why we no longer ask people if they are disabled, and instead show everyone a list of disabilities and health conditions.
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Changing how we ask people for a reference
Why we now ask people to give a factual reference instead describing how the candidate would make a good teacher.
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Letting candidates deal with reference requests after accepting an offer
Candidates can check the status of requests, send reminders, request more references and cancel requests.
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Asking candidates to confirm who reference requests should be sent to
When candidates accept an offer, they also now have to confirm who should receive reference requests.
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Asking candidates for reference details when they apply
We changed the application process because candidates no longer need to receive 2 references before they apply.
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Requesting references after offers have been accepted
Candidates no longer need to get references before they can submit applications. They just need to give details of people who can give references.
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Updating the emails sent when users create an account or sign in
We’ve changed the account creation and sign in emails, to make it easier for users to understand the processes.
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Improving the email sent to candidates about new interviews
We now include the course subject and code. We also show details separately rather than in a single section.
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Helping providers assess a candidate’s fee status
We designed nationality and residency questions to help providers assess fee status.
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Showing fee and salary information in offer details
We’ve added fee and salary information to help make sure candidates see it before making decisions about offers.
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Supporting foundation degrees
How we have improved support for foundation degrees
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Degree autocomplete changes
Why we made changes to the autocomplete
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Changing the order of the initial degree questions
Why we changed the order of questions to improve usability
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Simplifying the sign up page
Why we removed a lot of text and a checkbox
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Apply again to 3 courses
We changed our policy so that candidates can apply to 3 courses when applying again.
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Updating the referee flow
Why we made made changes to the reference flow
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Degree grade requirement warning message
Warning candidates when they do not meet the degree grade requirement.
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Content improvements for international candidates
Examples of how to enter international grades, explaining the difference between GCSE English and English as a foreign language qualifications.
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Updating the 'Choose your courses' flow for the new cycle
Removing the ‘Choose a course first’ and ‘Choose your courses’ pages.
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Moving the personal details section to the top
Encouraging candidates to add their personal details before they choose courses.