The allocations alpha explored potential changes to the previous allocations process.
We prototyped and tested features to:
- provide a clear understanding of the changes to the recruitment cycle
- grant permission to recruit for uncapped courses as part of the add courses/rollover journey on Publish teacher training courses (Publish)
- enable accredited providers to request and receive allocations for capped courses on Publish
- request undergraduate and early years initial teacher training course places
Proposed allocations process map
User needs
Need PN004
As an ITT provider
I want to understand the new allocations process so that I can request allocations and receive permission to recruit trainees for the upcoming recruitment cycle
Need PN005
As an ITT provider
I want to receive permission to recruit in uncapped courses so that I can recruit to uncapped courses and access any DfE funding associated with these courses
Need PN006
As an ITT provider
I want to receive permission to recruit and allocations for capped courses so I know how many trainees I can recruit to these courses and access any DfE funding associated with these courses
Who we tested with
- Bishop’s Stortford Educational Trust (Training Director)
- Brunel University London (Acting College Education Manager)
- Chipping Hill Essex (Headteacher)
- City College Norwich (Teaching Centre Director)
- Kings College London
- Leeds Beckett University (Head of Subject: Teacher Education)
- Middlesex University (Head of ITT, Data Officer)
- Newman University, Birmingham (Head of Registry)
- President Kennedy School (Teaching School Manager)
- SAF ITT - Sharnbrook Academy Federation
- UCL, University College London (ITE Administrator, Programme Services Coordinator)
- University College London (Data and Compliance Coordinator)
- University of Bristol (PGCE Director)
- University of Cambridge (Head of PGCE and Undergraduate Office)
- University of East Anglia (School Manager)
What we tested
Rollover screen
An additional screen to be included during the rollover process to share guidance about permission to recruit trainees.
Feeback
This page were generally deemed to be clear and succinct.
Requesting EYITT and undergraduate courses
Google forms will be used to collect requests for EYITT and undergraduate courses as the number of ITT providers offering these courses is low and these courses are outside the scope of ublish teacher training courses.
Links to these forms will be sent to accredited bodies via email.
Google form - Request undergraduate courses for 2021/22
Google form - Request EYITT courses for 2021/22
Feeback
One user noted that accessing a Google form would be problematic due to their school IT systems restricting access to Google tools.
Some users were unclear on whether the number of places requested should be a ‘realistic number’ or a maximum number?
Users would prefer to be able to submit requests for all undergraduate courses courses in one go, rather than one google form per subject.
Request PE courses
Accredited bodies will have the ability to request courses on behalf of organisations they accredit from within Publish.
If the organisation is currently offering PE, we need to know if they intended to offer PE again in the following cycle.
If the request is for an organisation running PE for the first time or had previously offered PE before the current cycle, we need to know how many places the organisation is requesting.
Feeback
Users liked the brevity and simplicity of this journey, and the clarity of the confirmation pages.
A number of users assumed that Lead schools and HEIs would see different views of these pages with different terminology accordingly.
Some were confused by who is actually doing the requesting, noting that the only people who can request places are lead schools and accredited bodies.
Users liked not having to provide a numerical range in their request yet many thought was likely to cause people to inflate numbers (as has happened anecdotally in the past).
Users mentioned that a reminder of previous years’ allocations might be helpful. We addressed this by including them on confirmation screens which was seen as logical by participants.
What we learned in Alpha
Integrating allocations into Publish makes sense to users.
The revised process was well received by users, it is much clearer and simpler, and less onerous than last cycle.
There is concern amongst some users about the removal of submitting numbers for capped and uncapped courses, users wanted to understand why. Having been asked for numbers by DfE in previous years, many users appeared thrown by not being required to submit them.
Terminology continues to confuse many users: for example, ‘accredited body’, ‘training provider’, ‘partnership’, and ‘lead school’ are often misconstrued.
Providers want to retain control and oversight of partner schools’ allocations, and some users were unclear on who was actually doing the requesting.
Users noted that staff with responsibility for allocations are often not those who typically use Publish, which more commonly sits with the admissions or marketing teams.
The internal ownership of Publish varies by organisation: so the proposed new allocations process may necessitate internal changes by providers.
User feedback
I’m glad you removed the forecast because that was madness and inflated the expected replenishment of teachers - they were false numbers. This is much more ‘real-world’.
I’m feeling anxious about the lack of numbers…
But I’m still slightly confused about having to supply recruitment figures for one [new PE courses] and not the other [existing PE courses]
I do not have to complete spreadsheets… Hurrah!
Overall, this is a huge step forward, it just needs a bit of work on getting the terminology right
I know what I’m doing here and am in control of it.
Screenshots#
- Recruiting for the next cycle
- Publish teacher training courses
- Request PE courses
- Do you want to request PE for this organisation
- Intends to offer fee-funded PE
- Not offering fee-funded PE
- Who are you requesting a course for
- How many places would you like to request
- Check your information
- New organisation added
Recruiting for the next cycle#
Publish teacher training courses#
Request PE courses#
Do you want to request PE for this organisation#
Intends to offer fee-funded PE#
Not offering fee-funded PE#
Who are you requesting a course for#
How many places would you like to request#
Check your information#
New organisation added#
