The Education (Induction Arrangements for School Teachers) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2004

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Education (Induction Arrangements for School Teachers) (Wales) Regulations 2003 (the 2003 Regulations).

Regulations 3 and 4 update the definitions in regulation 2 of the 2003 Regulations and amend regulation 6 of the 2003 Regulations so as to refer to the relevant provisions of the Education Act 2002 (the 2002 Act).

Regulation 5 amends regulation 8 of the 2003 Regulations so as to provide that periods of employment that count towards an induction period can consist of two consecutive half terms as well as complete terms. It also enables, either before the start of the period or within two weeks of its start, head teachers to agree that periods of employment as supply teachers may count towards an induction period.

Regulation 6 amends regulation 9 of the 2003 Regulations so as to enable persons who are absent by reason of ordinary adoption leave, parental leave or paternity leave (in addition to maternity leave) to choose to extend an induction period.

Regulation 7 amends regulation 18 of the 2003 Regulations so as to provide that the appropriate body can authorise persons who have already worked during a period of a year and a term as supply teachers to be so employed for a further twelve months. Absences by reason of maternity leave, ordinary adoption leave, parental leave or paternity leave are to be disregarded in calculating those twelve months.

Regulation 8 amends Schedule 1 to the 2003 Regulations so as to —

• provide that the limit of one year and one term during which persons can be employed as supply teachers without being required to serve an induction period begins from the time those persons are first employed as supply teachers at a relevant school and that in calculating that period any absence by reason of maternity leave, ordinary adoption leave, parental leave or paternity leave is to be disregarded;

• enable persons who are authorised under the new regulation 18(2) of the 2003 Regulations to be employed without being required to serve an induction period;

• enable persons who are serving an induction period as part-time teachers also to do supply teaching even though they have already worked as supply teachers for one year and one term;

• substitute the reference to unqualified teachers with a reference to school teachers within the meaning of section 122(5) of the 2002 Act;

• add a reference to the Swiss Agreement which enables teachers qualified in Switzerland to be exempt from the requirement to serve an induction period, in the same way as EEA nationals;

• add as a new category of persons who are exempt from the requirement to serve an induction period teachers who qualified overseas, have two years' teaching experience, are qualified teachers in Wales by virtue of the graduate teacher programme and who have been assessed as meeting the induction standards.