DFE Circular 14/93 (1993)

This circular set out new criteria and procedures in England and Wales for the accreditation of courses of initial teacher training for those intending to teach in primary schools.

See also Circular 9/92 (1992) Initial Teacher Training (Secondary Phase)

The text of DFE Circular 14/93 was prepared by Derek Gillard and uploaded on 28 January 2026.

Department for Education
London: 1993
© Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland.

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Circular number 14/93 The Initial Training of Primary School Teachers: New Criteria for Courses Summary of contents The Circular sets out new criteria which all courses of initial training for primary teachers must meet. It replaces DES Circular 24/89, which is now withdrawn. The criteria set out the knowledge and skills needed by newly qualified teachers, and require students to spend a significant proportion of their time in schools. Courses run by universities and colleges must be planned and delivered in partnership with schools. New primary training courses introduced from September 1994 must meet the new criteria; all primary courses should be revised to meet them by September 1996. The Circular sets the new criteria in the context of the government's policies for primary education and teacher training. It supports the case for new course models to offer a variety of routes into teaching, including a six-subject, three year BEd to prepare primary teachers to work across the curriculum. It encourages the use of the accreditation of prior learning to widen access to teaching; and proposes consultation on new courses to prepare classroom assistants to support the teaching and learning of basic skills. The Circular is accompanied by guidance prepared by the Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. All enquiries about this Circular should be sent to: Mr G Hughes Teachers Branch Sanctuary Buildings Great Smith Street London SW1P 3BT Tel: 071-925-6016 Fax:071-925-6073 NOTE This guidance does not constitute an authoritative legal interpretation of the provisions of the Education Acts or other enactments and regulations; that is exclusively a matter for the Courts.

Subject area: Primary initial teacher training (ITT) Date of issue: 23 November 1993 Expiry date: - Related documents: Circular 9/92 (Initial Teacher Training (Secondary Phase)) Superseded documents: DES Circular 24/89: (Initial Teacher Training: Approval of Courses). Audience: Primary and Nursery Schools (Maintained and Independent) LEAs and Local Authority Associations Teacher Associations Institutions offering courses of Initial Teacher Training Teacher Education Organisations CATE Ofsted SCAA Higher Education Funding Council - England CVCP and SCOP Religious Bodies Business Organisations Parliament and Political Parties Government Departments and Non-Departmental Public Bodies Other organisations interested in primary education and the training of primary school teachers

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Contents

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1 INTRODUCTION

1 Primary education has been the subject of important reforms in recent years. The introduction of the National Curriculum has required teachers to focus their efforts on developing pupils' knowledge and understanding of the core and other foundation subjects. The debate on primary education initiated by the Alexander, Rose and Woodhead Report and carried forward by reports from OFSTED and the National Curriculum Council has also drawn attention to the need for teachers to be confident in the subject knowledge needed for primary teaching; able to use and choose among a range of teaching methods; and competent in testing and assessing pupils' progress (1). The benefits of timetabled subject teaching in Key Stage 2 are increasingly recognised.

2 This Circular sets out the Secretary of State's proposals to reform the initial training of primary teachers, in order to take forward and build on these reforms. It proposes:

• strict new criteria which all training courses must meet, focusing on the subject knowledge and teaching skills new teachers require to be effective in the classroom;
• a greater role for schools, which are best placed to help student teachers develop and apply practical teaching skills;
• a continuing need for study in higher education institutions of the subject knowledge necessary for sound teaching of the primary curriculum;
• a greater diversity of courses, including in particular
  • a new three year, six subject BEd to prepare teachers for work across the primary curriculum;
  • courses preparing teachers for work as subject specialists at Key Stage 2.

3 The Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (CATE) has produced a Note of Guidance to accompany this Circular.

(1) Alexander RJ., Rose AJ., Woodhead C. Curriculum Organisation and Classroom Practice In Primary Schools: A discussion paper (1992)
OFSTED Curriculum Organisation and Classroom Practice In Primary Schools: A follow up report (1993)
NCC The National Curriculum at Key Stages 1 and 2 (1993)

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2 Contents and Contacts

4 The Circular

(a) explains the nature and purpose of the Secretary of State's criteria for the approval of courses of training for intending primary school teachers, in the context of his policies for the improvement of teacher training and of primary education - paragraphs 8 to 16;

(b) sets out revised criteria with which the Secretary of State expects all such courses to comply by 1 September 1996, together with a brief commentary on these - Annex A and paragraphs 17 to 24;

(c) stresses the need for a range of high quality and cost effective routes into primary teaching, and proposes new course models to meet this aim - paragraphs 25 to 33; and

(d) gives an initial indication of practical ways of achieving effective partnership between higher education institutions and primary schools - paragraphs 34 to 40.

6 Circular 9/92 also proposed new procedures for accrediting higher education institutions. They will not now be implemented. In September 1993 the Secretary of State published new proposals for the future funding of ITT courses, and also sought views on two alternative approaches to ensuring that all courses meet the Secretary of State's criteria. The Secretary of State will shortly announce firm proposals for a new approach; he has made it clear that under any new arrangements the Secretary of State would continue to publish criteria for ITT courses and to confer Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

7 Enquiries about this Circular should be addressed to Mr G Hughes, Teachers Branch, Department for Education, Sanctuary Buildings, Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BT, or by telephone on 071-925 6016. Further copies of this Circular, and of CATE's Note of Guidance, can be obtained from the DFE Publications Centre at the above address.

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3 Purpose Of Criteria And Policy Context

Purpose

8 In order to teach in a maintained school, teachers are normally required to have QTS. This is usually obtained by successfully completing a course of training which meets the Secretary of State's criteria (2).

9 To guide those planning courses intended to lead to QTS, the Secretary of State publishes criteria for judging whether courses offer a suitable preparation for teachers, in the context of the Government's policy objectives for schools. All courses of training, whether managed by higher education institutions in partnership with schools, or by schools themselves under the recently announced school-centred scheme, will be expected to meet the Secretary of State's criteria.

Policy context: initial teacher training

10 The Government aims to improve the quality and relevance of ITT as a whole, so that all newly qualified teachers can contribute to raising standards in schools. The general principles which underpin all its ITT reforms are that:

a. schools should play a much larger and more influential role in course design and delivery, in partnership as appropriate with higher education institutions;

b. the focus of ITT should be on the subject knowledge and practical skills required by newly qualified teachers, which equip them to teach effectively and are the foundation for further professional development;

c. there should be a variety of high quality routes to QTS, reflecting the different backgrounds and qualifications of candidates and responding to the increasingly diverse needs of schools.

11 Ofsted and the National Curriculum Council reported in January 1993 on the implications for curriculum organisation and classroom practice in primary schools of the introduction of the National Curriculum, as well as the wider question of primary teaching methods. Their reports, which were commissioned following the publication of the Alexander, Rose and Woodhead report, were sent to all schools and institutions offering teacher training. The Secretary of State has also received advice on primary teacher training from CATE.

(2) The statutory requirements which underpin these arrangements are Section 218 of the Education Reform Act 1988 and the Education (Teachers) Regulations 1993.

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12 The Secretary of State has concluded that the main priorities for primary ITT should be:

• improving teachers' knowledge of subjects relevant to the curriculum in primary schools;
• giving particular attention to knowledge of and skills in teaching the core subjects of English, mathematics and science;
• emphasising within the core subjects the teaching of the basic skills of reading and arithmetic;
• improving training in testing and assessment, and the recording and reporting of pupils' progress, based on closer familiarity with National Curriculum requirements;
• equipping teachers to use a range of teaching methods and organise their classrooms in a variety of ways, so that they can offer whole-class teaching, as well as individual and group work, in order to respond effectively to the different needs of their pupils;
• ensuring all teachers are able to maintain order and discipline in their classrooms.

14 Traditionally, primary teachers in most schools have taught a single class across the full range of the primary curriculum. To meet the requirements of the National Curriculum, and the need for more systematic coverage of all subjects in all classes, many schools now find it helpful to identify 'coordinators' with strengths in particular subjects who can assist and help to train other staff. A growing number are deploying 'specialist' teachers who teach their own subject to a number of different classes. The Secretary of State welcomes and wishes to encourage the use of specialist teaching in primary schools, particularly at Key Stage 2. Lessons from specialists offer pupils a high standard of subject teaching. The Secretary of State believes that every opportunity should be taken to Introduce timetabled subject teaching from teachers with specific subject strengths, before pupils move on to secondary school.

15 It is expected that for the time being most courses will continue to prepare students to teach the full primary curriculum. However, more courses may be developed to cover parts of the primary curriculum in greater depth. The Secretary of State welcomes such fresh approaches to teacher preparation. The new criteria do not therefore require all courses to cover all subjects of the primary curriculum; they do require all students to study the core subjects for a minimum period.

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Continuous professional development

16 The Secretary of State recognises that it will be important for employers of newly qualified teachers to know what subjects were covered in their training, and in what depth. He expects those offering courses to provide profiles of newly qualified teachers' competences which will be useful for intending employers and will form a basis for further professional development through induction and in-service training. He considers that guidance on a non-prescriptive framework would help providers of training as well as schools and teachers by establishing, after consultation, a common standard for these documents. He has therefore asked the Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education to advise him on the preparation of guidance on profiles of competence for teachers.

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4 REVISED PRIMARY CRITERIA

17 The revised criteria are set out in full in Annex A. As with the revision of the secondary criteria, the Secretary of State intends to allow time for courses to be designed or revised to meet the new requirements. It is intended that all relevant courses will be revised by September 1996. The criteria in Annex A will apply to all new courses beginning from September 1994.

18 The following key features of the criteria relate to the policy objectives set out above.

(a) Time to be spent in school and school involvement

19 The minimum time to be spent in schools will increase from 20 to 32 weeks in 4-year, and from 15 to 24 weeks in 3-year BEd and equivalent courses; and from 15 to 18 weeks in primary postgraduate, and 2-year BEd and equivalent courses. Time in schools is particularly valuable for the acquisition of practical teaching skills, and allows students to apply their subject knowledge in the classroom. But the increased time spent in schools should not simply be an extension of traditional classroom experience; it forms an integral part of the course and may contribute in a variety of ways to the objectives of training. Courses should be planned in partnership among the schools and (as appropriate) the higher education institutions Involved (see paragraphs 34 to 40 below).

20 Groups of schools which wish to take the lead in designing and running their own courses of training are now able to apply for direct funding for this purpose. The Secretary of State announced a pioneering scheme of school-centred training in March 1993, under which the first students started their courses in September 1993. The Secretary of State expects the number of school-centred courses to increase steadily. Schools interested in knowing more about the scheme can obtain further details from Mr S Thrower on 071 925 6008 at the DFE address in paragraph 7.

(b) Competences

21 Professional competences are at the heart of the criteria - they define the subject knowledge, teaching skills and personal qualities which all newly qualified primary teachers will be expected to have developed. Students may achieve different levels of competence in teaching particular subjects, depending on the length and nature of their course and the number of subjects studied. But all will need to develop the practical teaching competences set out in the criteria.

(c) Time to be spent on core subjects

22 As noted at paragraph 15 above, it is to be expected that most primary courses will cover every subject of the primary curriculum. In order to ensure that students have a sound knowledge of the core subjects of the National Curriculum, the new criteria require courses to include a minimum of 150 hours of 'directed time' for the teaching of each of English, mathematics and science. Within this, at least 50 hours are to be devoted to the teaching of reading and at least 50 to the teaching of arithmetic. For a definition of 'directed time' see paragraph 28 below.

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(d) Entry requirements

23 All newly qualified primary teachers have been required since 1984 to have attained a standard in English and mathematics equivalent to GCSE at grade C or above. All those born on or after 1 September 1979 who enter primary ITT courses after 1 September 1998 will also be expected to have attained a standard equivalent to GCSE grade C or above in a science subject or In combined science. The science requirement will not apply to secondary ITT, as secondary teachers teach across a narrower range of subjects.

24 Those born after 1979 will usually have followed the National Curriculum in science during their secondary school careers. Higher education institutions and schools may wish to offer special tests to those who do not possess a GCSE or recognised equivalent qualification at the appropriate level; for example, those who have been educated overseas. It would be unreasonable to impose the same requirement on older students, but the Government is discussing with relevant bodies the development of Access courses giving the same level of attainment in science for mature candidates intending to train as primary teachers.

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5 POSSIBLE COURSE MODELS

(a) The BEd Degree

(i) The six-subject BEd

a. time for curriculum and subject studies shared wholly or mainly among 6 subjects, which should include the core subjects of the National Curriculum;

b. curriculum and subject studies time mainly devoted to one or two specialist subjects.

(ii) Course length

28 The Secretary of State does not Intend to make detailed requirements about course content or structure. However, CATE has suggested that those designing courses might find it helpful to use the concept of 'directed time'. This term is defined as the time which a student spends in lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops; in class, group or individual teaching; or receiving other professional training, experience and guidance. 'Directed time' may therefore be spent in schools and in higher education institutions. It does not include students' private study time.

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(b) Postgraduate courses

29 The Secretary of State has considered CATE's advice that full-time primary postgraduate courses, which are normally 36 weeks in length, do not allow sufficient time for students to be adequately trained to teach all the subjects of the primary curriculum in primary schools. He has concluded that an increase in course length to 38 weeks will be necessary for courses intending to prepare students to teach all the subjects of the primary curriculum. Careful management of directed time in schools and higher education institutions, and a stronger contribution by schools to curriculum and subject studies, will also be required.

(c) Flexible course length and the accreditation of prior learning

30 The nature and length of all courses of initial teacher training need to reflect the knowledge and skills which students bring to them, as well as the essential standards required on completion. Mature entrants without conventional qualifications make up an increasing proportion of entrants to ITT courses. There are a number of courses designed to lead to a BEd in two years, for which entrants must have reached a standard equivalent to the satisfactory completion of one year of higher education. The Secretary of State would welcome the development of more such courses.

31 Matching mature students to courses of appropriate length and design will often depend on the accreditation of prior learning. Such arrangements are intended to assess the knowledge and skills developed through each individual's combination of formal education and experience. Such arrangements need to be clear and consistent. This is easiest to achieve where there is an agreed structure for defining and assessing relevant knowledge and skills; the Secretary of State hopes that higher education institutions will continue to develop approaches to the accreditation of prior learning designed to widen access to initial teacher training.

(d) Training for classroom assistants

32 Many primary schools use classroom assistants on a voluntary or paid basis. These men and women already add much to our schools. Depending on the relationship with the school and with the teacher concerned, and on any employment contract, assistants can and do perform a variety of tasks including preparing materials, working with small groups of children under supervision, and listening to children reading.

33 The National Curriculum and its associated assessment and testing arrangements have thrown into sharp relief the importance of teaching and learning basic skills. Therefore, the Secretary of State would like to see urgent further work done to provide courses specifically designed to prepare classroom assistants in primary schools, especially at Key Stage 1, to offer greater support in these areas. Such courses would be particularly aimed at mature people and those with previous experience of working in the classroom. They would provide a rigorous period of study of successful approaches to the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics and of the ways in which classroom assistants can contribute to the teaching and learning of basic skills in support of qualified teachers. The courses would be certificated. The successful completion of such courses and related experience in the classroom could also form part of the accreditation of prior learning of those assistants who wished subsequently to pursue a BEd qualification and so to acquire qualified teacher status. The Secretary of State will consult about the organisation and content of such courses, and will be ready to fund pilot projects in this field in academic year 1994-95.

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6 THE ROLE OF SCHOOLS

34 The principle that schools should assume greater responsibility for the planning and management of courses and the selection, training and assessment of students is as valid for primary training as for secondary. Better use needs to be made of the time students spend in schools, especially in developing the practical skills necessary for effective teaching. It is essential to draw on the knowledge and skills of experienced teachers.

35 The Government accepts that the issues involved in extending school-based training to primary schools are in some ways more complex than those for secondary schools. It believes, however, that all primary schools, both maintained and independent, should have an opportunity to contribute to ITT If they wish to do so. In so far as they wish to do this through involvement in a partnership funded by a higher education institution, they should make explicit to that institution their wish to be involved, and the institution must make clear its reasons if it does not accept a school's offer of partnership. Schools which take lead responsibility for training will have their own funds and will be free to negotiate any institutional involvement they wish to secure.

36 The nature and extent of schools' involvement will vary with local circumstances, according to factors such as school size, staffing, structure and location. Local networks of schools may be necessary to ensure that every student can experience a range of teaching approaches; and to ensure that the professional expertise and other resources available within the network and its area are used to best effect. Such arrangements will require careful planning and management.

37 The Secretary of State intends that the increased contribution of schools to teacher training courses offered by higher education institutions should be reflected in the transfer of resources from the institutions to their partner schools. The new extra costs to schools, over and above their existing commitment to teacher training, will vary according to the nature of existing arrangements, the type and length of the course, and the number of schools and students involved. Transfers should therefore be negotiated locally on the basis of clear statements of the new roles and responsibilities of schools.

38 The Secretary of State appreciates that it may be difficult for individual primary schools to negotiate effectively with institutions to ensure an adequate transfer of funds. He therefore intends that the transfer of funds from individual institutions to schools will be monitored and made public, as courses are adjusted to meet the requirements of this Circular. The range of figures which emerge will act as a basis for schools wishing to enter into new agreements or adjust existing ones, although the precise arrangements and their financial implications will vary.

39 Schools and higher education institutions entering into partnerships need to do so on the basis of mutual trust and willing cooperation. But the Secretary of State will look carefully at any evidence that individual schools have been treated arbitrarily or unreasonably and take action as necessary.

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40 The HEFCE are considering in the context of allocations to institutions for 1994-95 the case for transitional funding to help schools prepare for their increased role, and to allow higher education institutions to readjust to take account of their changed responsibilities.

SIR GEOFFREY HOLLAND KCB

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Annex A

CRITERIA FOR INITIAL TEACHER TRAINING (PRIMARY PHASE)

Contents

1 AIM OF INITIAL TEACHER TRAINING

2 COMPETENCES EXPECTED OF NEWLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS

Curriculum Content, Planning and Assessment

2.2 Whole Curriculum
2.3 Subject Knowledge and Application
2.4 Assessment and Recording of Pupils' Progress

4.3 General
4.4 Postgraduate Courses
4.5 First Degree Courses

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CRITERIA FOR INITIAL TEACHER TRAINING (PRIMARY PHASE)

All courses of training intended to prepare teachers for work in primary schools will be expected to meet these criteria. As with previous criteria, some requirements are specific to courses of a particular length or type.

1. AIM OF INITIAL TEACHER TRAINING

1.1 All newly qualified teachers entering maintained schools should have the necessary personal qualities for teaching children and should have achieved the levels of subject knowledge and understanding, and standards of professional competence, necessary to maintain and improve standards in schools.

1.2 No degree or other qualification leading to Qualified Teacher Status should be awarded unless the student has demonstrated in the classroom:

• the ability to teach effectively and to secure effective learning;
• the ability to maintain discipline and manage pupil behaviour.

2.1 Higher education institutions, schools and students should focus on the competences of teaching throughout the whole period of initial training. The progressive development of these competences should be monitored regularly during training. Their attainment at a level appropriate to newly qualified teachers should be the objective of every student taking a course of initial training.

Curriculum Content, Planning and Assessment

a. Whole Curriculum

2.2 Newly qualified teachers should be able to:

2.2.1 demonstrate understanding of the purposes, scope, structure and balance of the primary curriculum as a whole;

2.2.2 ensure continuity and progression within the work of their own class and with the classes to and from which their pupils transfer;

2.2.3 exploit, in all their teaching, opportunities to develop pupils' language, reading, numeracy, information handling and other skills.

b. Subject Knowledge and Application

2.3 Newly qualified teachers should be able to:

2.3.1 demonstrate knowledge and understanding or the subjects of the primary curriculum which they have studied, at a level which will support effective teaching of these subjects;

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2.3.2 use that knowledge and understanding to plan lessons, teach and assess pupils in the core subjects of the National Curriculum and those other subjects of the primary curriculum covered in their course; newly qualified teachers may need some guidance and support in some of these subjects.

2.4 Newly qualified teachers should be able to:

2.4.1 test, assess and record systematically the progress of individual pupils;

2.4.2 judge how well each pupil performs against appropriate criteria and standards by identifying individual pupils' attainment, with reference to relevant National Curriculum requirements;

2.4.3 use such testing and assessment in their planning and teaching;

2.4.4 provide oral and written feedback to pupils on the processes and outcomes of their learning;

2.4.5 prepare and present reports on pupils' progress to parents.

a. Pupils' Learning

2.5 Newly qualified teachers should be able to:

2.5.1 identify and respond appropriately to relevant individual differences between pupils;

2.5.2 show awareness of how pupils learn and of the various factors which affect the process;

2.5.3 set appropriate and demanding expectations of their pupils;

2.5.4 devise a variety and range of learning goals and tasks and monitor and assess them.

2.6 Newly qualified teachers should be able to:

2.6.1 establish clear expectations of pupil behaviour in the classroom and secure appropriate standards of discipline;

2.6.2 create and maintain a purposeful, orderly and supportive environment for their pupils' learning;

2.6.3 maintain pupils' interest and motivation;

2.6.4 present learning tasks and curriculum content in a clear and stimulating manner;

2.6.5 teach whole classes, groups and Individuals, and determine the most appropriate learning goals and classroom contexts for using these and other teaching strategies;

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2.6.6 use a range of teaching techniques, and judge when and how to deploy them;

2.6.7 employ varying forms of curriculum organisation, and monitor their effectiveness;

2.6.8 communicate clearly and effectively with pupils through questioning, instructing, explaining and feedback;

2.6.9 manage effectively and economically their own and their pupils' time;

2.6.10 make constructive use of information technology and other resources for learning;

2.6.11 train pupils in the individual and collaborative study skills necessary for effective learning.

2.7 Newly qualified teachers should have acquired in initial training the necessary foundation to develop:

2.7.1 a working knowledge of their contractual, legal, administrative and pastoral responsibilities as teachers;

2.7.2 effective working relationships with professional colleagues (including support staff) and parents;

2.7.3 the ability to recognise diversity of talent including that of gifted pupils;

2.7.4 the ability to identify and provide for special educational needs and specific learning difficulties;

2.7.5 the ability to evaluate pupils' learning, and recognise the effects on that learning of teachers' expectations and actions;

2.7.6 a readiness to promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils;

2.7.7 their professional knowledge, understanding and skill through further training and development;

2.7.8 vision, imagination and critical awareness in educating their pupils.

General

3.1.1 Primary phase courses should generally cover the age ranges 3-11 or 5-11 and within such courses there should be an emphasis either on the age range 3 or 5-8 or 7-11.

3.1.2 The content and structure of courses should be designed to develop students' knowledge and professional competences as set out in Section 2.

3.1.3 The content of courses should be at a level appropriate to higher education.

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3.1.4 Course plans should state how all the elements are to be integrated.

3.2.1 Primary phase courses should include a minimum of 150 hours of directed time to be spent on each of the core subjects of mathematics, English and science.

3.2.2 Within the 150 hours for mathematics, at least 50 hours of directed time should be devoted to training in the teaching of arithmetic and within the 150 hours for English at least 50 hours of directed time should be devoted to training in the teaching of reading.

3.3.2 The amount of time spent by students in schools during primary phase courses should be at least:

• 32 weeks in 4-year undergraduate courses;
• 24 weeks in 3-year undergraduate courses;
• 18 weeks in full-time postgraduate, part-time postgraduate and 2-year undergraduate courses;

Staffing

4.1 Institutions and schools should ensure that the roles and responsibilities of all the school and higher education staff concerned with courses of initial teacher training are specified clearly in course plans and should satisfy themselves that:

4.1.1 all such staff are fully aware of these responsibilities and can confidently undertake the training of students;

4.1.2 staff of higher education institutions concerned with subject application and educational and professional studies have relevant experience of teaching in schools, and maintain and develop that experience.

4.2 In the selection of students, schools and institutions should establish procedures to ensure that:

4.2.1 candidates possess personal and intellectual qualities suitable for teaching, and the physical and mental fitness to teach;

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4.2.2 all candidates admitted to a course have been seen at a personal or group interview.

i. General

4.3 Institutions and schools should satisfy themselves that:

4.3.1 all entrants are able to communicate clearly and grammatically in spoken and written standard English;

4.3.2 all entrants have attained in mathematics and English language the standard required to achieve a grade C in the GCSE examination;

4.3.3 from 1 September 1998 all new entrants to primary courses who were born on or after 1 September 1979 should have attained in a science subject or subjects the standard required to achieve a grade C in the GCSE examination.

In the case of postgraduate courses, higher education institutions and schools should satisfy themselves that:

4.4.1 entrants hold a degree of a United Kingdom university or the CNAA, or a recognised equivalent qualification;

4.4.2 the content of entrants' previous education provides the necessary foundation for work as a primary school teacher.

4.5.1 In the case of undergraduate courses, higher education institutions and schools should satisfy themselves that, subject to criteria 4.5.2 and 4.5.3, entrants fulfil the academic requirements for admission to first degree studies.

4.5.2 In the case of 2-year BEd courses, institutions should satisfy themselves, on the basis of entrants' qualifications or through the accreditation of prior experience and learning, that entrants have satisfactorily completed the equivalent of at least one year of higher education.

4.5.3 Institutions may admit to 3-year and 4-year undergraduate courses mature students who lack conventional entry qualifications for first degree studies, where they are satisfied as to the intellectual capacity of the student to complete a degree course successfully. Admission records should detail the grounds on which such students are admitted.