Organisation links
Government Agencies | Languages | General Organisations & Resources
Government Agencies and related websites
Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF)
The government department responsible for education. The site provides links and information on the wide ranging responsibilities of the department for young people, teachers , parents, adult learners and employers.
DCSF Languages website
The DCSF website dedicated to language teaching and learning to encourage more people than ever before to learn a language. Information on The National Languages Strategy, Languages in Schools, Further, Higher Education and Adult learning are featured.
DCSF Research and Statistics Gateway
A searchable interface of all the publications, statistics and findings produced by the DCSF analytical services in addressing key questions to influence and inform government educational policy. This site also houses detail on the Department's research strategy, published, current and planned research.
DCSF Standards Research Informed Practice Site
This site aims to ensure that practice and policy are informed by good and up-to-date evidence. It offers a searchable, electronic resource built principally from digests of recent papers from research journals. It has been designed for busy education practitioners to support them in the education of school age students.
Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED)
Ofsted is a non-ministerial government department whose role is to inspect schools, colleges, teacher training providers and LEAs as well as 16-19 education. Their publications include everything from guidance documents to discussion papers and cover a wide range of educational issues.
Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA)
The QCA is a non-departmental public body, sponsored by the DfES, responsible for maintaining and developing the National Curriculum and associated assessments, tests and examinations.
The Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales (ACCAC)
The National Assembly for Wales's principal advisory body on all aspects of the school curriculum, examinations, assessment and vocational qualifications.
TeacherNet
TeacherNet is for people who work in schools. It brings together education resources and information. It is targeted at teachers, heads, LEAs, teaching assistants, support staff, supply teachers, overseas teachers, trainee teachers, SEN teachers and bursars. The site points to websites and online research databases for finding research reports, articles and stats as well as holding a searchable database of the Best Practice Research Scholarships research reports.
The Training and Development Agency for Schools
The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) is an executive Non-Departmental Public Body of the Department for Education and Skills (DFES). Its purpose is to raise standards in schools by attracting able and committed people to teaching and by improving the quality of teacher training in the UK. Information on all aspects of becoming a teacher and the differrent routes into teaching are available.
Welsh Assembly Government's Training and Education website
For the latest news and information on training and education in Wales from the Welsh Assembly government.
Languages
Association for Language Learning (ALL)
The Association for Language Learning (ALL) is the UK's major subject association for teachers of foreign languages. ALL is committed to the professional development of teachers of languages and the promotion of language learning and teaching.
British Association of Applied Linguistics (BAAL)
BAAL is a professional association that provides a forum for people interested in language and the applications of linguistics.
Members of the ITT MFL community might find themselves particularly interested in the role and work of the Language Learning and Teaching Special Interest Group (SIG)
CILT, the National Centre for Languages
CILT, the National Centre for Languages, is the UK's national centre of expertise for languages, an independent charitable trust supported by central government grants, with the aim of collecting and disseminating information on all aspects of modern languages and the teaching of modern languages.
Institute of Germanic and Romance Studies
The website of the Institute of Germanic and Romance Studies, University of London contains information on forthcoming research events organised by the Institute as well as a calendar of national events.
Nuffield Languages Archive
The Nuffield Languages Inquiry, established to review the UK's capability in languages, reached the end of its three-year term in December 2003. The site highlights the issues for policy, planning and provision to be addressed for the UK to meet the nation's linguistic needs for the 21st century.
Research in Modern Languages in the UK
Research in Modern Languages in the UK aims to provide an online single point of reference for research interests in modern language studies across the UK. The website provides a searchable online database of UK-based research including research projects on the teaching and learning of all languages across sectors.
Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies (LLAS)
The Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies has been set up by the funding bodies for higher education in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is one of 24 Subject Centres which, between them, cover all academic subjects in a national Learning and Teaching Support Network (LTSN).
University Council of Modern Languages (UCML)
UCML represents the interests of modern languages, linguistics and cultural and area studies in higher education throughout the UK working with corresponding bodies in other countries.
General Organisations & Resources
The Association for Information Technology in Teacher Education (ITTE)
ITTE supports the initial teacher training departments of universities and colleges of education in the United Kingdom with respect to the permeation of information communication technology (ICT) throughout all aspects of the learning process. ITTE works to encourage and support networking and collaboration, raise the profile of IT in pre-service teacher education, promote the continual professional development of teachers in ICT and enhance research and its dissemination.
British Educational Research Association (BERA)
The Association aims to encourage a research culture in education, to co-operate with policy makers, funders and other national and international researchers and research associations as well as to support debate, and enhance training and the effectiveness of research.
QCA
The QCA works to support and develop intensive project management and business courses to help in work promotion for individuals and groups.
Current Educational Research in the UK (CERUK)
CERUK is a database of current or on-going research in education and related disciplines, sponsored by the NFER, the DfES and with support from the Eppi-Centre. It covers a wide range of studies including commissioned research and PhD theses, across all phases of education from early years to adults. This site enables you to search the CERUK database.
ESCalate
The ESCalate network includes the universities of Bristol, Cumbria and Stirling. Together we produce and disseminate resources for staff and students in Higher Education and Further Education involved in Education Studies, Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning and Initial Teacher Education. We support and advise on pedagogy and curriculum enhancement across a range of education programmes including Foundation, Undergraduate, Masters and Doctoral studies.
Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR)
The GTTR processes applications for entry to Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) courses, on behalf of Initial Teacher Training (ITT) providers, which offer teacher training in England and Wales, and most Scottish Teaching Education Institutions.
Multiverse
This website provides teacher educators and student teachers/trainees with a comprehensive range of resources focussing on the educational achievement of pupils from diverse backgrounds.
National Association for Language Development in the Curriculum (NALDIC)
NALDIC supports the development and understanding of the teaching and learning of English as an Additional Language. It aims to raise the achievement of minority ethnic learners and supporting bilingualism.
National Association of School Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT)
NASBTT, the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers was established in October 2002 as an independent organisation specifically to support initial teacher training at school level. Its membership is drawn from SCITTs and other accredited school-based providers, Designated Recommending Bodies and Training Schools.
National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER)
NFER is the leading independent educational research institution in the UK, with a portfolio of research, information and development activities that spans all sectors of education and training. Their research is especially geared to meeting the needs of policy-makers, managers and practitioners within the public system.
Teacher Training Resource Bank (TTRB)
A one-stop portal providing access to research and evidence based resources for the teacher education community. Includes an e-librarian service that will send you references to other on-line resources to help your research and inform your professional judgement.
Universities Council for the Education of Teachers (UCET)
UCET is an independent, professional organisation for the discussion of matters relating to the education of teachers and to the study of education in the university sector.
