Teaching record system - Teaching Reference Number (TRN)

TRN generation is currently performed by 3 separate organisations, DfE, EWC, and Teaching Pensions. This will change from 2024 when we phase in a new TRN flow. This will have the following characteristics:

• The Department for Education (DfE) will become the only issuer of TRN's
• TRN generation will be RESTFUL API based only (no file generation)
• Calling the API will return:
  • A TRN (either a new or existing - but the API will not be explicit on if its new or existing)
  • A "Pending" status

Note: We need to research and confirm if there is a need to allow creation of teaching record without identity verification or not, and what are the rules around this.

  flowchart TD
  trn-requester[Calling Service] --> get-a-trn-api[Get a TRN API]
  get-a-trn-api --> check-trs{Found TRN?}
  check-trs -->|Yes| Done
  check-trs -->|No| id-check[Need Identity Verified?]
  id-check -->|Yes| help-desk{Create Help Desk Ticket}
  id-check --> |No| create-trn{TBC if we allow TRN to be created!?}
  create-trn --> Done
  check-trs -->|Maybe| help-desk{Create Help Desk Ticket}
  help-desk --> found-after-helpdesk{Resolved}
  found-after-helpdesk --> check-trs
  Done[Done: return TRN to calling service]