A group of Suffolk schools have united to help ensure the next generation of highly-skilled teachers are trained within the county.
East Suffolk schools Bungay, Farlingaye and Kesgrave have teamed up with Ipswich’s school Springfield Juniors to help form the new East School Centred Initial Teacher Training (EAST SCITT).
The schools hope the new training schemes it will provide will help produce highly effective and fully qualified teachers.
In addition to offering both primary and secondary teacher training programmes – which will award qualified teacher status (QTS) – the provider will also offer the Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) across a wide range of subject choices for secondary programmes.
Peter Smith, deputy headteacher at Farlingaye High School and director of EAST SCITT, said: “We’ve felt for a long time that there was a need for a more school-centred and Suffolk-focused teacher training provider in the locality, and so we were delighted when the Department of Education accepted our proposal towards the end of the last academic year to accredit us a teacher training provider.
“One of the key strengths of our SCITT is the pride we take in personally supporting our potential trainees to ‘take the next step’ and apply to become a teacher. “We strive to support them all the way, and will always be there to answer any query they may have.
“We will guide those considering to become a teacher on every step of the journey from those early observation experiences, through preparation for interview, onto a training programme and throughout their career.”
Applications to take part in the training are being accepted from October 13, while there are also hopes to offer opportunities including open mornings, observational visits and two-week taster programmes.
Andy Sievewright, EAST chief executive, said: “At EAST SCITT we truly believe in offering potential candidates the opportunity to see and hear from the experts in the classroom. They are after all the best placed to highlight to you the ‘highs and lows’ of becoming a teacher.”
Those interested in applying can do so here.
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