ITT Application Top Tips
Deciding to apply for a teacher training course is an exciting time. With so many options available, it can be difficult to decide what type of institution or provider you want to work with.
Top Tip #1 – Employment
You are taking the first steps to a truly rewarding career. The initial teacher training year is hard and you need to ensure you can secure a job at the end of it. Ask your institution what the employment rates are across all routes as well as in your own subject area over the last three years. A high employment rate means that the institution has an excellent reputation for provision and trainee teachers from that institution will beat others in securing job opportunities.
Our employment rate is well above the national average, due to our close links with our partnership schools.
Top Tip #2 – Retention
Becoming a teacher is a challenging process. You will experience day to day life as a teacher in your placement schools as well as being intellectually challenged at post-graduate level. It is important you are surrounded by colleagues who understand those stresses and can coach you through the process of training. Ask about course retention rates. There are a multitude of reasons why people may want to leave during the training year, but it shouldn’t be due to lack of support, so find out who has your pastoral and professional development as their core concern.
Associate Teachers on the Arthur Terry SCITT course are supported by:
- PGCE tutors who look after your pastoral needs and support you with academic writing and research.
- Subject Pedagogy Leads (SPL) who are responsible for developing your subject knowledge and pedagogy through training to ensure that you are delivering the best lessons you can in your subject areas.
- Learning Coaches in your placement schools who offer support and guidance daily.
- Professional Coaches as senior leaders in your placement school who will provide school-specific training sessions and a further point of contact if required.
Top Tip #3 – Qualified Teacher Status and Postgraduate Certificate in Education
With so many training options available, it’s important to find the best institution for you in order to achieve qualified teacher status and secure employment. Some institutions offer a qualified teacher status only route whilst others will offer a Postgraduate Certificate in Education with qualified teacher status. Some Higher Education Institutions offer a post graduate diploma (PGDipEd). Ask which course you are going to do and decide whether that is right for you. Postgraduate Certificate in Education/PGDipEd courses are internationally recognised but qualified teacher status alone is a specific qualification for England.
At Arthur Terry SCITT, our routes all result in a Postgraduate Certificate in Education with qualified teacher status. This is because we believe that to be an excellent teacher you need to truly understand the academic grounding behind the pedagogical tools in a teacher’s armoury. Our Postgraduate Certificate in Education tutors have completed their own areas of research at Masters level and fully guide and support Associate Teachers through the process of academic writing and research.
Top Tip #4 – Value for Money
Not all subject routes attract a bursary from the Government and many people entering into teaching will do so with a significant financial burden in one form or another. Therefore, it is important for you to consider what your course fees provide. Explore what the physical provision is like (buildings, libraries, workspaces) as well as the not so obvious provision. Ask what the programme of study looks like, how often do you receive subject specialist training and who will be delivering this training.
Excellent staffing is at the core of the The Arthur Terry Teaching School Hub and your course fees contribute significantly to that. As a result, we have an excellent ratio of Postgraduate Certificate in Education tutors and SPLs to Associate Teachers and you will all have one-to-one Learning Coaches throughout the year. Our course programme is immersive and continuous. You have approximately 45 days of full day provision (including 20 subject-specific sessions) and over 120 days of teaching placements and observations.
Top Tip #5 – Get to know who you are working with
The people you are learning from will be instrumental in your success. Try to get to know the people you will be working with, what are their credentials and what are they looking for in a trainee teacher on their course? Are lectures at university your preferred method of learning or do you prefer smaller group workshops?
We believe one of the biggest strengths of our provision is that all members of the SCITT staff are teaching professionals. They teach classes across all age groups which means they are at the forefront of both academic and professional changes. They can guide you through your training year, supporting you to become excellent classroom practitioners with the flexibility to adapt to future changes as they emerge throughout your career. All training sessions are delivered by specialists in their field and many are designated Specialist Leaders in Education (SLEs).
