What is in-school teacher training?

They offer a hands-on approach to learning that bridges the gap between theory and practice. You may have seen this route referred to as a SCITT, which stands for School Centred Initial Teacher Training.

Training in school gives you the chance to train ‘on the job’. From when your training starts you’ll be in school, applying the theory and practising the skills you learn.

Going from knowing to doing

One of the key benefits of training in school is the opportunity to put the theory you’re learning into practice.

On our Teacher Training programme, we use a method called deliberate practice. This is a structured activity that you’ll take part in as a trainee. With deliberate practice, you can refine your skills by practising and getting feedback from your mentor to help guide your development. This helps to bridge something called the knowing-doing gap: the gap between knowing how to do something and having the opportunity to put what you know into practice. By bridging this gap, everything you learn becomes more like a habit than an idea, helping you feel confident and capable by the end of your training.

With the support of an expert mentor, you can practice bite-sized aspects of teaching in a low-stress environment. For example, you might practice a technique for quieting a class with just your mentor present. Your mentor can give you feedback and allow you time to practice again until you feel confident that you could use this technique with pupils.

As you learn the theory behind effective teaching, you can take this knowledge and put it into practice straight away. Throughout the year, you’ll gradually take on more teaching responsibilities and build your confidence as a teacher.

Sharing how training in school allowed her to immerse herself in teaching, primary trainee Ameena says: “You have a lot of time where you’re just observing. You’ll do a starter for a lesson here and there, but you won’t be thrown in. It’s set out in such a way that you don’t feel like you’re taking on too much per week.”

Training in one school

If you train to teach with Ambition, you’ll spend most of your training in one school. We believe there’s lots of benefits to training in one school:

• By spending a full year in one school, you can see the impact your teaching is having over time. This allows you to get a better understanding of your development and witness the difference you’re making for your pupils.
• You’ll have lots of opportunities to build supportive relationships with your colleagues. Over the year, they will learn more about your strengths and where you might need some extra support, so they can work closely with you to help you progress.
• You can gain a deeper understanding of your pupils. As you better understand the dynamics and needs of your class, you’ll be able to develop effective classroom management skills and strategies.

Additionally, you’ll spend at least ten days in another school, offering you valuable insights into different teaching environments and practices. Gaining an understanding of other schools and settings can help give you a more holistic view of teaching and learn new practices which you can bring back to your classes.

What support is offered in school?

When training in school, you’ll have the support of colleagues who can share their expertise and experience from their teaching careers. You’ll also receive personalised support from a mentor. Mentors provide regular protected time to discuss your progress, reflect on your experiences from the week and demonstrate teaching practice to you. Find out more about how your mentor will support you throughout the programme.

As you’ll spend so much time in your placement school, you’ll have lots of opportunity to get to know your colleagues and your pupils. Building these relationships will help you to feel part of the community and allows you to create strong connections to support your professional growth.

Training in school is a chance to immerse yourself in a community and start building important relationships. “The best thing about training to teach so far has been getting to work with the pupils at my school on a day-to-day basis,” trainee teacher George shares. “Every day throws up something new and it is brilliant for getting to grips with teaching.”

Training to teach in school is one route to start your teaching career. Our Teacher Training programme is designed to guide you through your teaching journey, ensuring you are well-prepared and confident by the end of your training.

A great teacher changes the future every day. Especially for children who’ve had a tough start in life. On our Teacher Training programme, you’ll have access to high-quality professional development from the outset of your career, helping you to help the pupils who need you the most.