Primary Programme Initial Teacher Training Update

The year has started with a bang for our Primary trainees and we are thrilled to have 33 engaged and knowledgeable students join the programme. We have a great mix of people from a range of backgrounds, many of whom have considerable school experience and others who have useful skills from other careers. All have shown a great enthusiasm and engagement with our induction days prior to the start of their school placements this week. We have shared our origin stories in a snowball fight which broke the ice (pun intended), and in doing so have learned what gave each trainee the bug to teach. We have unpicked what we mean by ‘deliberate practice’ and applied it to learning the latest playground craze ‘The Triangle Dance’. Well, we need to send the trainees into school able to impress in the playground as well as the classroom… Friendships and connections have been forged which we believe are key to having a productive year.

Alongside the team building and laughter, we have also faced some important and sometimes challenging subjects in order to prepare these new trainee teachers for their time in school. At the heart of all we do is the wellbeing and safety of pupils. We were fortunate to have excellent Safeguarding training delivered by one of our partner headteachers, Alice Purcell from Ide School, who covered all the key elements of safeguarding and child protection clearly and sensitively. We also enjoyed a classroom safari, looking at how the school make a small village site and a Victorian building work for their pupils. We were blown away by the creativity at the school and especially the Take One project which they are hoping might be displayed at the National Gallery.
The trainees are now settling into their schools for a full week immersed within the school setting and are carrying out a task designed to support them when they are NQTs in their own classes next year. They’re on the start of an incredible journey, and we are thrilled to be supporting them through it. Best of luck, Class of 2020!

​Thank you so much for a fantastic couple of days. I found them very worthwhile and valuable (and a really good giggle at points!) and am now very much looking forward to going into school next week. ​- Jacqui

​I really enjoyed the last two days and am really excited to get started in class next week. - Kirsty