At the beginning of the year, you will start by observing lessons, getting to know the class and teaching short activities or small groups. As your confidence grows, you will take on more of the teaching. This builds gradually and in a planned way. By the end of the programme, you will be teaching up to 80 percent of a full teacher timetable, with support available whenever you need it.

PPA stands for Planning, Preparation and Assessment time. All teachers receive protected time each week to plan lessons, prepare resources and complete pupil assessment activities. As a trainee, you will also have 20% PPA time built into your timetable. Your mentor and school will work with you to make sure you have enough time to plan well and complete your training tasks. 

ITaPs are a focused block of training that helps you improve a specific part of your teaching. Each ITaP week explores one important area, such as behaviour, explaining through modelling or questioning. You spend the week learning about the research, watching expert teachers and practising the skill in small steps. You then try it out in class with close support from your mentor and tutor. It is a practical way to build confidence and refine key teaching techniques.

Yes. You will need your own laptop throughout the programme, as much of the work you do involves planning, preparing resources and completing training tasks. We use Microsoft Office and will provide you with a licence so that you can access all the relevant apps. A reliable laptop will help you stay organised and work effectively both in school and during centre-based training.

Not really. Your week will look different depending on the point in the course and whether you are in a centre-based block or on placement. During centre-based blocks, you spend your time at the SCITT training room taking part in taught sessions, workshops and practical tasks. When you are on placement, your week is shaped by the rhythm of school life, including time with your mentor, class teaching and wider school responsibilities.

Other factors, such as your previous experience and the specific needs of your placement school, will also influence what your week looks like. If you would like to get a sense of our activities, our social media channels offer a helpful insight into what our trainees get involved in across the year.

Your training year begins with around 4.5 weeks of centre-based training in September. This gives you a solid foundation in subject knowledge and professional studies before you start Placement A. After Christmas, you return to us for a further 3 weeks. During this block you revisit key themes, build on what you have experienced in school and deepen your subject knowledge before beginning your contrasting Placement B. Following the Easter break, you come back for another 3 weeks. This block continues to develop your subject knowledge and prepares you for the final part of the year. You then return to Placement A for the rest of the summer term. These blocks are designed to give you the right input at the right time so that your school placements feel purposeful and well supported. 

Centre-based sessions usually start at 9:15am. This allows time for school drop-offs and travel. Sessions normally finish between 3:30pm and 4:00pm, depending on the content for that day. Please speak to us in advance if you have an unavoidable appointment and we will do our best to accommodate your circumstances.

Arrival and finish times will be agreed with your mentor, as routines vary slightly between schools. As a guide, we recommend arriving no later than 8:00am, as this gives you time to prepare for the day, organise resources and meet with your mentor if needed.

At the end of the school day, you will be expected to stay on site to work with your mentor and be able to take part in wider school activities such as staff meetings and training. In most schools, trainees typically finish between 4:30pm and 5:00pm, though this may sometimes be earlier or later depending on school events, meetings or your planning needs.

Being present for the full rhythm of school life is an important part of training. If you have specific constraints, please discuss these with us so we can support you.