Since September 2018 Oundle School has been training teachers, firstly in the discipline of Modern Languages and since September 2020 in Maths and Physics too. The trainees come from all walks of life: newly graduated, mid-life career changers, from those with a bachelor’s degree to those with a PhD and both home and international students ranging in age from 22 to 62 years old! This diversity makes for fantastic discussions and debate on our training days. At Oundle we run a ‘hub’ for two national programmes: the National Modern Languages SCITT and the National Maths & Physics SCITT, both of which were set up by the DfE to address the teacher shortages in those areas.
When I trained to be a teacher nearly thirty years ago, I followed the traditional PGCE route and studied the craft of the classroom at Manchester University with placements at two contrasting schools. There was no alternative option. Today there are many pathways. In fact, it is quite confusing when you start to look into it, but I am now convinced that doing a subject-specific ‘SCITT’ is by far the most superior of all of the teacher training options. SCITT stands for School-Centred Initial Teacher Training. This means that the majority of the training takes place in school, much of it in the classroom, rather than in a lecture theatre. From ‘day one’ the student teachers are part of the school community, guided by the experience and wisdom of their school-based mentor who meets with them on a weekly basis and who allows them first to observe, then team-teach and eventually solo teach one or two of their classes. They also receive weekly or fortnightly subject-specific training days at Oundle School, led by experienced teacher educators on the staff and from outside school. Running alongside this they have lots of theoretical reading to do, are constantly reflecting on what they have observed or on lessons taught and they complete their PGCE assignments. Our student teachers are encouraged to analyse critically and evaluate their own practice in the classroom, as well as what the research tells them.
Running these programmes has massive benefits for us a school too. Not only do the student teachers bring new, often the latest, pedagogical ideas to their departments, but the best ones can challenge the status quo and encourage departments to question, develop or enhance elements of the way they teach. Many of them will also provide extra one-to-one or small group support for pupils: they often bring with them specialist areas of expertise. Having student teachers in a department creates a culture of teachers talking about their teaching: why they teach the way they do, how they wish to develop their own practice further, how their teaching has developed over the years. Involvement in the SCITTs have also meant that the staff members in those departments have received training in advanced mentoring and coaching as well as teacher education, with access to webinars and training on a range of subject-specific themes. The SCITT involvement has, therefore, developed further the skills of our already well-qualified staff; skills which can be transferred to many other aspects of school life. I have also set up a small group of what I refer to as my ‘senior mentors’ and we have a termly research seminar led by Dr James Burch, Professor of Professional Practice in Initial Teacher Education: he writes a paper on an aspect of teacher education which we then read and discuss with him. Mentoring and coaching another member of staff is hard work but extremely rewarding and you learn a huge amount about yourself in the process.
Leading these schemes has the added bonus of having access to a pool of well-trained teachers in shortage subjects that we have recruited and trained in the best way we know. If a vacancy becomes available, we can feel confident that we can fill it with a strong teacher. We have also developed relationships with around 30 schools in a wide geographical area reaching as far as Rugby to Ely to Bourne. It is our responsibility, as a hub, to ensure that the student teachers are being supported well in their placement schools, so we make regular visits and have got to know these schools and the staff there really well. Given the calibre of the student teachers we recruit to the scheme as well as the excellent training they receive, our partner schools now often approach us asking to take student teachers on placement or letting us know they have vacancies on the staff. These strong partnerships have led to support and collaboration in other areas linked to Modern Languages, Maths and Physics.
School House
"I am now convinced that doing a subject-specific ‘SCITT’ is by far the most superior of all of the teacher training options"Sara Davidson - Director of SCITTS
The Oundle teacher training hub has now trained over 30 teachers in three years. Training during a pandemic over the last 18 months has, of course, presented us with challenges and both mentors and student teachers have needed to be extremely resilient, but we have adapted to the situations presented to us. It is extremely gratifying to know that there are 30 new, well-trained and confident teachers out there who have joined the profession and are enthusiastic, professional and experts in their subjects. We are committed to ongoing professional development and innovation and hope to develop a micro-teaching laboratory in the near future with Dr James Burch’s support.
If you, or anyone you know, is interested in training with us or if you wish to collaborate, please contact Clare Douglas, our SCITT Administrator, in the first instance: cdouglas@oundleschool.org.uk.
The Oundle teacher training hub has now trained over 30 teachers in three years. Training during a pandemic over the last 18 months has, of course, presented us with challenges and both mentors and student teachers have needed to be extremely resilient, but we have adapted to the situations presented to us. It is extremely gratifying to know that there are 30 new, well-trained and confident teachers out there who have joined the profession and are enthusiastic, professional and experts in their subjects. We are committed to ongoing professional development and innovation and hope to develop a micro-teaching laboratory in the near future with Dr James Burch’s support.
If you, or anyone you know, is interested in training with us or if you wish to collaborate, please contact Clare Douglas, our SCITT Administrator, in the first instance: cdouglas@oundleschool.org.uk.
Director of SCITTs
