These programmes are school centred: they provide an alternative route into teaching, with trainees placed in schools from day one with a dedicated mentor. Train- ees learn from first-hand classroom observation, un- derpinned by a scaffold of theoretical learning through regular subject and professional training sessions. Expert mentoring at placement schools gives trainees the sup- port they need to grow confidence in the classroom and to develop their teaching practice at a pace that works for them. Our local partner schools, including our SSLP network, play an absolutely vital role in sustaining this finely tuned balance. Dr Spence emphasised the value of these partnerships in a recent article for The Times: ‘This is something which state and independent schools can do as true partners. Here we are equals: the pedagogy is shared.’ The benefits of working together are clear, with many of our trainees gaining employment in their place- ment schools, and almost 70% of the 2022–23 cohort taking up teaching roles in local state schools. By providing expert mentoring and dedicated support for trainees, we are finding that retention rates are much higher than the national average, at over 90%. Mentoring is key for our trainees, and in preparation for increased mentor training requirements set by the Department for Education for September 2024, our SCITT team have run
a series of free mentor training courses this year, which are designed to support the local teaching community in developing and maintaining mentoring capacity in local schools. Looking to the future, our aim is to continue supporting the growth of SCITT and ITE provision, both locally and further afield, by growing our own local provision organ- ically, with shared understanding, and by identifying, nurturing and supporting new hubs in their initial years and beyond. ◉
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