Features: School-centred initial teacher training

Written by Rachel Shepherd, Editor, Graduate Prospects, February 2013

So you've decided you want to be a teacher. But now a trickier decision awaits: how to become qualified. Could school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) be for you?

SCITT courses give trainees the chance to learn their craft in a school environment, with virtually all of their time being spent in a local school or numerous schools. This is compared to university-based equivalents, in which two-thirds of trainees' time is spent on placements. You'll still learn the theory you need, but you'll have more opportunities to put it into practice.

Courses, which usually last for one academic year, are organised by a range of schools and colleges, often as partnerships, across England (but not in Scotland or Wales), and can be categorised into primary, middle and secondary school education.

The same funding is available for SCITT trainees as university-based PGCE students: a bursary, the amount of which depends on the undergraduate degree grade achieved and the subject and level they want to teach; tuition fee loans; and maintenance loans and grants.

In completing the programme, you will gain qualified teacher status (QTS), the prerequisite for teaching jobs, and, in many cases, a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE).

However, not all partnerships will offer a PGCE. With some, you may gain a Professional Graduate Certificate in Education (ProfGCE), which is the same level academically as the final year of an honours degree course. Or you may gain QTS on its own. That being the case, make sure you know what qualifications are offered by your chosen training partnerships before applying, but remember all will leave you with QTS.

The application process

The popularity of SCITT courses has been growing gradually over the past couple of years, as people continue to recognise the benefits of the programmes, which consistently receive high satisfaction rates from former trainees in the annual newly qualified teacher (NQT) survey.

However, this means that competition for places is high. Charlie Taylor, chief executive of the Teaching Agency adds that this isn't helped by the fact that 'programmes are not as widely available as the PGCE and tend to be offered in areas where it isn’t possible to undertake a PGCE at a local higher education institution'.

The initial application process itself is similar to that of university-based teacher training courses; through the Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR) . If you get through the first stage, the next step will differ depending on the course provider. However, Charlie notes some SCITT providers process their own applications, so trainees should contact providers directly to discuss their application process.

'Contact details for SCITT providers can be found on the GTTR website and will state whether you should submit your application directly to the provider or via the GTTR,' he says.

If you get through to the next stage, you can expect to give a short presentation, sit some tests and take part in a formal interview, which usually involves the opportunity to teach a small group of children.

So, if you envisage your future spent at the front of a classroom, why not start getting the experience you need as soon as you can, and gain the skills you need to flourish in school.