About SWIFT and The Golden Thread

With SWIFT Teacher Training you are part of something special.

The South West Institute for Teaching - SWIFT for short - is a partnership dedicated to teacher development at every stage of teachers' careers. While SWIFT Teacher Training focuses on Initial Teacher Training for trainee teachers entering the profession, SWIFT Teaching School Hubs focus on training Early Career Teachers (Years 1 and 2) and leadership qualifications (National Professional Qualifications).

  • Trainee Teacher | Initial Teacher Training (ITT)
​         High quality Initial Teacher Training underpinned by the Core Content Framework

  • Early Career Teacher | Early Career Teacher Programme (ECTP)
​         Two-year Early Career Teacher induction with access to high quality mentoring and training

  • Teacher and Leadership | National Professional Qualifications (NPQs)                                      Two Evidence-based CPD opportunities for teachers at all stages of their careers. From classroom teachers to executive leaders. 

This is known as the ‘Golden Thread’ of high-quality evidence underpinning the support, training and development available through the entirety of a teacher’s career.

Find out  more about  SWIFT and the Golden Thread HERE

Evolution of SWIFT

2017
Stand alone Teaching School Alliances
2018
Teaching School South V.1 
  • Dartmoor
  • Exeter Consortium
  • South West TSAs)
2020
Teaching Schools South West V.2
  • Kingsbridge Teaching School Hub
  • Dartmoor
  • Exeter
  • Plymouth
  • South West Specialist Schools
  • South West
  • Torbay TSAs
2021
TSSW V.3 becomes SWIFT
  • Colyton and Kingsbridge Teaching School Hubs
  • 10 former TSAs
2022
​Education South West Accredited as a new ITT Provider
2022
Colyton Grammar School and Education South West become founding Associate Colleges with the National Institute of Teaching
2023
Colyton and Kingsbridge Teaching School Hubs resdesignated as TSHs for 2024-2028
2024
SWIFT Teacher Training opens to first cohort of trainee teachers

Early Career Framework

Once teachers are qualified they become Early Career Teachers (ECTs) and enter a two-year programme, called the Early Career Framework (ECF). The majority of ECTs in our area train through SWIFT. When designing our Teacher Training courses we do so with the ECF in mind, ensuring a smooth transition. The Core Content Framework (CCF) for ITT and ECF for ECTs are aligned frameworks, which guides this process. ​

ECF Testimonials