​With our trainees settling into their long placement schools, we asked them and their mentors to reflect on the successful completion of their short placements.

Trainees
'The Department and whole school were supportive. The mentor and I met frequently, other staff were aware of my requirements and  gave valuable feedback. Lots of extra-curricular opportunities. Supportive and happy environment.'

'I had a strong relationship with my class and mentor. Felt a valued member of the class, school were supportive and kind.'

'I Improved my confidence through praise, advice and high level of support.'

School Mentors
'Strong trainee who worked hard, noted and worked on feedback.  They were really well organised and had a lovely, calm demeanour in the classroom, which students responded well to.'

'The instructional coaching strategy was a valuable tool as it allowed us to practise core teaching moments.'

'The mentoring / coaching conversations we had were very constructive and encouraged the trainee to actively consider their mental models and what specific steps made them successful in their task.'

We are delighted to be working with the University of Plymouth to support students studying their new BA (Hons) Primary Education degree to continue on their pathway in to teaching. 


This exciting new fast track degree allows students to gain a full BA (Hons) degree in just two years.


SWIFT Teacher Training are offering a clear pathway for students to continue on to gain their Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) with our 1 year teacher training course. 

To find out more information please see the flyer HERE or visit the University of Plymouth website.

All of our courses are now closed for recruitment onto our 2024/25 teacher training courses.

Recruitment for trainees for the training year 2025/26 will begin in early October 2024.

If you have any questions regarding SWIFT Teacher Training or our courses please get in touch.

Welcome to SWIFT Teacher Training’s half termly news update.
 



Featured in this issue we have:

• Now Teach
• Get School Experience
• Bursaries and Scholarships
• Education Endowment Foundation

Each week will cover a different physics topic, working through the conceptual ideas that students and teachers sometimes struggle with: Forces & Motion; Electricity & Magnetism; Energy; Waves; Earth & Space; Matter & Atomic Physics. The sessions for 2024 will be delivered in June/July – each session will run from 6-7pm.
The course will include:

• Six online one-hour sessions of synchronous learning.
• Each week will cover a core physics topic from KS3/GCSE content.
• Each session will be designed as a standalone and will not require preparation or homework.
• There will be opportunities to engage with activities during the sessions (optional) using easily available equipment. We will provide details of what will be needed in advance.

For more information email: [email protected]

Primary Curriculum Design Lead
Olivia Bartlett
​
​I am extremely passionate about the teaching profession and strive to provide the most conducive learning environments for both the children and staff I work with. Working across two settings, both of which are in the highest quantiles for deprivation, I am completely committed to developing all children’s life chances enabling them to achieve their full potential. I am dedicated in ensuring the curriculum delivered by SWIFT Teacher Training is centred around trainees developing this same mindset as they begin their successful teaching careers.

Teaching is special because:
• Give more young people the educational opportunities and outcomes they deserve no matter their starting points in life.
• Provide children with the belief (and tools) that they can achieve anything that they set their minds to.
• Introduce and develop children’s love of reading, watching them become life-long readers.

We are delighted to be working with Now Teach who support people coming into secondary teaching with experience in other industries.


Career changers who join their network will have access to bespoke advice, coaching and support to help them thrive in their new profession, through their training year and first year as an early career teacher.

​Learn more about Now Teach and the support they provide by visiting their website.

With only a few weeks left until applications open for 2024 PGCE / QTS courses, get in touch if you have any questions about our courses or routes into teaching in general.

We have a number of online information events and school experience days lined up for you to attend across our 5 campus areas.

Come and train, live, teach somewhere special!

Contact us:
Nicky Sheppard | [email protected] | 01548 852641 x2575
Abby Spearing | [email protected] | 01548 852641 x2592

For information on applying | HERE
To apply | HERE

By way of introduction the PGCE element of our SWIFT Teacher Training courses, you might be interested in the following pen portrait of the University of Nottingham.

An outstanding Ofsted-rated Initial Teacher Training provider (March 2022), the University of Nottingham build on the successful School of Education’s research that is proud to be amongst the most significant and influential, internationally, with a strong commitment to developing the discipline and a rich environment for postgraduate research (see here).

We want our trainee teachers to be confident and resilient in their pedagogy and the PGCE programme is supported by the same Aims and Ethos as the university-led programmes.

The course structure, design, content, aims and ethos are founded on consultation with representatives from partnership schools, in line with the university’s governance structure and the partnership focus is collaborative, collegial and developmental (see here).

The University modules are intentionally designed to complement and support the SWIFT Teacher Training curriculum and include university-led teaching on the following modules:

Understanding Contexts | classrooms, schools, school systems, including international comparisons.

Understanding Teaching & Learning | including foundation theories, emerging theories, theories of assessment.

Inquiring into Educational Experience | including Masters-level research methods and ethics, Science of Learning, School Leadership.

Teaching methods always include interactive and dialogic strategies and traditional lectures are kept to a minimum.

Under the support and supervision of the university, with additional voluntary online twilight sessions, trainees will complete three assignments (each worth 20 M-Level credits):

Assignment 1 | a 4000-word written assignment exploring the place and purpose of students’ phase or subject, including current debates/issues.

Assignment 2 | 15-minute presentation to peers supported by 600-word reflective writing and annotated reference list. The presentation asks students to demonstrate how a sequence of lessons they have taught (or planned) is informed by a relevant theory of learning.

Assignment 3 – a 4000-word practice-based inquiry asking the students to carry out a piece of small-scale research in the context of their teaching. This includes gaining ethical approval from the university.
​
To enhance the positive experience, we like to think that our trainees will enjoy the broader benefits of completing their PGCE with the University of Nottingham, including experienced expert ITT tutors from a variety of primary/secondary/ SEND/school leadership backgrounds; flexible face-to-face and online blended learning; and access to the university’s support services, including welfare support and the university library (rated the third-best academic library for Education in the UK).
 
We are pleased to be working with the University of Nottingham and we believe that this will provide a robust teacher training pathway for our trainees.

SWIFT Teacher Training Team are delighted to launch the NEW SWIFT Teacher Training animation that shows how training to teach with us here in the South West Peninsula can benefit you.

SWIFT Teacher Training builds on our successes and standing as the sector-leading partnership of South West Institute for Teaching (SWIFT), supporting 500+ schools and 3000+ teachers and leaders with high quality professional development throughout a teacher’s career spanning induction to leadership.

As you will see in the animation, our PGCE Teacher Training courses are designed by professional experts and teachers, with the PGCE element delivered by the University of Nottingham.

We want you to train with confidence and we understand the importance of flexibility for you and your situation. You can train close to home thanks to our network of campuses and schools across the beautiful South West peninsula plus flexible online learning opportunities.
​
We want teaching to be a career where you know that you belong and you can thrive, feel valued and ultimately, fulfil your unique potential to make a difference, transform children’s lives and create a fairer society.

Make training with SWIFT Teacher Training the convenient pathway into teaching for you.
Contact Email | [email protected]