Primary Teacher Training

Primary training covers the effective teaching of all National Curriculum subjects, the wider curriculum and other current educational issues.

Trainees attend a pre-course induction day in July and a second induction day prior to taking up their main placement at the start of the school year. We encourage trainees to spend time in their host school prior to starting the course if possible. The course is structured so that trainees gain hands on experience in their host schools from the very beginning. Trainees spend approximately three days a week in school and two days a week on our taught course for the first 2 terms. During this time there are also opportunities to visit other partnership schools to further develop practice. In the final term there are two block teaching practices, one in a second placement school and a final assessed teaching practice back in their main placement school. Trainees are allocated to one of our 2 cohorts with training days based either at Lyons Hall Primary in Braintree or Moulsham Infant School in Chelmsford. Some training days are also held in other partnership schools.

Each trainee is assigned a mentor in each school and an external mentor who support and guide them through their professional development. Throughout the year trainees complete directed tasks and assignments which build up a range of evidence against the Teachers’ Standards for their Professional Portfolio which is a core requirement for the successful completion of the course.

Our website is the main source of information for trainees. All trainees have access to a book box of key texts in their schools to support their studies.

What does training with Essex Primary SCITT offer you?

• A large proportion of time spent in school with teaching practices in EYFS, Key Stage 1 and 2.
• Training experience in the full primary range, including foundation stage settings where appropriate.
• Partnership schools across the county of Essex – including urban and rural, infant, junior, primary, large, small, and church-aided schools.
• A course that is tailored to meet the needs of schools, producing good teachers with high levels of practical teaching skills.
• An excellent taught course (Evaluations of the taught course are very positive about the high quality of the training).
• Strong coherence between the taught and school-based elements of the course.
• Support in school from well trained, highly skilled mentors.
• Opportunities to visit a range of partnership schools to support their professional development.
• Excellent formative assessment by a range of professionals including core tutors for maths and English supporting your progress towards QTS status.
• A highly supportive and nurturing team.
• Excellent employability as NQTs – a high percentage of our trainees are offered jobs in our partnership schools, over 75% each year, with most others employed in Essex, and others employed in other counties.
• A real voice to helping to further improve outcomes for future trainees.

At EPS, we are proud that we continually strive to get better and better, improving outcomes for our trainees and enabling them to become the best teachers they can be.

Click to download our Ofsted report

“Headteachers of local schools are keen to employ trainees from Essex Primary SCITT because of the reputation it has rightly established for producing very well-trained teachers”

“Trainees are highly positive about the quality of the central training days”

“The central trainers are a real strength of the partnership…’trainers are very knowledgeable and always delivered the course days to the highest quality’.”

“School based training is of consistently high quality.”

“The results of the highly effective training is that NQTs are highly reflective practioners who are very confident in the classroom.”

“Typical of their comments was one trainee who said the training programme is ‘the best thing that I have done in my life’.”

If you are interested in training with us please contact us directly.

Early Years Initial Teacher Training (EYITT) Programme – Graduate Employment Based

The training route summary below sets out what you can expect from the Graduate Employment Based (GEB) route to Early Years Teacher Status – the specialist teaching status for those leading care and education of babies and young children up to the age of five

The information provided below is not intended to be exhaustive but gives you an outline of what you can expect on the GEB route and what will be expected of you and your employer.

Experience needed by the end of the EYITT programme

• A two week placement within Key Stage 1 (5-7 year olds) plus 1 day in KS2
• Experience teaching in at least two settings/schools across the birth to five age range (excluding the KS1 placement).

Content

• Knowledge of Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
• The Teachers’ Standards (Early Years)
• The birth to five age range
• Progression to Key Stage 1and 2
• Ongoing review and formative assessment

The content is ‘needs led’, and builds on existing strengths:

Support

• An external mentor who will visit and observe you and support you throughout the programme, setting clear targets for your ongoing development
• Your setting-based mentor for day to day support and feedback
• Access to online resources, including a library and a personal One Drive for storing evidence throughout the programme.
• Taught programme tutors and an allocated link Lead Consultant.

Assessment

Assessment is ongoing throughout the programme, based around an Early Years Teacher Competencies framework which aligns to the Teachers’ Standards (Early Years) which are used for summative assessment.

• A portfolio of evidence that you build throughout the programme
• Formative assessment visits by your external mentor.
• Individual development plans – reviewed and updated regularly
• Assignments and tasks, with an additional Change Project for the GEB route.
• Observation records – from the setting and your external mentor

Graduate Employment Based

Duration

• 11 months duration – part time alongside your early years’ employment. September – July

Commitment

• You will work towards Early Years Teacher Status whilst being employed in an early years setting/school
• Your working timetable should be no more than 90 per cent of the full time working hours of an Early Years Teacher (Your release time from duties will be used for study, placements in other settings and training days)
• Your employer must be in full support of your application and agree to release/support you to undertake the requirements necessary to achieve Early Years Teacher Status

Training days and meetings

• Training days normally once or sometimes twice a month
• Progress meetings within the setting/school with your external and setting mentors

What do our former Early Years trainees have to say?

“This course has greatly improved my practice and has boosted my confidence as a practitioner”

“I thoroughly enjoyed the course and feel I have learnt so much”

“ The tutors work ethic and dedication to early years was inspirational”

“After each training day I left feeling fulfilled and satisfied that I am in the right career. This is a brilliant course that I thoroughly enjoyed”

The EYITT programme was awarded Good by Ofsted in June 2018.

Click to download our Ofsted report EYITT 2018

How to apply?

Contact us for further information and to request an application form at enquiries@essexprimaryscitt.co.uk