Starting your teacher training and embarking on a career in education is a big step, so you no doubt have questions about our courses and how SCITT training works.
Below are some of the most frequently asked questions from SCITT trainees.
What is the role of schools within the SCITT?
Schools are key to our training programme at KCSCITT. We have strong working relationships with all our host schools through regular contact and visits. Your personal visiting tutor will visit you every half term and we will see your mentor and tutor termly at the SCITT. We have a dedicated office team who are available for you and your school.
We ensure that your school placement takes the lead responsibility for the training programme in school and provide opportunities for you to teach specialist subjects and phases across appropriate age groups. Placements will provide a range of learning experiences, such as observation of colleagues, team curriculum planning and shared teaching. They will provide support to supervise trainees, by providing you your own lead subject or phase mentor and co-ordinator to oversee all aspects of the training.
Placement mentors monitor, assess and review setting targets for your development in discussion with colleagues ensuring that you will have allocated time for attending core training and any other off site training agreed in the training plan.
For trainees, the right placement school is vital to your training. We plan our placements carefully, taking into account the needs of the school and the trainee to ensure that the placement offers the best training possible. We combine this with our central training programme to ensure that all individual training needs are met.
What does the SCITT course cost?
Tuition fees for 2024-2025 are £9250 for QTS with a PGCE from The University of Huddersfield.
For information regarding tuition fee loans and bursaries visit http://www.education.gov.uk/get-into-teaching/funding/postgraduate-funding.aspx
Am I eligible for financial support?
You may be eligible for a tax free bursary, please visit http://www.education.gov.uk/get-into-teaching/funding/postgraduate-funding.aspx
If required, we will support you through the Student Finance process for fees and maintenance grants, administer SKE funding as well as signpost to other possible funding streams.
What are the entry requirements and selection process?
Please view our dedicated How To Apply section for more details.
How many school placements do I have?
You will have 2 placements. You will be placed in 1 main school and 1 contrasting school, allowing you to experience different teaching environments and practices.
How long does SCITT training last?
Your training covers the full academic year. You are usually in school on the first day of term with all other teaching staff and will be working with pupils and teachers from the start of your training.
What happens If you are selected for interview:
Once we receive your application, we’ll acknowledge by email and update Apply if you are invited to interview. We’ll e-mail or call you with the details.
You’ll be interviewed in Heckmondwike by one of our SCITT team alongside a senior colleague from one of our schools. You’ll be expected to answer a range of questions designed to explore your personal qualities and meeting the course criteria.
The interview gives you the opportunity to discuss why you want to teach, what you would bring to the profession, and show us your resilience and initiative. You will be asked to bring a prepared task and you’ll undertake a written task on the day demonstrating your ability to read effectively and communicate clearly and accurately in Standard English.
You’ll need to bring to the interview original certificates of all qualifications and proof of identity as part of our Safeguarding processes.
If you are successful, we’ll offer you a place. Ideally within 48 hours. We’ll update Apply and contact you.
We will carry out a criminal background check and other requisite checks.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL AT THE INTERVIEW?
If you accept our Apply offer, we’ll recommended you to a partner school as a prospective trainee. Once confirmed as the host school we’ll ask you to visit; follow its Safeguarding processes, meet the department/class and mentor and maybe a tour of the school.
Before commencing the programme we’ll ask you to sign a contract between you, the host school and us so that everyone agrees to the same supporting principals and requirements of your training year.
What other considerations are there when selecting trainees?
In addition to the requirements listed on our How To Apply page we look for applicants who demonstrate:
A commitment to the area covered by the Partnership and an intention to seek employment locally after successful completion of the programme.
Residency may be used as a determining factor in selection for a place when all other factors are seen as equal. Applicants already working in a school must not assume that acceptance on to the programme is automatic: selection is through interview by both the Partnership and the host school.
Importantly, remember we are looking at your potential to train to teach.
Offers will be subject to an Enhanced DBS which will be organised for you. An overseas check may be required for those who have spent time outside of the UK. You will also be subject to the following checks: health, identity, relevant work qualifications, right to work in the UK, professional registration, references and a Childcare Disqualification and Disqualification by Association Declaration.
Please make sure that you double check your personal statement on your application and that it is grammatically correct.
Do I need school experience before applying?
As an important support to the process of applying to train to teach we recommend that you gain real life experience of teaching either before, during or after your application.
School Experience can help you decide whether a teacher training course is for you. School experience is preferred and can be invaluable at the application stage.
Whilst there is no minimum number of days experience that you require to apply to us, we do highly recommend that you gain experience in a school prior to applying.
Where will my placement school be?
We will source and arrange your school placement. If you have a school in mind, you’re welcome to approach us about it and we’ll work with you to arrange the best experience for you. You will be placed in a school which we feel will fully support you in your subject specialism.
For Secondary you are training to teach 11-16 age range but some of our schools do have 6th forms which obviously enhances your training opportunity. For Primary you are training 5-11 but some schools will be lower or upper key stage only and your 2nd placement will provide an opportunity to teach in the alternative key stage.
You will spend most of the year in one school with a second experience in a contrasting school (usually Christmas to February half term). This enables you to deepen your experience and ensures that you have the opportunity to meet all the Teacher Standards. When in school, you are expected to follow the timings, practices and culture of the school. Having an extended practice in one main school means that you can develop your practice well and show that you have a positive impact on your pupils, in your own classes.
We always try to take into consideration the location of our trainees and their placement schools to assist in their daily commute and try to work around other personal situations.
We work with many schools, too many to list. View the map of schools we have worked with over the last four years.
Safeguarding
SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
Kirklees & Calderdale SCITT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All staff, and everyone involved in the Kirklees SCITT shares this commitment, and are therefore expected to behave in such a way that supports this commitment.
Appointment to these posts will be subject to the following pre-employment checks: health, identity, relevant work qualifications, right to work in the UK, professional registration (for qualified teaching staff), Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references and a Childcare Disqualification and Disqualification by Association Declaration (where applicable). A start date for successful applicants will not be confirmed until clearance from all the above checks has been obtained.
Please note that the DBS check will reveal all convictions, reprimands, cautions and bindovers even if considered spent within the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. There is a DBS Code of Practice which governs this process. A copy of the Code of Practice is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dbs-code-of-practice
Policies
Click here to read a selection of our policies. A full list will be available for enrolled trainees.
If you have any questions not covered by the FAQs above then please get in touch.
We would be happy to help you with any questions or queries you may have.