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Our Trust of Schools

Testimonials

What our trainees say

We pride ourselves on offering the best in teacher training and it’s important to us that trainees feel they have had a positive introduction into the profession.

Here are just a few of the kind words our trainees have had to say about their experience at SWTT, including from the Class of 2020 who continued to train during Coronavirus disruption.

Just had my second day of induction and taught my first lesson at MAP today, and it was fantastic.

Just another huge thank you to you and the team for all of the support, really feel like a proper teacher and am so excited for the rest of this term and for the future! 

Connie
Science Trainee 2021/22

I'd just like to take the opportunity to say that working with SWTT this academic year has been great, not least because we, as a department, met and subsequently employed Annette....but also because it’s healthy to be involved with something that makes us scrutinise our own practice.  

Justine 
SWTT Mentor 2021/2022

‘SWTT applicants are consistently some of the strongest candidates we see across all subjects: their subject knowledge, characters and competency are a credit to the training provider. They are changing the lives of some of our most disadvantaged students in the South West.’ 

Scott Simpson-Horne,
Headteacher, All Saints Academy Plymouth 2021/2022

More quotes…

  • I am extremely happy right now, this year has meant a huge amount to me.
  • This year has been an overwhelmingly positive period of my life – I loved it.
  • My future, my career, outlook, ethos, aspirations – all are the result of SWTT teaching.
  • I’ve finally trained for a job that I’m proud to do.
  • I have built a fantastic network of friends and colleagues.
  • One of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life, where I have learnt more than at any other time.
  • This year has changed my life for the better – simple as that!
  • I’ve had a lot of FUN!

 


John Annan

I had been working with special needs and very sick children.  They are inspiring and uplifting.  The Government grant system made this career change a viable prospect helping me to continue to support my family while I was training.

SCITT is on-the-job learning.  I felt that teaching was a practical front-line job that required pragmatic and practical training.  The lecture hall /theory route was not for me. 

On the School Centred pathway,  I actually started a little bit of teaching within a couple of weeks of starting the course so that everything that was discussed in subsequent lectures and training sessions was no-longer theoretical or abstract but based on (very) recent experience.  In short, immediate application with immediate feedback.  For me it was the best possible way to learn.

The staff at SWTT were relentlessly available, understanding and supportive.  The reason I chose this SCITT was that on meeting the previous year’s cohort of PGCE trainees, they were unreserved in their praise… as am I.

John Annan
SWTT Trainee 2018/19

Antje Derks

My old English teacher was my saviour. It was because of him that I got to where I am today. He believed in me when no one else really did and, as I got older, I became dissatisfied with corporate life and wanted to try and use my knowledge and experience to help students believe that they can be anything they want to be. I also wanted them to share my passion for reading and writing – being a journalist, I wanted them to see first hand what good English could do for their career.

I chose School Centred Teacher Training because I wanted to learn on the job rather than be at University. It suits my style of learning.

I loved the fact that I would be able to get stuck straight in and start teaching pretty rapidly. I liked the way SWTT was structured and the supportive environment. The cohort was a good mix of ages and backgrounds and we all felt like we were part of a team.

The level of support was phenomenal. The SWTT team were always on hand if we needed them and I had a mentor at each of my placements – both were brilliant in very different ways.

Antje Derks
SWTT Trainee 2018/2019