Course structure
The North East SCITT teacher training programme is an 11-month, full-time course that runs from September to July.
Our full-time course will consist of four days in school and one core training day with your North East SCITT cohort. You will work around school hours of 8am til 4pm, usually with an earlier finish on Fridays, however these times will differ slightly depending on your placement schools.
July
Flying Start Week
You will be invited to an optional training week in July, before your course begins, to enable you to 'practice' teaching before stepping into the classroom. It is not compulsory, however, it would be extremely beneficial to attend if you are able, to help you prepare for September.
ITaPs sessions
The training days will also include intensive training and practice (ITaP) sessions on managing behaviour and relationships.
Autumn term
SCITT tutor
From day one, and throughout the course, you will have access to a personal SCITT tutor, offering pastoral and job application support.
Main school placement
You will begin your main school placement on your very first day in September, where you will stay until the Christmas break. The course fully immerses you in school life from the offset, allowing you to shadow and learn from brilliant teachers. You will not be expected to teach on your first day in school, your timetable will gradually build up and increase as the year progresses.
Core training
You will be with the SCITT team every Thursday for core training. This will involve safeguarding training, lesson observations, planning, behaviour and research-based training.
Spring and summer terms
Contrasting school placement
You will begin your second 'contrasting school placement' in January. The aim of the contrasting placement is to provide trainees with a broader experience, so they can get a better understanding of what type of school they would like to work in.
Further core training with North East SCITT every Thursday
Return to main school placement
You will return to your main school placement after the February half term until the end of the course.
Ongoing
Post SCITT support as an Early Career Teacher (ECT) & ongoing CPD development!
PGCE Assessment
The National Institute of Teaching (NIoT) currently works in partnership with the University of Birmingham (UoB). The UoB is the validating university, which means it has responsibility for awarding the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) element of the NIoT’s programmes. The NIoT has applied to the Office for Students for registration and for New Degree Awarding Powers (NDAPs). If granted, we will be able to run all elements of its programmes and award PGCEs ourselves.
If the NIoT is awarded NDAPs prior to the start of academic year 2025/2026, then all students will be awarded their PGCE by the NIoT (rather than the UoB). If the NIoT is not awarded NDAPs by such date, NIoT’s programmes will either remain validated by the UoB or where NIoT and UoB have ended their validation arrangement, the NIoT may use another validating partner and your PGCE will be awarded by that validating partner.
If the programme you have applied for is affected by any change in the validating partner, we will contact you as soon as possible to inform you of the change. If we do not notify you of any such change, the programme will remain validated by UoB.
The impact of a change of validating partner from UoB to an alternative validating partner or to the NIoT itself will be the institution who awards your PGCE element of the programme. If you accept an offer for a programme for the academic year 2025/2026, this is done so on the basis that you are aware of the validation changes that might occur before your programme begins.