FAQs

SCITT stands for School Centred Initial Teacher Training. It is a route to becoming a teacher that allows you to train in schools and is the perfect blend of hands-on school experience and academic learning.

SCITT training starts in school from day one, meaning you are exposed to outstanding teachers (and excitable children!) from the outset. Being constantly absorbed in a school environment means you can start building up the skills you need to become an incredible teacher before your teaching placements start. But don’t worry, we ensure you have a perfect balance between study and hands-on experience and we will not put you into a teaching environment before you are ready. We are also a Research School, which means that all our practice is supported by the best available educational research that translates into great classroom-based practice. All our training practices are underpinned by educational research to ensure that you have access to and can effectively utilise the best available research in your classroom, so we know we are giving you the best possible experiences and development opportunities that aid your transition to teaching.

We offer primary (ages 5-11) and secondary (ages 11-16) teaching phases. Our primary courses are: Core primary Our secondary school subjects are: Biology Chemistry Computing Design and technology English Geography History Maths Modern foreign languages PE Physics Religious education

Yes, though it varies by subject and phase. We recruit throughout the year but some courses fill up very quickly, such as history and primary, so if you are keen to apply then we would recommend that you get your application in early. However, we do consider applications right up until the course starts, if we still have spaces available.

As part of our SCITT programme, we provide both Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and a Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) to all trainees. North East SCITT (formerly Shotton Hall SCITT) is the accredited body for awarding trainees their QTS, and we partner with Newcastle University to deliver the PGCE. We do this as we believe it equips you with the reflective and professional expertise to make you the best possible classroom practitioner. In addition to receiving your PGCE, you will also earn 60 credits towards a Masters in Education if you choose to pursue this at a later date.

Our primary school training takes place across a range of our primary partners within our partner school alliance. They are mostly in the Durham area, but for your teaching placements you may be at other partner schools across the North East. Secondary training is based predominantly at the Academy at Shotton Hall where you will attend training sessions. You will then complete two teaching placements in our partner schools, but you will return to Shotton Hall for further training in between these placements. We will always take your home location into account when assigning your placement schools.

Take a look at our funding information here.

Take a look at our month-by-month course breakdown here.

The course takes ten months to complete and is full time.

You can find information on Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) here.

For the award of QTS at the end of the course, your progress is mapped throughout the year at key formative assessment points with your SCITT tutor and your school mentor. This culminates in a final summative assessment at the end of the year. All assessments are carried out in a supportive way and at points which correspond with your development opportunities.

Every trainee is allocated a SCITT tutor, based on your subject and phase. Your tutor will support you both academically and pastorally throughout the year. Our support begins even before you apply where we set aside time to discuss your options and your application with you. You’ll have one-to-one pastoral catch ups throughout your training as well as several wellbeing events through the year. Support doesn’t end when you leave the course either – we pride ourself on being there for you when you become a new teacher through regular contact – our door is always open!

We support and guide all our trainees in applying for teaching positions. We help with personal statements when writing an application, provide mock interviews, and help you to prepare fully for the interview day itself . Teaching interviews can be very different to those for other industries, so we take the time to make sure you’re prepared.

We consider this on an individual basis and we are happy to talk with you about your personal circumstances. Every trainee is different and we like to give you the best chance of success with your application.