FAQs.
- What is a SCITT?
SCITT stands for School Centred Initial Teacher Training. In July 2014, John Taylor High School was accredited as a SCITT, which means that we are the accrediting provider for trainees and can award QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) to those who complete their programme
with us.
As a rule, for secondary applicants, your degree should be made up of at least 50% of the subject knowledge you wish to teach. Each person will have different circumstances and A levels can be taken into account. You may be required to take a Subject Knowledge Enhancement course. If in doubt contact us at scitt@jths.co.uk. For primary applicants a degree in any subject is acceptable.
Whilst we work with all trainees to offer a reasonable travel distance for placements, we will always prioritise a high-quality placement experience. This is no comment on any school or department however the SCITT will carefully consider capacity before assigning any placement. All trainees are notified of their home school placements in late June/early July.
Whilst we cannot guarantee that trainees will secure
employment, the majority of our trainees do. It is certainly our vision to “grow our own teachers” and recruit from our own pool of trainees but we cannot predict with any accuracy where the vacancies will arise.
Our programme will give you the opportunity to learn ‘on the job’ from the very beginning. You will benefit from working and learning every day in a school and benefit from immediate insight into what teaching involves. However this doesn’t mean you will be teaching classes before you’ve had a chance to find your feet. You will have an extended support network of experienced teachers and mentors on hand to help you throughout the programme.
UK ENIC are the National Information Centre for the recognition and evaluation of international qualifications and skills. UK ENIC provide candidates with a Statement of Comparability which will clearly state whether your qualifications are equivalent to UK qualifications. Very often, overseas candidates are asked to undertake an equivalency test in English, as English studied overseas may have been studied as a foreign language. It is very helpful to providers if candidates have gained this
evidence prior to interview, and may become a requirement of you being offered an interview towards the latter part of the recruitment year.
The John Taylor SCITT has the benefit of our own bespoke Training Centre, which is located on the John Taylor High School site. This forms a base for you to come and meet with trainees each Friday, in a professional yet friendly environment. Your training on Monday-Thursdays will take place in a local school as part of your school-based placements.
In line with SCITT’s and HEI postgraduate courses nationally, the cost of our programme is £9,250 or £6,935 for the part-time route. You may apply via Student Finance England from March onwards, and if this is your preferred option, we would advise you to apply as early as possible. A handy tool for calculating eligibility can be found at gov.uk.
You are also welcome to self-fund the programme if this is preferable.
Government funding changes each year, we recommend visiting education.gov.uk to find out more.
We are partnered with Now Teach who support people coming into teaching with experience in other industries. Joining their national network gives access to bespoke coaching and support to help career changers thrive in their new profession. If you decide to train to teach with The John Taylor SCITT, continued support and developmental opportunities are offered through this partnership.
Contact rachael@nowteach.org.uk for more information.
