In this blog, Director of the John Taylor SCITT, Mike Simmons, celebrates his 10th year of leading individuals through initial teacher training.
He reflects on career highlights and shares some of his learnings.
Whilst catching up with some University friends recently, one of my closest friends (and even Best Man at my Wedding!) suggested that I now am, “a former teacher who teaches teachers how to teach teachers how to teach”. This almost inception-esque comment brough laughter amongst us all but made me think a little deeper about my role as Director of The John Taylor SCITT.
This month will mark quite a significant and personal milestone for me. It will culminate the tenth year of leading individuals through initial teacher training. I am so proud that within the dawn of my career that a full decade has been dedicated to shaping the next generation of educators across North Birmingham, Staffordshire and beyond. Over this time, I’ve had the privilege of leading over 500 trainee teachers through their respective training programmes in a range of School Direct and accredited provider SCITT routes. Each individual trainee teacher brings their own unique blend of talent, curiosity, and commitment to the profession.
What stands out most as I reflect on the last ten years isn’t the personal milestones but the array of people that I’ve helped to develop into excellent educators. I love that in my role you get to guide the nervous day one trainee who questions whether they’re “cut out for this,” to the confident QTS graduant who leaves the programme ready to inspire and lead in their own Early Career Teacher classrooms. It’s the transformation that keeps me energised, inspired and humbled in equal measure year after year.
The landscape of teacher training has evolved significantly over the last decade. There have been policy shifts, funding changes, re-accreditations, inspection framework changes and of course, the challenge of leading initial teacher education through the Covid-19 pandemic.
Through it all, what hasn’t changed is the power of great teaching. We know that the most significant in-school factor in improving pupil outcomes is the quality of the teacher. That belief has underpinned everything I’ve done. Whether someone is joining the profession straight from university or after a career in another sector, our role is to help them realise their potential and, ultimately, the potential of the pupils they will teach.
As the current Director of the John Taylor SCITT, I am surrounded by an exceptional team of JT SCITT staff and school-based colleagues. Our network of partner schools share our vision for teacher training and ensure that our training offer is inclusive, rigorous, and deeply rooted in the realities of the classroom.
Our SCITT is a place where research meets practice, where relationships matter, and where we don’t just train teachers—we support the development of future school leaders. I am so proud to see the career milestones of my former trainees. There’s something particularly special about watching our alumni return as mentors, subject leads, and even senior leaders in our partner schools. It’s a reminder that teacher training is just the beginning, and that our impact, as a provider, ripples far beyond the Initial Teacher Training year.
As I celebrate this 10-year milestone, I’m filled with gratitude for the people that have trusted me to hold this role and the school-based colleagues, mentors, trainees, and schools who’ve shaped this journey.
I’m also filled with excitement for what lies ahead. The challenges facing education are real, but so too is the passion and innovation I see every day from our trainees and partners.
Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey so far. Here’s to the next ten years of inspiring, challenging, and championing the teachers of tomorrow.
Applications for the 2025/2026 training year are still open. Get in touch below for more info.
In this blog, one of our current Primary Teacher Trainees shares their first impressions of life on the John Taylor SCITT programme – from applying and interviewing to classroom experiences and early reflections on teacher training.
This blog welcomes our new trainees to the JTSCITT, sharing more about our approach, our personalised support and building a teaching career.
In this blog, Mike Simmons, Director of JTSCITT, highlights the importance of the summer before teacher training as a valuable time for preparation.
This blog welcomes our new trainees to the JTSCITT, sharing more about our approach, our personalised support and building a teaching career.
