Trainees ‘part of the furniture’ at town schools

The national School Direct approach to initial teacher training enables schools to select and recruit their own trainees.

Those who are selected typically spend four days a week in their two placement schools.

In Morpeth, Chantry Middle School is the lead school for primary candidates and Northumbria University is the training provider. Primary trainees will be placed in Chantry and a partner first or middle school.

King Edward VI School is the lead for secondary candidate trainees, some are based there and at Chantry, with support from Newcastle University as the training provider.

Lead mentor for School Direct at Chantry, Susan Brown said: “We are very keen to be part of the School Direct programme because it allows trainees to learn on the job and they become part of the furniture at our schools.”

As well as doing stints at Chantry and St Robert’s First School, trainee Natasha Fea has enjoyed additional opportunities at other Morpeth sch-ools and across the North East.

She said: “My confidence has increased as the placement has progressed and it is great to see the students make progress in their learning.

“The support I get from Chantry Middle and Northumbria University is fantastic and complements what I do in the classroom.”

Chantry deputy headteacher Steven Johnson said the trainees are ‘highly valued’ by the schools involved and many of them are then employed by a school in The Three Rivers Learning Trust – there is a guaranteed interview for a suitable job at their main host school at the end of the placement if one is available.

Places are still available for a September 2019 start in both primary and secondary, with bursaries on offer for some subjects.

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