All posts by Doncaster ITT

We are a genuine Partnership run BY and FOR schools who passionately believe that teacher training can and should be delivered with the student at the very heart of why and how we deliver training.

Applications, Events, Information, Support

* ‘Drop-in’ sessions and school Open Days in Doncaster*

November 28, 2019 Doncaster ITT 11 Comments

Need to talk to someone about your application?

It’s always great to meet with and talk to potential applicants wanting to apply to train to teach in Doncaster, so if you have queries about our training programme or if you want to discuss any aspect of your application, then please come along and see us at one of our school or centre ‘Drop-in’ sessions, ‘Open Days’ or local Teaching Events:

2019

- Tue 17th Dec (8am – 1pm) Drop-in Session – Mary Woollett Centre

2020

- Mon 13th Jan – School Open Day (Primary) – Woodfield Primary (Attendance by Application*)
- Mon 20th Jan (8am – 4pm) Drop-in Session – Mary Woollett Centre
- Wed 22nd Jan – School Open Day (Primary) – Balby Central Primary (Attendance by Application*)
- Thu 13th Feb (12.30 – 3.30pm) Drop-in Session – Ridgewood School
- Tue 10th Mar (8am – 4pm) Drop-in Session – Mary Woollett Centre
- Tue 31st Mar (8am – 4pm) Drop-in Session – Mary Woollett Centre

*Open Days – Please contact the Partnership to book a place at an Open Day as places are limited

Confirmation of dates/times and details of further Drop-in Sessions and Open Days will be posted here once finalised.

Although it does help us to know (by email) if you are coming to a Drop-in session, there’s no need to book a slot (only for Open Days) so please just turn up at the school’s or centre’s Reception and we’ll be on hand to help you with any queries you may have regarding schools-based teacher training or making an application etc.

We look forward to seeing you!

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Previous Events:

Thu 24th Oct (4 – 5:30pm) – Open Evening – Mary Woollett Centre, Danum Road, Doncaster, DN4 5HF
Sat 9th Nov (10am – 12 pm)- Teach Yorkshire – Adwick IOE
Wed 27th Nov (4.30 – 7.30pm) – Doncaster Train to Teach Event – Mercure Doncaster Centre Danum Hotel
Tue 10th Dec (9.30am – 12.30pm) Drop-in Session – Ridgewood School

Also look out for other posts with details of the DfE (Department for Education) ‘Train to Teach Roadshows’ taking place in the Region (Doncaster’s was on 27th Nov 2019!) and our own ‘Teach Yorkshire’ Events, which are held in Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster & Barnsley .

Information

Teach in Doncaster and get your student loan repaid!

November 26, 2019 Doncaster ITT Leave a comment

All Languages, Biology, Chemistry, Physics & Computer Science teachers who start a teacher training course (or are in years 1 to 5 of their careers) from/after September 2018, will be eligible for the Teachers’ Student Loan Reimbursement scheme announced by the Secretary of State in October 2017, provided they are teaching in a state-funded school in a designated Local Authority (LA).

Doncaster is one of those Local Authorities!

This will therefore NOT apply if you teach in a neighboring LA that is not on the list. The only other local LAs are: Barnsley, Bradford, North East Lincolnshire & North Yorkshire.

The full list of participating Local Authorities can be found here.

This is a massive opportunity to both train in and then stay on and teach in Doncaster, so let us help you to take the first step.

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How do we compare?

November 26, 2019 Doncaster ITT Leave a comment

The Department for Education’s (DfE) performance data for ITT Providers (July 2019) shows that the Doncaster ITT Partnership is:

In the Top 10 Providers in the Yorkshire & Humber Region;
Ranked higher than all but one University!;
3rd (by just 2%!) for trainee attainment in South Yorkshire overall;
2nd for Primary attainment in South Yorkshire;
2nd (by just 1%*) for Secondary attainment in South Yorkshire.

NB* – That’s just 1% behind a Russell Group University!

We’re proud to be doing so well, but we’re not complacent and we’re aiming to be No. 1 in South Yorkshire and to be in the Top 5 in Y&H

Watch this space!

Applications, Hints & Tips

Talk to your Referees now!

November 23, 2019 Doncaster ITT Leave a comment

Don’t let the leaves fall while you wait for a reference to come through!

The UCAS recruitment system requires applicants to nominate two Referees – one should be your current (or most recent) employer or perhaps your course tutor, if you’re still at Uni.

Whoever you nominate, we advise you to speak to them NOW if you haven’t done so already, as your application will not be able to be sent on to us from UCAS until both references are back in their system.

So speak to them NOW so that they can agree to provide a reference, know to look out for a reference request for you soon and understand how important it is to you that they complete it as soon as possible.

Good luck with your applications!

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Applications, Events, Hints & Tips, Information, Support

Need help with your application?

November 17, 2019 Doncaster ITT Leave a comment

Are YOU ready to apply, but are struggling a bit with your personal statement?

Maybe YOU just need some final guidance around the interview process?

You’ve still plenty of time to submit your UCAS application to start your Teacher Training next September and we’re keen to make sure that YOU have the resources YOU need to apply this year. However, as the year progresses some subjects will fill their places and we’ll have to close for any more applications.

The Department for Education (DfE) Get into Teaching Events team is planning to host some FREE application workshops, where YOU will:

have access to one to one advice from experts who will show YOU ways to maximise the impact of your application;
be able to get feedback on your personal statement and advice around the application process.

So go to the Get into Teaching website and register for your nearest Application Workshop in Yorkshire.

Or if you’re a career changer looking to get into teaching then perhaps go to the Transition to Teach website and apply for additional support with your application.

Then when you’re ready to apply, go to the DfE’s ‘Find a Postgraduate Teacher Training Course’, choose the Doncaster ITT Partnership and two others from Teach Yorkshire , then link through to UCAS to apply.

Make your application STAND OUT!

Good luck with your applications!

Applications, Information

What will happen to my Application?

November 17, 2019 Doncaster ITT Leave a comment

Once you apply, if your application is short-listed**:

Primary – you will be asked to select areas of the Borough that you would prefer to be trained in, if you have a preference. Then Partner schools in that area(s) will consider your application and hopefully contact you to arrange a visit to a school* to discuss your application or invite you to attend an interview.

Secondary – applicants that schools wish to consider will be contacted by a Partner school and invited in for interview.

*The school that contacts you may only be hosting interviews, so may not be the same school that you would train in, if you are subsequently offered a place.

Please note we are not able to use the ‘Interview’ stage on the UCAS system as our Partner schools and academies will arrange individual interviews themselves, so your application may still be shown as ‘Referred’, but actually may still be being considered by schools.

Please see our Blog post on ‘Hotmail’ as you may be missing an email from us or a school with important information -i.e. an invitation to interview.

All ‘Offers’ will show as ‘Conditional’ as they are subject to the usual clearances and checks, but will be changed to ‘Unconditional’ once all these (inc. the DBS checks and Skills Tests etc.) have been completed.

If you’re not sure what’s happening email us: ittpartnership@doncaster.gov.uk

**On behalf of the schools, if your application is not short-listed – it will be ‘Rejected’ on UCAS by the Partnership.

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Information

Why do schools-based training?

November 17, 2019 Doncaster ITT Leave a comment

Our last cohort of SCITT & School Direct students are now off and running with their Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) ‘Induction’ and our current cohort are fast approaching the end of their 1st term, so that means we’re already recruiting applicants wanting to start teacher training in September 2020 (UCAS opened in October 2019).

So why did our trainees chose schools-based training and why should you? Do you want to:

go back to university and sit in a lecture theatre for days on end?
complete assignments to prove that you know how to teach?
only see children when you are sent to a school miles from home?
have no real choice about where you’ll train?
increase your student loan debt by as much as it’s possible to borrow (£9,250)?
have to do (and pay for) a PGCE, when you know that you don’t really need one to become a qualified teacher?

No? – Neither did our trainees!

Or would you rather:

train to teach in a school environment?
have a choice about where you train in local schools?
be trained by specialist teachers who really know and understand teaching?
be supported to learn by experts with the most up to date teaching techniques?
really feel part of a school, not just a ‘visitor’ on a placement for a few weeks?
save over £1,300 against the cost of some courses?
have the choice about whether you want to do a PGCE or not, in addition to your teacher training?

Yes? – That’s why our trainees chose us and why you should too!

Please look through this website to find out more about why you should consider school-based training in a Doncaster ITT Partnership school and see how to apply for one of our programmes.

Good luck with your application!

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Hints & Tips, Information, Support

Fundamental English & Mathematics Criteria replacing Skills Tests

November 15, 2019 Doncaster ITT 7 Comments

First the good news – the DfE announced in July 2019, that applicants for teacher training starting in Sep 2020 will no longer have to pass the two Professional Skills Tests. However, all trainee teachers will now be required to demonstrate that they meet ‘Fundamental English & mathematics’ criteria.

ITT Providers will continue to ‘test’ applicants for their numeracy & literacy skills to determine that all teachers are able to demonstrate competence in the following areas:

Speaking, listening and communicating are fundamental to a teacher’s role;
Teachers should use standard English grammar, clear pronunciation and vocabulary relevant to the situation to convey instructions, questions, information, concepts and ideas with clarity;
Teachers should read fluently and with good understanding;
Writing by teachers will be seen by colleagues, pupils and parents and, as such, it is important that a teacher’s writing reflects the high standards of accuracy their professional role demands;
They should write clearly, accurately, legibly and coherently using correct spelling and punctuation;
Teachers should use data and graphs to interpret information, identify patterns and trends and draw appropriate conclusions;
They need to interpret pupil data and understand statistics and graphs in the news, academic reports and relevant papers;
Teachers should be able to complete mathematical calculations fluently with whole numbers, fractions, decimals and percentages;
They should be able to solve mathematical problems using a variety of methods and approaches including: estimating and rounding, sense checking answers, breaking down problems into simpler steps and explaining and justifying answers using appropriate language.

Further official guidance can be found here

We’re really looking forward to deleting this post and never having to mention Skills Tests ever again!!

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Applications, Hints & Tips, Information, Support

Are you considering a ‘career change’?

November 10, 2019 Doncaster ITT Leave a comment

The DfE advisory service is to encourage second year undergraduates and career changers who want to teach a ‘priority subject’, but are not ready to apply this recruitment year.

The DfE has recruited a number of specialist advisers who will provide a dedicated one-to-one support service, which aims to help candidates to chose the right teaching route, providing help and support with their ‘application journey’.

To access this service, please register with the Get into Teaching site

Good luck with your applications!

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* APPLY TODAY!! – Applications are now OPEN!! *

November 10, 2019 Doncaster ITT Leave a comment

You can search for course training details on the Department for Education (DfE) ‘Find’ website, then apply on UCAS for places to start in September 2020.

If you have any queries about teacher training in Doncaster then please get in touch as we’d love to discuss your application to us for next year.

Good luck with your applications!