For 2018 -19 we have 10 School Direct vacancies, and will accept candidates for both salaried and tuition fee funded School Direct. Each school in our group (see "Our Group of Schools") will accept at least one trainee, none will have more than two.
We work with the University of Reading, and to complement and supplement the training provided by the University, our schools offer other specific training. In previous years this has included ASD Awareness, Experienceology, Primary School Art, Practical PE and Closing the Gap in attainment. Trainees also have the opportunity to visit other schools in the group. We also work very closely with the School Direct group in Reading which is led by Geoffrey Field Junior School, and share much of the training across both groups.
Our trainees in the past have told us that they appreciate the fact that they get to know and to work with the trainees in the other schools.
At the end of the year we expect trainees to go into full time teaching posts in one of our schools. This is not an absolute guarantee as none of us knows exactly what our staffing needs will be in two years' time, but past experience suggests that all our trainees will find permanent teaching posts.
All the trainees will be on courses leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), which allows one to teach in the UK. There is also an option for trainees, if they wish, to work towards a Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) with QTS. This allows the holder to teach in certain places abroad, but trainees should note that there is an additional cost for the PGCE route and it will also involve a time commitment for additional days at the University during half terms and holidays.