THE door to an exciting new career in teaching is being opened in Warrington.
Generate Teaching Hub – part of Warrington Primary Academy Trust (WPAT)– has 20 places available on its 2023-24 School Direct initial teacher training (ITT) programme, with the application process open until July.
There are currently 16 teachers working in WPAT and other placement schools who trained with Generate, and the hunt is on for talented and committed individuals who can become the classroom teachers – and school leaders – of tomorrow.
Generate’s Initial Teacher Training (ITT) programme is an intensive academic and professional programme designed to help trainees develop an understanding of child development and pedagogical subject knowledge.
Trainees will combine academic learning and research with Liverpool Hope University and Aspirer Research School, with practical classroom experience in schools across Warrington and Halton.
Trainees can choose one of three training routes: primary 5-11 years, primary 3-7 years and primary 5-11 years with SEND (special educational needs and disabilities).
Trainee teachers can expect lots of support from highly skilled academic staff and school mentors as they do their training. And that support doesn’t stop once they are qualified: as early career teachers they will be eligible to receive two further years of ongoing professional support and mentoring.
Chris Jones, executive head of Bruche Primary in Warrington and Ditton Primary in Widnes, said: “I currently employ four teachers who were trained by the Generate Teaching Hub School Direct programme in my team of eight and all are a huge asset to our school.
“What is most important to myself is that I know the content and standard of training received by trainees and also information about all their school placements. We like to think that the School Direct training programme is the start of a career pathway in our academy of schools.”
One of the trainees who went on to work at a WPAT school is Callum Porter. He is now a reception teacher at Evelyn Street Primary School in Warrington.
“I’ve been a teacher now since September 2021 and I’m loving it,” he said. “The training gave me a lot of the theory behind what we do as teachers as well as the practical experience of being in a classroom.
“I’ve had an amazing experience in my first year as a newly qualified teacher. The job is everything that I wanted. As part of my early career teaching support package I meet with my mentor for an hour a week, and nothing gets missed.
“I love teaching my reception class. For me it’s all about seeing them come into the school as blank canvases and we get to see them develop.”
Further information about the training programme is available at https://generateteachinghub.org/teacher-training/
Generate Teaching Hub is the professional development and teacher training part of Warrington Primary Academy Trust (WPAT), a community of eight primary schools educating more than 2,300 children aged 2 to 11. WPAT was formed in 2016 and quickly developed a national reputation for excellent standards. WPAT provides staff at all of its schools with support, expertise and professional development so that they can provide the very best education standards for their children.
Picture: A WPAT teacher in action.
