This online event is designed for SEND School’s intrested in developing teacher training provision in SEND schools. 

Sunningdale School Teacher Training Programme

Our programmes differ from non-SEND courses as they are specifically designed for graduates who would like to train to teach children with special educational needs. The training content covers all requirements that enable students to successfully achieve the Teachers’ Standards for QTS but also provides students with bespoke training to prepare them for working with children with special needs.

The Partnership

The School Direct Partnership is a collaboration between the lead school, Sunningdale School, Partner schools, Northumbria University, and the School Direct Initial Teacher Trainee (ITT). School Direct Over the last few years, the government has encouraged schools to take more control of teacher training as part of their plan to move towards school-centred initial teacher training rather than the more traditional routes provided by universities and higher education institutions.

School Direct

School Direct is a school-led initial teacher training (ITT) scheme. It is run by a partnership between a lead school, other schools and an accredited teacher training provider. School Direct has enabled Sunningdale School to collaborate with our School Direct partners to develop a customised programme of learning that meets the needs of SEND schools and trainees wishing to work within them.

Trainees work in school from day one alongside existing staff teams. This provides a great opportunity for trainees to gain strong insights into life as a teacher with the support of those already doing the job.

Building Capacity

 Over the five years the number of schools working with us has increased two-fold.

These schools have chosen to work with us because:

• They have struggled in the past to recruit staff with the necessary skills and knowledge require to confidently teach children with additional learning needs and are keen to build capacity recruit staff with the necessary know how and expertise to work in their schools.
• Are seeking to provide a progression route for their pools of existing graduate staff that have shown the aptitude and talent required of them to become fully qualified teachers and are keen to ensure that routes such as this are available so that staff with the potential to work with children with multiple and complex needs might be retained within special education.

As a member of the partnership, in conjunction with our ITT provider you will contribute to the creation of school environments that will enable trainees to become great SEND teachers.

The Training

Our training content covers all requirements that enable students to successfully achieve the Teachers’ Standards for QTS but also provides students with bespoke training to prepare them for working with children with special needs. Upon successful completion of the programme, students will be awarded either a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (level 7) or a Professional Graduate Certificate in Education (level 6) subject to the University Examination Board.

Work with Us

Schools working with us receive a bursary of £1000 and hand on support from our Lead School Direct Mentor If you are not already accessing School Direct provision and the prospect of joining us would be of interest to you, this FREE event is for you.