SECONDARY schools in Swindon have employed their 60th newly qualified teacher through a scheme set up to improve teacher recruitment in the town.

The School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) programme was introduced at the University of Bath in Swindon in 2003 to increase the number of secondary teachers for Swindon in the priority subjects of English, maths, science, design technology, and information and communication technology (ICT).

Swindon SCITT is a partnership between Swindon secondary schools, Swindon Council and the University of Bath to offer trainee teachers a one-year full-time course leading to a PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) and Qualified Teacher Status.

Trainees also have weekly lectures and school placements run in secondary schools all over Swindon under the guidance of a professional tutor and subject mentors.

“It’s important this scheme benefits Swindon and creates home grown teachers,” said SCITT manager Bryn Harrison.

“They really make the most of their training experience and become stronger trainees because of it. Our trainees range from new graduates in their 20s to people later in life making a career change.

“The SCITT is progressive and forward looking and it benefits from continual evaluation from trainees and teaching staff.

“In the five years the SCITT programme has been going we have managed to get 60 teachers into secondary schools.

“In the latest scheme 10 teachers got jobs in Swindon and two in other schools in Wiltshire.”

John Gilbert, Swindon Council’s director of children’s services, said: “This is a fantastic programme that helps to develop our own teaching base in Swindon.”

Lectures are held at Isambard Community School in Redhouse.

For more information about the course, call Bryn on 01793 753018, or email b.harrison@bath.ac.uk.