Course Structure

Term One:

• 8 Mondays central training on professional themes, subject specific study and special educational needs study;
• 4 days a week in main placement, putting the theory into practice.

Term Two:

• 6 Mondays central training on professional themes, subject specific study and special educational needs study;
• 4 days a week in second school teaching experience including a diversity experience which includes Primary and Post-16 school experience.

Term Three:

• 4 Mondays central training on professional themes, subject specific study and special educational needs study;
• 4 days a week in main placement school, putting the theory into practice;
• June-July full time in main placement school.

In the classroom, initial observation and interpretation progresses to co-planning, team-teaching and evaluating parts of lessons before trainees progress to taking on full delivery of lessons.

With this experience, trainees develop their lesson planning, teaching and evaluation at different key stages and continue to participate in classroom teaching in their preferred age range and specialist subject. Towards the end of the academic year, trainees will be expected to be involved with up to 60%-70% of the timetabled week.

There is an option to undertake a diversity experience in a special needs school if this is of interest to the trainee.

One of the main characteristics of the Basingstoke Alliance SCITT Programme is its focus on the individual needs of the trainee. The trainee will be allocated a personal mentor and together they will plan what they consider to be the best way of enabling the trainee to meet all the QTS standards. The SCITT Programme Director and Subject Board Tutors will support trainees and mentors in this goal as much as they can. Trainees and mentors will organise teaching and school-based input to ensure a balanced timetable; this will be done at the beginning of the training to ensure the trainee fulfils all the requirements in terms of coverage. Trainees are required to attend a course of central training, which complements the school-based training. The dates of central training will be built into the trainee’s calendar for the year. The Professional Development Record (PDR) is designed to help trainees to plan the training; it is completed every week, identifying foci of thinking and work for the coming days.

A trainee can expect these activities to be included in their school-based training programme:

• An appropriate teaching timetable which fulfils the requirements of the programme guidelines;
• Opportunities to work alongside teachers, subject leaders and other professionals;
• Opportunities to plan and manage the work of teaching assistants;
• Opportunities to observe the teaching styles of a variety of teachers in the school;
• Weekly meetings with the mentor to discuss training, planning, teaching, review the SL, set targets and support professional development;
• Termly meetings with Mentor and SCITTCo to reflect and report on progress;
• Attendance at staff meetings, team planning meetings and CPD/INSET days;
• Meetings with subject leaders to develop subject knowledge;
• Attendance at central training days;
• Tutorial meetings with SCITTCo and/or members of SMT to address whole school practice, such as PSHE, ECM, Citizenship, ICT, Inclusion, Assessment, EAL, Key Skills, Safeguarding and Health and Safety;
• Lesson observations by Mentor, SCITTCo, Headteacher, subject leaders with written feedback (minimum of three per week);
• Awareness and study of relevant school and government documents;
• Experience of substantial, sustained teaching across two key stages;
• Observation and group teaching in the two age ranges on either side of the above (minimum of three days in each);
• Further school experience;
• Completion of CEDP

• A Main Placement School Teaching Placement – Autumn Term – KS3/4.
• A Second Placement School – Spring Term 1 – KS3/4.
• A Diversity Placement looking at Transition and other Government priorities – Spring Term 2 – KS2/5.
• Main Placement School teaching and Assessment period – Summer Term.
• SEND Experience – Each trainee will spend a week at Dove House School Academy over the Spring and Summer Term.
• Outdoor Leader Training.

Visit to a local school to observe students in an SEN environment – www.dovehouseacademy.com

Part of the unique nature of the Basingstoke Alliance SCITT is the provision of enhanced opportunities to experience wider educational issues in the form of a Special Needs Experience.  Dove House School Academy is a designated teaching school, which caters for students with moderate learning difficulties between the ages of 11-16.  It is also the lead school for the SCITT.

The purpose of such enhancements would be to reflect on other practice and allow it to inform individual teaching strategies.  Evaluation of enhancements might be captured in an Education & Professional Studies written assignment, reflective development record insert or a seminar presentation.

The aims of the Dove House experience are to enhance:

1. The basic SCITT training by offering an experience of an MLD secondary Special School.
2. Awareness of the diversity of the nature of pupils with Special Needs and to acknowledge that, whilst inclusion should be the aim and the norm, there are some young people for who segregated Special Education is the preferred option.