Last updated 15:44, Wednesday, 19 November 2008

TRAINEE teachers in West Cumbria are getting an out- of-the-ordinary learning experience at Cumbria Primary Teacher Training.TRAINEE teacher Niall Gribban originally trained as a teaching assistant but decided to go into primary education as a fully-fledged teacher and started with CPTT in September this year.

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Niall Gribbin: Found his time at Maryport Infants School

CPTT, on High Street, Workington, is giving the next generation of teachers an innovative course in initial teacher training for primary school ages.

It was set up in 1995 by a consortium of schools in the area which were geographically isolated from existing colleges. The schools contribute their experience to the trainees and are highly committed to the classroom-orientated course, which features close collaboration between experienced teachers and college tutors.

The year-long experience offers trainees the opportunity to become involved in the primary school environment and gain a greater insight into the role of a teacher which most conventional teacher-training courses wouldn’t always provide.

Close ties with 24 partnership schools allow the development of strong bonds with the teachers and pupils in school, rather than being seen as a college trainee on teaching practice.

After completion, trainees are awarded with qualified teacher status and a PGCE standard accredited by Lancaster University.

Approximately 50 per cent of course time is spent in schools. Over the year trainees develop classroom skills with full professional support and progress to a point where they are able to take over the role of class teacher.

The Programme Director for CPTT and former head of Maryport Junior School, John Pugh, said: “The course addresses the varied demands made on the modern primary teacher; recent developments in the curriculum, classroom approaches to teaching and the development of personal and professional standards.

“It is essentially school-based and is designed to make the best use of the strengths of all the schools involved.

“With such a variety of schools participating, trainees are placed in a sequence of schools that provide complementary experiences so that the nature of their training is broad and balanced. This will help them build their confidence and prepare them for future teaching careers.”

Each year CPTT recruits around 25 trainees straight from university or graduates looking for a career change. But, John said, the course requires special trainees to take part; those who have a high level of commitment and are eager to get in the workplace. They are then required to complete three placements throughout the year; four weeks in the autumn term, four weeks in the spring term and an eight-week placement at a school of their choice.

“We believe the best way for our trainees to learn and develop is to start teaching and experience the classroom environment as soon as possible,” John added. “When the trainees are not in the classroom they are being taught here in the centre developing skills on the national curriculum.

“As the course is very intensive and hands-on, we have found that it is beneficial for the trainees to work in pairs for some of their placements.We are one of the few teacher training centres to do this but we have found it extremely effective and the Government is keen to adopt this approach so our centre is helping by sharing our good practice with other training providers nationwide.

“We also have a highly-skilled base of staff who work with us from our partnership schools who act as mentors in the workplace.

“The centre is popular among the local trainees but we have had people from all over the country and the world, including students from Devon and even Norway.

“Because we are a small teacher training centre we can offer lots of individual quality attention for our trainees and because of this we have an excellent reputation.”

A recent external report for CPTT found the programme “continues to set high expectations for students” and the students view programme team as “highly supportive and responsive.”

It also found that trainees were “delivering lessons in imaginative ways, based in sound subject knowledge and with a very good knowledge of the pupils” and partnership schools “continue to be strongly committed to the programme and speak very positively of the quality of the students and of the effective systems developed by the programme team.”

For more information on the CPTT Centre or the courses available visit the website at: www.cptt.org.uk or call: 01900 325060

His is three weeks into his first teaching placement at Maryport Infants School and is beginning to settle into the classroom environment.

“I was so nervous for the first week I was in class but it’s become second nature to me now,” Niall, 25, said. “My previous training meant I had spent almost two years gaining experience in a classroom but staring a new school and getting to know new children was daunting.

“I am working with Key Stage 1 children at the moment which I’m really pleased with, because I want to teach younger children when I complete my course.

“When they’re a younger age there are no, or very few, behavioural issues. And you can see the positive effect you’re having on their lives.”

Both of his parents are teachers, as is his sister. But before Niall began his training he considered sticking with his job in a bank but eventually came to the conclusion he wanted a more exciting career.

“Personally, I found working in the bank too dull so when I decided to go into teaching and began training I felt I had found my calling. Spending time in the classroom has cemented my love of teaching; I want to stay in education.

“The course with CPTT is demanding. There are lesson observations to complete along with evaluations and essays on top of that. It’s not necessarily hard work but there’s a lot of it to do in a such a short space of time. But the support I’ve had both from the team at CPTT and the staff at Maryport Infants has been brilliant.”

Once Niall has completed his teacher training course he plans to undergo a one-year probationary period as a junior teacher and could see himself working in a school locally.

EMMA Heale has been a teacher at Maryport Infants School for three years. She moved to the area from Ipswich in Suffolk to train through CPTT and hasn’t looked back since.

Emma, 25, was in the third year of a music degree and had spent the previous summer at Camp America.

She centred her dissertation on working with children with special needs and from then on she knew a career working with children was the one for her.

“Originally I wanted to work abroad and that’s what led me to work with Camp America for the summer,” she said. “But I loved working with the kids so much that I took a change of direction.

“I must admit, it was hard work doing a PGCE for one year but I learned so much in that one year. I spent 16 weeks on placement in schools which was an invaluable experience. My first placement was with Ashfield Infants School and I loved it.

“Since I moved up here I have thoroughly enjoyed my time training and having a professional career, so I’ve no plans to go anywhere.”