Portsmouth SCITT
When a group of headteachers established Portsmouth Primary SCITT in 2000, little did they know that 24 years later, it would still be providing excellent teachers for the city and beyond. We have been graded OUTSTANDING since 2004. Our most recent inspection in February 2024 against an updated inspection framework reaffirmed the outstanding judgement. We are driven by a committed partnership; our headteachers and mentors are passionate about children’s learning. We are fortunate to work within a trust that allows us to be passionate about our city but also contribute to the wider partnership. The University of Chichester Academy Trust definitely understands the importance of championing teaching. There is a strong sense of local identity and a shared commitment to train and retain high quality teachers.
Some of the highlights of our recent (Feb 2024) report are:
- Trainees’ passion for education is fully rewarded when they join this superb school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) programme.
- Trainees are resilient, accomplished and exceptionally well prepared for a demanding career in teaching.
- The programme’s care of the individual trainee is echoed in trainees’ deep understanding of pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities. A continuous focus on safeguarding throughout the course ensures that trainees are completely prepared for their future responsibilities.
- The SCITT’s moral purpose and commitment to the community radiate teaching expertise across the local area.
- Nothing is on the programme without a crystal-clear purpose: from the meticulous and sensitive pairing of mentor and trainee to the assiduous oversight of SCITT leaders, governors and trustees.
- Leaders ensure that subject leaders, link tutors and lead mentors are top-quality experts in their subject areas, with renown that extends beyond their own schools.
- SCITT leaders have as high expectations of themselves as they do of trainees: they deliberately seek out and act on feedback to continually improve the programme.
- Attention to detail at every stage characterises leaders’ quality assurance of mentoring, training and assessment of trainees. Mentoring thoroughly lives up to the highest expectations. Mentors are comprehensively trained, supported and quality assured.
For a prolonged period, Portsmouth SCITT has been conspicuously successful in fulfilling its original purpose of being, ‘Set up by Portsmouth, for Portsmouth’. While the partnership’s reach extends beyond the confines of the city, the SCITT has undoubtedly been a vital supply line of high-quality professionals for the city’s schools over many years. Many Portsmouth schools employ former trainees, many of whom are now mentors, middle leaders, and even deputy or headteachers. As the recent report acknowledges, “Headteachers vouch for the high calibre of trainees and seize every opportunity to appoint them in their schools. Most former trainees remain in teaching, and many become school leaders. Trainees’ views are typified by a comment: ‘This course has changed my life – and now I have my dream job.”