News

Haverstock Welcomes Teach First Trainees and Launches New Teacher Training Programme

– By Kath Mackenzie, Assistant Headteacher

We’re proud to share that Haverstock School is once again the host school for Teach First’s School Centred Learning Week, part of their national Summer Institute.

This is the third year in a row we’ve had the privilege of welcoming new Teach First trainees into our classrooms, and it’s a week we always look forward to.

School Centred Learning Week is a brilliant opportunity for new trainee teachers to experience what life in school is really like. For us, it’s a chance to showcase everything that makes Haverstock such a vibrant, inclusive and ambitious place to learn and teach. It also a reflection of the trust that Teach First places in our staff, our leadership, and our wider school community.

This summer, we’re particularly excited, because we’re about to take that partnership to the next level. From September, Haverstock will be launching our very own School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) programme, in partnership with Teach First. This is a major milestone for our school and something of which we’re incredibly proud.

Haverstock SCITT will allow us to train new teachers from the ground up, right here in our school. Unlike traditional university-based routes, SCITT programmes are built around hands-on experience in the classroom, with expert mentoring and professional development delivered in the real environment where teaching happens. For us, this is key. It means our trainees will gain practical, day-to-day experience with the support of outstanding teachers, while also building a deep understanding of our values, our community and our students’ needs.

Our SCITT will offer high-quality training, tailored support, and a strong sense of belonging from day one. We know that great teachers don’t just need subject knowledge. They need confidence, empathy, resilience and a genuine belief in the power of education to change lives. That’s exactly the kind of teacher we want to grow.

We’re launching this programme because we believe schools should play a leading role in shaping the profession. With Haverstock SCITT, we can do exactly that. We will help ensure that more young people, in more classrooms, benefit from brilliant teaching delivered by people who are passionate, well-prepared and truly connected to the communities they serve.

We can’t wait to welcome our first cohort of Haverstock SCITT trainees this autumn.