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Schools

Help unlock and nurture the teaching talent of the next generation of teachers

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Step Into Teaching - for schools

Schools face increased competition for graduates from other industries. This makes it difficult for schools to attract and retain high-calibre graduates in the teaching profession.

The Step Into Teaching programme is designed to provide a continuous stream of classroom-ready teaching talent for a smooth transition into a trainee teacher role.

Other perceived benefits of the Step Into Teaching Programme include:

Helps drive progress and support all learners to achieve their goals
Increases the number of graduates training to be teachers, educational psychologists and speech and language therapists
Reduces early trainee dropouts in teacher training and raises teacher retention levels

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How it works

Step Into Teaching is partnered with graduate teacher training programmes around the UK to provide a steady stream of outstanding graduates who are interested in training to teach. Our graduates work in schools via a long-term support role before progressing onto an Initial Teacher Training Programme (ITT) the following year. We want to help produce and prepare strong classroom practitioners who will have long and successful careers in teaching.

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Step 1: Working in Partnership

Our common goal is to introduce talented graduates to the teaching profession. Working together we can achieve this. We are jointly responsible for supporting, developing, and nurturing graduate trainee teachers throughout the Step Into Teaching Programme. SMART objectives and continued two-way communication make the Step Into Teaching Programme a success!

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Step 2: Engagement

No two schools or graduates are the same. Therefore, we do not have a one size fits all approach to working with you. We meet with you face-to-face and listen to your specific requirements to tailor our services to meet your individual needs. We always aim to match the right school with the right graduate.

Arranging face-to-face meetings with your school representatives to discuss classroom requirements, areas of development (subject or key stage)
Interviewing and shortlisting graduates who are serious about a career in teaching
Matching the expectations of your school’s requirements with that of the suitable graduate trainees
Finding the perfect fit for your school; What are we looking for at the interview stage? A strong academic background, an energetic personality, a passion for teaching and learning, a commitment to education and a big smile
Organising individual or group tours of your school for graduates to experience the school environment, meet the staff and pupils
Managing and communicating the full initial teacher training opportunities, which will entirely be facilitated by Step Into Teaching on behalf of your school

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Step 3: Recruitment Process

Step Into Teaching will:

Advertise the Step Into Teaching Programme to graduates, providing candidates with further information on how to apply for your ITT
Assess a candidate’s suitability for a career in teaching, through our rigorous registration and face-to-face interview process
Perform candidate pre-employment checks including: Enhanced DBS, Children’s Barring List, Prohibition Check, References, Right to Work and Qualifications, References
Provide ongoing candidate training: Safeguarding and Child Protection, Mental Health and Wellbeing
Introduce candidates who pass our vetting process to the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and teachers, on a trial basis
Facilitate the flexible, ongoing contract on your behalf

A teacher talks to a student as they work on tablets

Current Graduate Cohort

Please find enclosed the profiles of current graduates on their Step Into Teaching journey.

English Grad - Job Profile

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Maths Grad - Job Profile

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Science Grad - Job Profile

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SEN Learning - Job Profile

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Primary School Grad - Job Profile

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"Historically at Ormiston Forge Academy we have recruited staff from various routes into teaching. After receiving an initial email from Neil Poole at Step into Teaching, we were keen to set up a meeting to find out more about the graduate programme, and venture into a new route of recruiting teachers. From the start, Neil and his team were extremely approachable and flexible in their approach allowing us to benefit from the services offered by the organisation. We are now 6 months on from the initial meeting and have already worked with various high-quality graduates; recently employing an excellent scientist full time who will be placed immediately onto our Assessment Only programme. We look forward to working with Neil and the team again in the near future."

Steve Hadley

Senior Leader ITT & NPQ Programmes - Ormiston Forge Academy

'At Ormiston Forge Academy we have always been creative with recruitment of teaching staff, it can be difficult getting teachers and even more challenging recruiting good ones. We have always engaged with universities and worked with our sixth formers to create our own teachers, but Step into Teaching has unlocked another, quality route to recruiting trainees.
We hire graduates via 'Step into Teaching', who we place as Teaching Assistants/Support Staff on fixed term contracts. These graduates are really well selected for aptitude and ambition - the best ones are then filtered through a Teacher Training Programme. This programme has already yielded a number of vibrant young teachers'.

Mr Andrew Burns

Executive Principal

"Step Into Teaching is an innovative initiative; focusing on enticing high quality graduates into the teaching profession. We have secured several graduates to date across our schools and have been delighted with their professionalism and drive. Individuals have contributed towards particular areas of school improvement; providing skills, knowledge and capacity. Working in our schools prior to their initial teacher training at South Birmingham SCITT provides us with opportunities to secure recruitment and retention into the profession."

Elizabeth Ford

Director of South Birmingham SCITT

We share the passion for bringing talented new graduates into the teaching profession. The Step Into Teaching programme provides an ideal pathway for ITT providers like Services For Education to train and support the best new teachers and enable schools to meet their recruitment and retention needs.

Andrew Cooper

Head of School Support Service - Services for Education

Working with Neil on the Step Into Teaching Programme has really been a collaborative affair. Working with high quality potential Graduate coaches, which Neil has introduced us to has enabled us to talent spot potential teachers. Neil has listened carefully to our needs and understood our Trust well, and as a result, we have been able to identify several Graduates Coaches, who have been employed by our Trust. In their roles as intervention experts, they have been able to have a positive impact, adding capacity to the existing teaching, and working in a bespoke way with our students. This has also helped them to get more experience of the teaching profession, confirming to them how satisfying the career is, and enabling several Graduate Coaches to go on to successfully make applications to train to teach.

Emma Hatton

Director of Secondary Teaching School - Tudor Grange Academies Trust

"Step into Teaching is an excellent programme. Unlike competitors it is bespoke and built around the needs of the school. Step into Teaching are, in our experience, highly discerning in the quality of graduates they find and their suitability for teaching, they have really helped our long term pipeline recruitment in key subjects"

Chris Jupp

Headteacher - Barr's Hill School

Step into Teaching has enabled those interested in pursuing a career in the classroom an opportunity for first hand experience. I was fortunate enough to work with Neil to secure an Academic Core coach to help with our Year 7 students who required bespoke wave 3 intervention. This has exposed the candidate to a plethora of experience and opportunity. They have worked closely with staff, formed strong relationships with students and have understood the need of impact data and measuring progress. The position has offered them the direction needed should they wish to pursue a PGCE/School Direct. I would highly recommend Step into Teaching and look forward to working with Neil and his team very soon!

Arif Nedjat

Acting Assistant Principal: Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Make an enquiry

If you would like to learn more about Step Into Teaching, please complete the form below and a consultant will be in touch with you within 24 hours.

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