I would like to celebrate the strength and quality of the ITE at the University of Nottingham as I thoroughly enjoyed the course and have become a confident and successful educator since completing my PGCE. The course was well adapted to the needs of trainee teachers and supported me on my journey to entering the classroom. During the pandemic the ITE training was of high quality, consistent and supportive to the needs of all trainee teachers. The online resources, lectures and sessions were well adapted and allowed for a high standard of training to still be obtained outside of the classroom. This encouraged me to research more about educational theories and develop the confidence in my own ability to become a successful educator.
As a Northern Irish student moving to England to complete my ITE in Nottingham, I felt I was well supported and prepared to enter the world of teaching. The course offered insightful training sessions on all aspects of education and prepared me for my placements before the pandemic started. I thoroughly enjoyed the training sessions and opportunities to teach in the classroom from early on in the year and feel that this prepared me for my NQT year in this profession. The course is well structured and allows a staggered timetable for trainee teachers to prepare well and gain as much experience as possible in the classroom before teaching for the first time. This experience allowed me to observe many great practitioners and see a variety of pedagogical approaches in the classroom before establishing myself as a teacher. The support of university mentors and peers allowed myself and other trainees to share and learn from our experiences. Throughout the year the ITE allows trainees to gain knowledge, skills and confidence to teach well in the classroom.
I believe the ITE partnerships’ ability to focus on pedagogy, educational theory and the most up to date educational research plays a crucial role in preparing future teachers to be successful in the classroom. Going forward, I would like the DfE to continue ensuring trainee teachers are adequately funded to complete the ITE courses going forward.
