Do you want to train to teach within a Trust that recognises the potential in all its employees?
The School-Centred Initial Teacher Training provision (SCITT) at Ad Astra Academy Trust is provided in partnership with Teach First and culminates in Qualified Teacher Status and a PGCE. Working together, we can help every child reach their potential and create stars of the future.
Trainees will complete school-based learning placements in one of our ‘Good’ schools, which have different areas of expertise and serve a wide range of catchment areas Our schools are located throughout Hartlepool, Stockton, Middlesbrough and County Durham. You will be based in a ‘home-school’ throughout your placement, to allow you to form strong relationships with pupils, staff and the local communities. There will also be an opportunity for a shorter placement in an alternative setting, to provide a range of experience. Information about each school can be found here
All of our schools provide a highly supportive and aspirational environment which will allow you to thrive by developing the professional knowledge, curiosity and skills necessary for the delivery of innovative and challenging teaching and learning. We believe that our school-centered model will provide the perfect platform to develop inspirational teachers of the future.
Ad Astra’s staff are our most valuable resource and we have the expertise, experience and a proven track record in training and high-quality professional development.. Our teachers are experienced practitioners who are supportive, aspirational for our pupils and eager to share their skills, knowledge and practice with the future generation of teachers.
As a Trust, we have worked with trainee teachers for many years and recognise the vital contributions they make to the schools in our Trust. We support the development of trainee teachers and encourage them to ‘reach for the stars’ through a range of opportunities including our Aspirant Leaders Programme; there are many examples in Ad Astra where trainee teachers have become ECTs and have moved on to permanent positions and moved through the career pathway.
To date, all successful ITT trainees have gained a full-time teaching position within the Trust; a statistic that we are extremely proud of.
The course
Ad Astra Train to Teach offers both Early Years & Key Stage 1 (ages 3 to 7) and Primary (ages 3 to 11) teacher training; the programme includes a combination of classroom-based learning, mentorship, and theoretical study, all of which will be delivered by our own expert teachers and leaders across from across our Trust. Key features of our SCITT programme include:
- On-the-Job Training: Trainee teachers actively participate in teaching from the beginning, gaining hands-on experience in real classroom settings.
- Mentorship: Trainees are assigned a mentor, an experienced teacher, who provides guidance, support, and feedback throughout the training process.
- Academic Study: Trainees engage in theoretical and pedagogical studies, usually delivered through seminars, workshops, and assignments, often in collaboration with a university partner.
- Assessment: Assessment methods include observations of teaching, reflective journals, written assignments, and examinations.
Professional Development: The program develops the skills and knowledge required to meet the standards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
Programme overview
At the start of the programme in September, you’ll have two weeks of intensive training which will focus on the core areas of teaching such as behaviour management and lesson planning. Parts of this will be attended by the Trust CEO, a former headteacher and National Leader of Education; a great chance for you to network. You will have a further two separate weeks of intensive training later in the year.
Our one-year, research-led training will give you plenty of hands-on experience and will allow you to train to teach in a school near you. Our curriculum focuses on supporting you to put learning into practice and to have an impact on pupils during a core school placement from mid-September to July.
You will have one day a week to engage in training and development to support your teaching practice, as well as six weeks gaining broader school experience in other educational settings. The programme balances developing your subject knowledge and expertise alongside giving you a deep understanding of effective teaching methods and techniques to manage your workload and wellbeing.
In your school, you will spend your time with other expert teachers, observing their lessons and learning how to teach and plan lessons, all whilst being able to practise your own teaching. You will work closely with a highly skilled and knowledgeable mentor, who will also receive support and training from the Ad Astra Train to Teach team.
Your weekly training day is designed in collaboration with Teach First’s expert curriculum designers and sequenced to make sure you are focused on the areas of teaching that are most relevant to that point in the year. The training will include a mixture of online and face-to-face elements and will ensure that you develop the knowledge and skills you need to become a great teacher, gain your PGCE and achieve Qualified Teacher Status.
The programme also includes six weeks in another educational setting, starting in January. This placement will be designed in partnership with the graduate to gain experience in another school and setting within Ad Astra. This may include a placement in an alternative key stage or a school which has a specialism which meets the needs and interests of the graduate.
Choosing which route to take into teacher training can be a difficult decision, so please get in touch if you have any questions and to help you decide which route is right for you.
Apply now for both EYFS and Primary SCITT for September 2026 with Ad Astra
