Gainsborough: Queen Elizabeth High School will take part in a new teaching training scheme

More than 30 training places are available from September under a ground-breaking development which will see Lincoln and Lincolnshire growing its own teachers for future generations.

The Lincolnshire Teaching School Alliance (LTSA) has been accredited to lead and deliver the government-backed programme across 12 core secondary subjects and the School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) offers graduates the opportunity to undergo their training and accreditation while immersed in a school environment.

Andrew Chisholm, Director of the LTSA, said: “One of the most exciting things about running a SCITT is that we can identify special areas of need within our participating schools and then advertise, interview and train the outstanding teachers that we require,”

To deliver this new programme in subjects ranging from Biology and Chemistry to Computing and RE, the LTSA will be working with the University of Lincoln.

Mr Chisholm said: “We can ensure that our recruits are of the highest quality, train them to be teachers of distinction and award them a Postgraduate Certificate in Education. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.”

Successful candidates could be eligible for tax-free bursaries of up to £25,000 in some subjects, as well as the chance to train alongside experienced teachers in some of the county’s leading secondary schools and academies.

The headteacher at Queen Elizabeth’s High School, David Allsop, said: “Under our new SCITT scheme, trainee teachers will be embedded in our school.”

“This means we will be able to ensure that our highly qualified teachers and best tutors support our trainees on a daily basis as they develop the skills and knowledge to become teachers of excellence.”

“Working with the university, we are able to customise the training to meet the needs of both the school and the trainees, who gain practical experience from day one.”

“It is a great way to learn and qualify to become a teacher and many successful candidates will quickly progress into leadership positions.”

Applications for places on the LTSA SCITT are now open via the UCAS website, www.ucas.com and for more information on the LTSA visit www.lincolnshiretsa.co.uk.