School-Centred Initial Teacher Training Programme (SCITT)

Where can you train?

With access to more than 110 schools across England, you'll benefit from a wide range of training opportunities in diverse school settings. We place trainees directly into United Learning primary and secondary schools, as well as our extensive network of partner schools, including academies and independent schools, so you can focus on your training from day one.

When you apply, you let us know your preferred school. We then look for the best match, thinking about your subject, the school environment, and where you are most likely to do well. We aim to place you within about an hour’s commute, so your training feels realistic and manageable.

What you will study

Your training covers five key areas:

• Behaviour
• Pedagogy
• Curriculum
• Assessment
• Professional practice

What we look for

How we'll support you

We have trained thousands of teachers who are now making a difference in schools across the country. From your first day, your wellbeing and professional growth will be at the heart of your training.

You will benefit from:

• High-quality, practical training
• Strong subject and pastoral mentoring
• A research-led curriculum
• Local school placements
• Clear pathways for career progression
• A strong focus on wellbeing

Our course is for those who want to make a lasting impact in their classrooms and communities and develop into confident teachers, role models, and future leaders.

Dedicated mentor support

Weekly training

Training sessions are on Friday afternoons, led by the United Teaching team and subject leads.

These dive into the theory of teaching and cover aspects such as Rosenshine’s principles, professional behaviour, and curriculum. The benefit of a school-based programme is that you can quickly put your learning into practice in the classroom, adapting and refining as you go.

After each session, you will add to your training log to keep a record of what you’ve learned, how you plan on implementing it, and ultimately show how you have met each Teacher's Standard.

Most sessions are delivered remotely, but at least one each half term takes place in person at one of our regional training centres.

Assessment

To qualify as a teacher, you must successfully meet all Teachers’ Standards.

Our assessment model focuses on formative assessment and target setting, which allows you to develop continuously throughout your training year. You will maintain an online portfolio as a folder of evidence of how you meet each Teacher Standard. This is a formal record of your training year and will form part of the final assessment. 

The final assessment takes place in May - July and includes a joint lesson observation, progress and feedback discussion, and a review of your portfolio.

PGCE

If you choose to study a PGCE, you’ll complete this alongside your school-based training. 

You will be assessed via two written assignments, which are designed to work in conjunction with our curriculum: pedagogy for learning in the classroom and planning for learning in the classroom. These assignments ask you to reflect on and evaluate your own practice and that of your placement schools. They provide you with 60 credits at Level 7, which can be used as part of a future Master's degree (180 credits). 

You will be allocated an academic tutor who will support you throughout the course. For each academic assignment, you will be provided with taught sessions and 1:1tutorials. 

To be successful, you will need to engage thoroughly with published academic research and educational theory.