To join any Initial Teacher Training Programme in the UK, candidates must satisfy the below criteria as set out by the Department for Education (DfE). You must:
All teacher training programmes vary, as do their requirements and assessment of suitable candidates. We want to ensure that our pupils are taught by the best and brightest teachers possible to give them an outstanding education and start in life. With that in mind, we look for these qualifications and characteristics in potential candidates:
What makes a great teacher? At Lift Schools, we understand that academic qualifications, while important, are not the only thing that make a fantastic teacher. The qualities and characteristics we look for in candidates allow us to determine if the programme could be a good fit for you, and are designed to give you every opportunity to shine during the application process.
Our trainees and teachers play a huge part in furthering our shared mission of providing an excellent education to every child, in every classroom, every day. It’s therefore important to us and our pupils that this mission aligns with your values, and that equality and equal opportunity for all is as fundamental to you as it is to Lift Schools.
Being a teacher is so much more than making sure your students have strong written and verbal communication skills. Communication style and proficiency can be the difference between a class that listens and understands and a class that doesn’t!
During the application process, we’ll be looking at how you try to engage us as a willing adult audience, as it will give us insight into how you might manage and maintain the engagement of an entire class!
Feedback and development are key focuses of the programme. We encourage trainees to reflect on and look critically at their teaching daily to identify areas for development (as well as their strengths!) and accept and absorb feedback from their coach.
These practices, combined with a natural curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, ensure that your improvement, however small, is ongoing: every day, you’re a step closer to becoming a fantastic, well-rounded teacher for your students.
Teaching is hard! And although it will be helpful and constructive, not all the feedback you receive will be positive. It can be incredibly frustrating if you don’t feel like you’re improving as quickly as you would like. The workload is intense, and your students may face challenging circumstances that manifest in the classroom.
You’ll need emotional strength to manage this daily, and to always look for the silver lining and remain optimistic in the face of setbacks, because we promise you – this challenge is so worth it!
