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Westcountry Schools Trust

Westcountry Schools Trust

Westcountry Schools Trust

School Direct Programme

As a part of Teach South West we run Initial Teaching Training Programmes in a number of subjects in conjunction with Exeter University.  All our programmes lead to a University of Exeter PGCE with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Key Points:

We are a Teaching School Alliance led by Ivybridge Community College

We work with secondary schools to deliver a fantastic programme of opportunity

Exeter University is an outstanding ITT provider in the South West

Ivybridge Community College is your ‘home’ school (additional to your two placement schools) and is a support network for all your training needs

You have a Lead Mentor and a Reflective Mentor in each placement, you have a University Visiting Tutor (UVT)

The University of Exeter is the provider for Teach South West and is recognised by the NCTL and Ofsted as an outstanding provider of Secondary teacher education.

  • On the School Direct Training Programme you could be eligible for a tax-free bursary of up to £25,000, dependent on the subject you want to teach and the degree class that you hold.  You may also be eligible for a scholarship in certain subjects. Applications for School Direct are through Department of Education Apply ITT. The application system will show the subjects and number of places offered by each lead school.
  • Successful completion of a School Direct course with these two partners will lead to the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and a PGCE.
  • Trainees on the School Direct Training Programme, who are eligible for bursary funding and scholarships, will receive bursaries in the same way as trainees on other postgraduate ITT routes.
  • Scholarships may be available for candidates who wish to teach priority subjects, and are awarded by the relevant subject associations through a competitive application process.  Please visit the DfE website for more information on how to assess whether trainees are eligible for a bursary or scholarship.
  • The partner ITT provider will receive an allocation of bursary funding from the NCTL for all eligible ITT places, including those bursaries allocated for School Direct places.  The provider will then pay the trainee the bursary directly.
  • Applications open for this year’s Scholarships Programme

    Scholarships are available in computing, chemistry, mathematics and physics to support trainee teachers through their teacher training year starting in autumn 2023. Please remind applicants of this opportunity, and that they will need to make a separate application to the relevant professional body.

    Along with tax-free funding of £26,000, successful applicants will also receive a support programme from their appropriate professional body.

    ITT applicants will need to apply to the relevant professional body for a scholarship place and meet the eligibility and assessment criteria.

    For further scholarship details, including application processes and eligibility, visit: https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/funding-and-salary/overview/scholarships

    For more information on postgraduate bursaries and scholarships visit:

  • https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/initial-teacher-training-itt-bursary-funding-manual/initial-teacher-training-bursaries-funding-manual-2022-to-2023-academic-year