Schools Lead South West Success Story | Re-designation as Teaching School Hubs

We are pleased to report that SWIFT has been given another four years of Government funding following the re-designation of Colyton and Kingsbridge Teaching School Hubs.
 
Government validates the work of schools with £1,560,000 funding over next four years.

The Government has re-designated Colyton Grammar School and Kingsbridge Community College, a member of the Education South West Trust, as Teaching School Hubs. The schools use the £1,560,000 of funding over the next four years to improve the recruitment, retention and training of teachers and leaders in our South West schools. They do this through the organisation they have founded called SWIFT – the South West Institute for Teaching.

SWIFT has had remarkable success in its first three years of operation.
 

• 1,104 Early Career Teachers have been supported with programmes of training in the first two years of their career.
• 911 experienced teachers have been trained as mentors to those early in their careers.
• 1280 teachers and leaders have followed National Professional Qualification programmes in specialist aspect of teaching and leadership.

 
This totals to 3,295 teachers and leaders who have engaged in over 80,000 hours of training with SWIFT to have a direct impact on the quality of education and lives of young people in South West schools.

Georgia Wheatley is a Year 6 Teacher and SENDCO at Tor Bridge Primary in Plymouth:
 
“The SWIFT Early Career Framework programme combined online learning with the opportunity to meet others in-person at seminars.  This is a fantastic way to network with other colleagues across Plymouth and has been fundamental to my development as a teacher. The modules linked with previous training that I had received at my placement schools and university. This has allowed me to build on previous learning and apply it in my classroom practice.”
 
Aimee Mills is Assistant Headteacher at The Park School in North Devon and has been studying with SWIFT for her National Professional Qualification in Headship (NPQH):
 
“NQPH with SWIFT has given me confidence to trust my instincts and methods. I have a solid foundation of knowledge to fall back on when I need it.  One of my modules was all about Special Educational Needs. I hadn't realised how much it prepared me for the role, which I have taken on with confidence and gusto; I haven't been shy of making a few changes!” 

This September, SWIFT has been further accredited to offer its own programme of recruiting and training teacher trainees in South West schools and has already signed up over 60 trainees who will start this September.
 
SWIFT Executive Director, Martin Smith said:

“We know that many people want to change career to enter teaching, as well as the graduates who join straight from university. People want to train in the beautiful South West, and to train near where they live. We have five campuses in North Devon, Plymouth, East Devon / Dorset and Mid Devon / Somerset and aim to recruit 430 trainees over the next four years. We work with other training providers to boost the numbers joining the profession. Together we are making a significant impact in improving the recruitment and retention of teachers in South West schools.”

Natalie Holt is starting her training as a teacher with SWIFT Teacher Training this September.
She is currently a nurse and is making a career change to teaching:
 
“I have chosen to make a career change into teaching because I want to inspire and support the next generation. Teaching lets me share my passion for my subject and develop that enthusiasm for learning in others.
SWIFT is my choice because the course mixes face-to-face and online learning, and is designed and delivered by expert teachers. I can’t wait to start!”

Headteacher of Colyton Grammar School, Tim Harris said:

“There are two huge benefits of this school-led approach to improving recruitment, retention and quality of our teachers. Firstly, it is practising experts who are providing their wisdom and expertise to build the skills of our future teachers and leaders. Secondly, the funding goes to our schools and stays within the school system.”
 
CEO of Education South West, Matthew Shanks said:

By working collaboratively across two Teaching School Hubs, SWIFT are having a positive impact on teachers and leaders. The people who ultimately benefit from this work – massively – are the children throughout the South West.”
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By Roger Pope CBE, Associate & Strategic Leader of Teaching & Research Schools (Education South West)