Unity Schools Partnership’s Helen Main wins Administrator of the Year award

Helen Main, ITT Manager at Unity Schools Partnerships, has been named Administrator of the Year by the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT), the voice of school-led initial teacher training and development.

Helen beat off fierce competition from Ailsa Anderton (North West SCITT) and Cathy Scott (Kirklees and Calderdale SCITT), who were runners-up in NASBTT’s Administrator of the Year award. The category recognises exceptional administrators who go above and beyond in ensuring the smooth running and success of school-based provision.

In awarding the Administrator of the Year prize, the judging panel comprising of education and ITT experts said: “Helen emerges as a worthy winner in the Administrator of the Year category from a strong field of evidently hard-working and dedicated professionals. What particularly impressed the judges was the fact that she demonstrates, day-in and day-out, the exceptional dedication and commitment to the partnership and the trainees it recruits and trains. The nomination cited her ‘relentless optimism, positivity and solution-focused attitude…someone who significantly influences strategy and operation’. Of particular note was the exemplary way she absorbed a lengthy and complex period of jury service whilst ensuring that the partnership continued to function smoothly and efficiently. It is evident that Helen is highly regarded by trainees, not least because of her tireless commitment to promoting and enhancing their mental and emotional wellbeing.”

Upon receiving the award, Helen said: “I am hugely honoured to have been nominated and greatly humbled to have received the inaugural NASBTT Administrator of the Year award. As administrators we share in the highs and lows with the trainees and their tutors. Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. I wish to thank NASBTT for supporting myself and others in the pursuit of continuous improvement to provide an outstanding local ITT provision.”

The inaugural NASBTT Awards, held at the Union Jack Club in London on 11^th July, were launched to celebrate excellence in school-based teacher education and recognise the exceptionally hard-working and talented professionals involved in driving the profession.

Sponsoring NASBTT’s Administrator of the Year award category was TeachVac, a free-to-use national vacancy system for schools and teachers.

North West SCITT’s Denise Heath wins Mentor of the Year award

Denise Heath, a trainee teacher mentor at North West SCITT, has been named Mentor of the Year by the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT), the voice of school-led initial teacher training and development.

Denise beat off fierce competition from Kate Reeves (Devon Primary SCITT) and Natalie Hosie (Stockton-on-Tees Teacher Training Partnership), who were runners-up in NASBTT’s Mentor of the Year award. This category recognises outstanding mentors who inspire other new and aspiring teachers to take up this important and often underrated role in school.

In awarding the Mentor of the Year prize, the judging panel comprising of education and ITT experts said: “The nomination cites that Denise ‘has the perfect skill-set as a mentor; adapting and amending her own style as the trainees gain confidence and competence’. Over the past five years not only has she trained 14 primary trainees but she has taken a leading role in developing other colleagues for the mentoring role and been proactive in contributing to key developments in the SCITT’s training programme. Denise ‘ensures that any changes to the programme are suitable and manageable for the trainee teachers as well as school-based mentors. Her honest and sensible reflection has been invaluable to us as the programme has developed over the years’. As if this was not enough, Denise is ‘determined to ensure that high-quality trainees are recruited to the programme and offers the opportunity for interested individuals to spend time in their classroom in order to gain a true and realistic understanding of the demands of teaching’.”

Upon receiving the award, Denise said: “I am both delighted and shocked to be the first recipient of NASBTT’s Mentor of the Year award, particularly for something that I thoroughly enjoy doing. I would like to say thank you to Dawn Davies (Executive Lead) and the team at North West SCITT, who over the last five years have allowed me to mentor some amazing trainee teachers, all of whom have gone on to become outstanding teachers in their own right. It is an honour to be part of their training. It gives me great personal satisfaction to see them become amazing teachers, who go onto inspire and change children’s lives. Thanks must also go to NASBTT for hosting such a fantastic awards evening and congratulations to all the winners.”

The inaugural NASBTT Awards, held at the Union Jack Club in London on 11^th July, were launched to celebrate excellence in school-based teacher education and recognise the exceptionally hard-working and talented professionals involved in driving the profession.

Sponsoring NASBTT’s Mentor of the Year award category was Outset Teacher Education, which provides e-portfolio solutions to support teachers’ professional development.

Surrey South Farnham SCITT duo win Trainer of the Year award

Dave Cole and Bob Twells, from Surrey South Farnham SCITT, have been named Trainer of the Year by the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT), the voice of school-led initial teacher training and development.

The duo beat off fierce competition from Carol Allen (Associated Merseyside Partnership SCITT) and Alison Brady (Associated Merseyside Partnership SCITT), who were runners-up in NASBTT’s Trainer of the Year award. This category recognises inspirational trainers or facilitators whose best practice provision excites and motivates school-based trainee teachers.

In awarding the Trainer of the Year prize, the judging panel comprising of education and ITT experts said: “Many of the nominees were evidently inspirational trainers in diverse aspects of initial teacher education whose impact on the thinking and practice of significant numbers of trainee teachers is clearly apparent, but Dave and Bob are clearly a dynamic duo. As one judge commented: ‘their sessions are described in such a way (and evaluated incredibly highly by a range of trainees past and present) that one wants to book to attend’. The SCITT leaders say in their nomination that: ‘We have been inundated with nomination requests from past and present trainees’. As one grateful recipient’s testimonial said: ‘I just had to say how fantastic the behaviour management training was today. They were the perfect training duo – hilarious at times and with so much good content. I certainly left feeling uplifted and with plenty of strategies to try’.”

Upon receiving the award, Dave said: “Firstly, Bob and I were incredibly touched that someone would even find the time to nominate us for our work with Surrey South Farnham trainees; to actually win the award took us both by surprise and we feel incredibly humbled. Having both worked in challenging schools we are acutely aware that effective strategies for behaviour management are the cornerstone for any effective classroom, and for a school for that matter. At a time when behaviour is a national challenge our role is even more crucial. Our simple focus on rules, routines and relationships coupled with fun and a trainee-led approach, has really helped us to empower our trainees. We love our work with trainees and feel privileged that we can really help make a difference.”

The inaugural NASBTT Awards, held at the Union Jack Club in London on 11^th July, were launched to celebrate excellence in school-based teacher education and recognise the exceptionally hard-working and talented professionals involved in driving the profession.

Sponsoring NASBTT’s Trainer of the Year award category was Anspear, a technology and publishing company whose mobile learning platform powers core curriculum courses for children, distance learning degrees, language learning, vocational training and CPD.

Associated Merseyside Partnership SCITT’s Pauline Treanor wins Partnership Lead of the Year award

Pauline Treanor, Head of the Associated Merseyside Partnership SCITT, has been named Partnership Lead of the Year by the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT), the voice of school-led initial teacher training and development.

Pauline beat off fierce competition from Claire Harnden (Surrey South Farnham SCITT) and Sacha Beresford (The Kemnal Academies Trust SCITT), who were runners-up in NASBTT’s Partnership Lead of the Year award. This category recognises partnership leads who motivate and inspire their core team to achieve success through effective leadership and management.

In awarding the Partnership Lead of the Year prize, the judging panel comprising of education and ITT experts said: “Pauline emerged as Partnership Lead of the Year because the judges were totally convinced by the description of her ‘passion for education, boundless energy and relish for new challenges and opportunities to influence the learning of children, trainees and colleagues’. Clearly, Pauline has developed a new SCITT from its earliest days and overseen its growth into a strong and ever-evolving partnership of many schools across five local authorities. The nomination cites: ‘Colleagues enjoy and excel working for the Partnership because Pauline makes things happen, she secures outcomes and celebrates the individual contributions made. Success is achieved because she empowers those around her’.”

Upon receiving the award, Pauline said: “My vision was for a school-led initial teacher training programme that not only brought new teachers into the profession but kept existing staff in schools by providing CPD and career development opportunities through their engagement with the SCITT. Our recruitment process is robust and ensures that trainees are quickly embedded into school life and fully understand the teacher’s role. I am delighted that 78% of our first cohort are now in leadership roles within education. It is an honour to be recognised for doing a job that I love – I am proud to be a teacher.”

The inaugural NASBTT Awards, held at the Union Jack Club in London on 11^th July, were launched to celebrate excellence in school-based teacher education and recognise the exceptionally hard-working and talented professionals involved in driving the profession.

Sponsoring NASBTT’s Partnership Lead of the Year award category was TeachingTimes, publisher of School Leadership Today, Professional Development Today, Creative Teaching and Learning magazines, along with Every Child Journal, Digital Learning and Learning Spaces. The group also publish e-bulletins: Leadership Briefing and Every Child Update.

Nottinghamshire Torch SCITT wins Innovative Practice of the Year award

Nottinghamshire Torch SCITT has won the Innovative Practice of the Year award from the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT), the voice of school-led initial teacher training and development.

Nottinghamshire Torch beat off fierce competition from North West SCITT and Now Teach who were runners-up in NASBTT’s Innovative Practice of the Year award. This category recognises innovative ways for training the next generation of teachers and how this practice is promoting new entrants to the profession.

In awarding the Innovative Practice of the Year prize, the judging panel comprising of education and ITT experts said: “Emerging as the clear winner of the award for Innovative Practice of the Year, Nottinghamshire Torch SCITT demonstrated a strong outward-looking approach, using a diverse range of settings across their programmes, including forest schools and specialist settings. The nomination states: ‘Each trainee will have visited over eight different school settings, whilst undergoing a large number of training days…they develop a strong understanding of different educational settings, leadership and management philosophies and catchment areas prior to seeking employment’. The element of innovation that was most significant was the focus on international education. The SCITT currently provides a fully-funded trip to Finland and is exploring a visit to Houston moving forwards, which shows a commitment to sustaining their approach to innovation over time.”

Upon receiving the award, Nottinghamshire Torch SCITT Director Treena Philpotts said: “It is a great honour to be given this award in recognition of our work in developing a wide range of opportunities for our trainee teachers. We know that within teaching having the opportunity to visit a full range of educational settings is critical for teachers to develop their own philosophies, values and pedagogical approaches. We continue to see innovative practice within schools; teachers themselves never stop learning and it is important to develop this ethos at the Initial Teacher Training phase as these are our future school leaders. I wish to thank the SCITT team and the wider school partnerships within and beyond the Nova Education Trust as well as the Jyvaskula Teacher Training School who have shown so much commitment in supporting our programme. We really enjoyed the evening and thank you to NASBTT, Dr Adam Boddison and Nasen for presenting this award.”

The inaugural NASBTT Awards, held at the Union Jack Club in London on 11^th July, were launched to celebrate excellence in school-based teacher education and recognise the exceptionally hard-working and talented professionals involved in driving the profession.

Sponsoring NASBTT’s Innovative Practice of the Year award category was Nasen, the UK’s leading organisation for promoting the education, training, advancement and development of all those with special and additional support needs.

Liverpool Hope University wins HEI Partner of the Year award

Liverpool Hope University has been named HEI Partner of the Year by the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT), the voice of school-led initial teacher training and development.

Liverpool Hope, which was nominated by Associated Merseyside Partnership SCITT, beat off fierce competition from the University of Roehampton and Somerset Centre for Integrated Learning, who were runners-up in NASBTT’s HEI Partner of the Year award. This category recognises university partners who work collegiately with school partners to create genuinely personalised and impactful training programmes.

In awarding the HEI Partner of the Year prize, the judging panel comprising of education and ITT experts said: “What makes Liverpool Hope University stand out is that in a system designed to make school-based providers and universities compete, the partnership between the SCITT and the HEI is about collaboration and co-promotion, with clear co-support at a strategic level. The nomination states: Liverpool Hope ‘is always willing to accommodate requests for change or suggest alternatives so that together we improve trainee experiences.  Most recently, this has seen the introduction of a new module that will reduce workload and enhance understanding of curriculum design for trainees’. As one judge noted: ‘This is a responsive partner providing access to education conferences and student support services.  Active promotion of the partnership to improve recruitment to multiple routes is commendable’.”

Upon receiving the award, Liverpool Hope University’s Head of Teacher Education Sue Cronin said: “I am delighted to accept the award on behalf of the Liverpool Hope Teacher Education team. Partnership is the key to everything we do so this award is very special for us. Our work with Associated Merseyside Partnership (AMP) shows just how powerful SCITT-University partnerships can be when we collaborate. AMP SCITT has been a fantastic partner for Liverpool Hope to work with; we have both supported and challenged each other to improve our programmes and practice. The partnership has been a win–win. In an increasingly challenging landscape, strong partnerships are essential for system improvements and we value our partnership with AMP SCITT.”

The inaugural NASBTT Awards, held at the Union Jack Club in London on 11^th July, were launched to celebrate excellence in school-based teacher education and recognise the exceptionally hard-working and talented professionals involved in driving the profession.

Sponsoring NASBTT’s HEI Partner of the Year award category was the Universities’ Council for the Education of Teachers (UCET), which acts as a national forum for the discussion of matters relating to the education of teachers and professional educators, and to the study of education in the university sector, and contributes to the formulation of policy in these fields.

Devon Primary SCITT wins SCITT or School Direct Lead School of the Year award

Devon Primary SCITT has been named the SCITT or School Direct Lead School of the Year by the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT), the voice of school-led initial teacher training and development.

Devon Primary SCITT beat off fierce competition from Northampton Teacher Training Partnership and Shotton Hall SCITT, who were runners-up in NASBTT’s SCITT or School Direct Lead School of the Year award. This category recognises the ‘best of the best’ school-based teacher training providers within the sector.

In awarding the SCITT or School Direct Lead School of the Year prize, the judging panel comprising of education and ITT experts said: “The excellence of Devon Primary SCITT’s provision has been recognised by Ofsted in each of the four inspections they have received dating back to 2003. They have pioneered and refined the concept of learning conversations and cascaded this approach to many other providers. This programme and its leaders have also participated in system-wide leadership support activities over the past two years. As one of the judges noted: ‘This nomination identifies the three areas of quality, distinctiveness and contribution to the wider ITT sector. It is an impressive nomination because all three of these areas have been so successful over time’.”

Upon receiving the award, Andy Ogden, Strategic Lead of Devon Teaching School Partnership and Devon Primary SCITT, said: “It is an honour to accept this award on behalf of Devon Primary SCITT. Behind it lies a passionate partnership of staff, Heads and their schools who are fully committed to training the next generation of teachers. Although our partnership received this recognition, the awards evening was a true celebration of all the partnerships of schools across the country who provide excellent training so that all of our children will be taught by wonderful, creative teachers.”

The inaugural NASBTT Awards, held at the Union Jack Club in London on 11^th July, were launched to celebrate excellence in school-based teacher education and recognise the exceptionally hard-working and talented professionals involved in driving the profession.

Sponsoring NASBTT’s SCITT or School Direct Lead School of the Year award category was Phil Smith Communications, a specialist PR, communications and stakeholder engagement consultancy for the education sector.

Kim Francis wins Outstanding Contribution to Initial Teacher Training award

An ITT professional who has dedicated over 40 years to supporting the development of trainee teachers and teacher educators has received the Outstanding Contribution to Initial Teacher Training award from the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT).

Kim Francis was Programme Lead for the North Lincolnshire Graduate Teacher Programme/ SCITT from 2003-14 as well as the local authority’s NQT induction co-ordinator, chairing the Yorkshire and Humber ITT provider network, and serving as a member of the Initial Teacher Training Advisory Group (ITTAG) for eight years. Prior to that, he taught English in secondary schools for 28 years, serving as a subject mentor and ITT co-ordinator for much of that time.

Now a freelance ITT consultant, Kim joined the NASBTT Board of Trustees in 2014 and has co-ordinated a number of projects including the Training and Assessment Toolkit, Management Support Partner programme and Ofsted preparation workshops, including collation of NASBTT’s annual inspection analysis reports. He is also an experienced ITT external moderator and formerly a school governor.

In announcing the award, decided by NASBTT, Chair of Trustees Ian Hollingsworth said: “The Outstanding Contribution to Initial Teacher Training award goes to someone who is so humble that we suspect he will be stunned when his name is revealed. This person has dedicated many years of his life to the ITT sector and is a trusted colleague and critical friend to many NASBTT members, as well as to the NASBTT team themselves. His unfailing optimism and wonderful sense of humour make him a pleasure to work with, whilst his in-depth understanding of the sector, coupled with his endless willingness to learn more, mean he is an invaluable source of support and guidance to many of us. His particular penchant for deep dives into every Ofsted ITT report published each year creates a yearly publication for NASBTT which is highly valued by many across the sector.”

Upon receiving the award, Kim said: “This is such an unexpected honour. The work I have been pleased to do – to try to help support colleagues leading ITT programmes – has been a pure pleasure. It is especially gratifying when colleagues let me know that my efforts have provided practical help as they strive to develop their provision. I am firmly of the view that being involved in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) is the very best job in education because we are involved in enabling and empowering the next generation of teachers to educate and influence the life chances of the nation’s children and young people. In my case, I feel I was born to contribute to ITE – it has been a privilege. Thank you NASBTT for recognising the small part I have played – it means such a lot.”

The inaugural NASBTT Awards, held at the Union Jack Club in London on 11^th July, were launched to celebrate excellence in school-based teacher education and recognise the exceptionally hard-working and talented professionals involved in driving the profession.