A programme is being offered to allow trainee teachers in Oldham to develop their skills and remain within their community.

The Harmony Trust, a multi-academy and school led trust based in Oldham and Derby, is working with leading education charity Teach First, to provide School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT).

This will mean teachers of the future can train within their local community.

The programme is a one-year teacher-training course for people looking to learn on the job, and means those who wish to remain in Oldham can do so by training at The Harmony Trust’s Oldham academies.

These include Alt Academy, Greenhill Academy, Northmoor Academy, Richmond Academy and Westwood Academy, with places also available at Greenfield Academy in Hyde, Tameside.   

Trainees will spend most of their week getting hands-on experience, interacting with pupils and working as a member of school staff.

They will also receive subject-specific training in addition to learning effective teaching methods.

Training begins in the classroom from September, with a designated mentor from The Harmony Trust on hand to provide trainees with one-on-one support throughout the course.

At the end of the programme in July next year, trainees will be awarded qualified teacher status and a postgraduate certificate in education.

Once qualified, teachers will start on a qualified teacher’s starting salary of at least £30,000.

Sarah Taylor, assistant director of education for The Harmony Trust, said: “We are delighted to announce this partnership with Teach First and we hope to encourage as many applications from the local community as possible.

“We would love to see some of our old pupils inspiring the next generation in our classrooms. 

"Our trainees will be part of the team from day one.”

Teach First is one of the largest initial teacher training provider in the country and has worked with a range of educational experts and school leaders to develop the SCITT programme.

Teach First chief executive officer, Russell Hobby, said: “I’m incredibly pleased that The Harmony Trust are partnering with Teach First to help get more great teachers into Oldham and Tameside.

“Teaching is one of the most rewarding careers out there, and with our expertise in high-quality training, along with The Harmony Trust’s knowledge of what the schools and communities in their area really need, we can deliver a great future for every child.”

Applications for September are open now. Those looking to find out more can go to visit The Harmony Trust's website or can sign up to an open morning by clicking here.