Information for Schools

At Inspiration Teaching School Hub, we understand that the Initial Teacher Education landscape is sometimes difficult for schools to navigate. We hope we can answer questions here that schools might want to consider before offering a placement for a trainee.

The Department for Education (DfE) has provided clear guidance here for schools who want to consider placing a trainee, to explain what is involved in the process. This document gives an overview of school placements, how to offer an ITT placement, what happens before the ITT placement begins and during the placement and what we mean by offering intensive training and practice. (ITaP)

If you’re offering an ITT placement from September 2024, you’ll need to be able to assign a school-based mentor who can spend at least 1.5 hours with their trainee per week. Each school-based mentor must complete up to 20 hours of initial mentor training with an accredited ITT provider. This training will help mentors understand:

• what’s involved in the mentor role and the skills they need
• the ITT core content framework and its underpinning evidence
• the ITT curriculum which the trainee will be following

Mentors do not need to complete the training before they can begin to support trainees. However, the training should be aligned to meet the trainees’ needs throughout their ITT course. Accredited ITT providers can also consider any relevant prior learning that mentors have completed including as an early career framework (ECF) mentor. This may reduce the total hours of training a mentor needs to complete.

Schools are able to claim funding for the actual hours training undertaken by the mentor to a maximum of 20 hours. More information about the general mentor grant is available in the initial teacher training reform funding guidance. The DfE will publish information on how schools can apply in spring 2024.