This is a one-year, full-time course, specialising in teaching across the 5-11 age range with a focus on teaching in specialist provision for children with complex learning needs with recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) upon successful completion.
You will develop your skills and knowledge of the Primary National Curriculum and statutory requirements for working with children with Special Educational Needs with the help of an expert class mentor over the 37 weeks, enhancing your skills and expertise across Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 in mainstream and specialist schools.
Information
Structure
Trainees attend regular centre based learning conferences which are delivered by experts in their field. They also undertake considerable personal research with specific reference to their particular professional training placement.
Each trainee has a personalised Individual Training Plan which reflects their individual strengths and areas for development and we personalise our training to suit these needs.
Placements
Trainees complete two significant training placements in mainstream and SEN/D provision e.g.
- September to January in a mainstream school training placement
- February to July in a special school placement
Trainees benefit from enhancement placements in diverse schools and in KS3.
Assessments
Trainees are assessed in an ongoing formative manner in a number of ways and summatively at the end of the period of training.
North West SCITT Delivery Team
Mark Millar
Head of Woodland Primary School, NW SCITT Accounting Officer & Safeguarding Lead
Ailsa Anderton
Advertising and Information Coordinator, Programme Administration & First Aid
Vicky Byrne
Link Tutor, Early Years Pathway & Early Career Teacher Mentor
Dawn Davies
Programme Lead, MHWB Lead, Mentor Lead, Access and Inclusion Lead & Link Tutor
Debbie Fanning
Compliance and Finance Manager, Programme Administrator & First Aid
Laura Hickson
Additional Support and EMC Lead, SEND Pathway & Link Tutor
Mike Thompson (LPDS)
Centre Based Assessment Training
Lynsey Norris (LPDS)
Centre Based Mathematics Training
Rachael Webb (LPDS)
Centre Based Science Training
Steven Kenyon (LPDS)
Centre Based English Training
Stuart Brown (Elm Tree SEMH School)
Behaviour Management Training
Shelley Dunn (St Richard's Primary School)
Special Education Needs Training
Ian Dickson (Mayfield Special School)
Special Education Needs Training
Case Studies

Eddie Blundell - 2014/2015 Trainee, NW SCITT Class Mentor
I was brought up in Skelmersdale and following my degree in PE, I joined Kingsbury School in Skelmersdale as a TA. This confirmed that I wanted to train to teach and training through our own local alliance made sense. I completed my course in 2014 and gained a job as a class teacher at Kingsbury. Now 7 years into my teaching career, I am also responsible for behaviour and wellbeing.

Amy Gair - 2021/22 Trainee
I am currently training with NW SCITT on the Primary with SEND specialism. My interest in teaching children with SEND is my passion as I am profoundly deaf, and I have found with the effective support - I can be successful and I wish to see this in other children too. I am proud to have overcome many barriers to achieve this goal. NW SCITT has been fully inclusive in it's approach when working with me and I believe that they care for each and every single trainee as unique individuals. I am currently placed in Y2 at Woodland Primary School and my mentor Ruth Felton is brilliant, she has taught me things that has been meaningful, and has helped me to improve. By October I was already teaching lessons including History and learning to teach Phonics through Read, Write Inc. Being part of a small group enables you to make friends, share ideas and your challenges along the way and I can highly recommend this route to anyone