National Modern Foreign Languages (NMFL) SCITT

The national School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) courses are aimed at new graduates and career changers. The package that is offered to the trainees, including the option to train at independent and state schools, makes this course a very favourable option. 

Aims

There are three national hubs, with Dulwich College acting as the lead school for the London Hub.  Hub schools coordinate other interested schools in the area and facilitate interviews, quality control and professional development. 

Background

The National MFL SCITT, which the College was instrumental in developing in partnership with Silverdale School and Sheffield Hallam University, is growing each year and is proving an effective way of recruiting quality candidates to the teaching profession.

The National Modern Languages SCITT is now in its fifth year. We have had a very successful year and, despite the pandemic and the government reducing the bursary for MFL teachers from £26,000 to £10,000, we had a particularly strong field of candidates.

Resources

In 2020-21 we have fourteen full-time and two part-time trainees completing placements at both state and independent schools in the South London area. Last year’s cohort of 15 full-time trainees went on to find jobs at a range of schools, including two at SSLP schools.

Impact

“In its first three years [MFL SCITT] has already achieved a strong track record of recruiting talented, enthusiastic linguists with a passion for teaching. The quality of training in the NML SCITT is being rightly celebrated. It is fantastically supportive and there's a real collegiate feel among the NML SCITT trainees which is a pleasure for the head teacher of any hub school to witness. A key to success is that the training is delivered by linguists for linguists and provides hands-on experience in the classroom, through two contrasting school placements.”

Dr. Joe Spence, Master of Dulwich College writing in TES July 2020

Pupil Involvement

Pupils are taught by the trainee teachers under supervision.

Frequency

Each trainee does one placment at an independent school and one in a state maintained school.