Lift Schools Teacher Training is delivered in partnership with Ark Teacher Training. Whether you are looking to become a primary or secondary school teacher, our training year offers the perfect mixture of theory and practice and the very best support, every step of the way.
We’re committed to providing high-quality professional learning for trainee teachers and Early Career Teachers. We support trainees to have the most significant impact in the classroom from your very first day whilst providing an excellent foundation for a successful career in education. On our teacher training course for Primary, you will benefit from:
"Summer school gave me the opportunity to understand the programme before stepping into the classroom which meant I was fully prepared for the new school year." - Deanna, Primary trainee 2024
Highly rated by trainees as the perfect start to their training, the Ark Summer School is a great way to prepare for your first few weeks in school. The Ark Summer School brings trainees together for two weeks in August to learn about the programme, educational theory, and practice. Our comprehensive programme makes sure you have everything you need, from support to expertise, to develop into a fantastic teacher for your pupils quickly. Here’s what you can expect…
School orientation experience
Get to know your school, pupils, colleagues, the community and where you will be working before the summer holidays, so you can hit the ground running in September.
Phase specific studies
We pride ourselves on our phase specific expertise: we deliver training specifically designed for the primary setting on top of professional studies.
At the heart of great teaching lies both excellent knowledge and understanding of how to teach within your phase. In phase-specific training, you will develop your curriculum knowledge and understand how to teach complex ideas.
Coaching
Every week you will be observed and have a feedback session with your mentor. They will work with you to identify a targeted, bite-sized change in your practice that will help you improve most the following week. For example, you may be asked to change how you move children around the classroom from one task to another.
Teaching in a second school
Seeing other schools is crucial to succeeding on your own. Over your first year, you will spend 17 days in different schools, in a completely different context to your own. These schools help you develop as a teacher by showing you how other schools work and what makes yours unique.
Your timetable
Your teaching load will gradually increase throughout the year depending on your progress. As a primary teacher you would be teaching KS1 and KS2 from the start of the year. As well as your lessons, each week will consist of:
Weekly training
Every week you’ll spend one afternoon with other trainees and receive training from Ark Teacher Training and your tutor. You’ll build on what you learnt at Summer School and begin to master different aspects of educational theory and practice. The training is structured to help you understand the theory that underpins excellent teaching, see examples of great teaching and practise new strategies to implement in the classroom.
In-school curriculum
This is designed to complement the training, so you are learning throughout your school year. You will be asked to complete peer observations of experienced teachers teaching your classes and your subject. Additionally, you will be guided to meetings with different faculty members in your school.
Planning
Your Training Lead is responsible for ensuring that you work with experienced teachers to develop your planning skills throughout the year. Planning will include intellectual preparation and provide you with the chance to reflect on what you already know about a topic and what steps you will need to take to develop your subject knowledge.
Wellbeing
A trainee’s wellbeing is the most important thing to us, so it’ll be an ongoing conversation with your tutor throughout the training year. You can find out more about our approach to trainee wellbeing below.
Your Tutor
You will be assigned a Tutor from the start of Summer School, an experienced teacher and phase specialist who will visit you in school regularly throughout the year. Tutors are your point of contact throughout the year. They work alongside your Lead and Coach to ensure you progress and receive the correct support in school.
The support you receive on our primary teacher training programme is what sets us apart from other providers. We know how challenging teaching can be, from training to qualification and beyond, so we make sure that you have a strong support system around you as you begin your career.
Secondary school teacher training is an incredibly rewarding experience and offers the opportunity to play a key role in young people’s lives.
In secondary school (ages 11-16), children start to understand more about who they are, what their hobbies and interests are, and what they want in life. Being their teacher brings the privilege of helping them navigate this, while you provide them with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed at whatever they put their minds to.
You’re also in a unique position to share your subject passions; the curiosity and excitement you instil in your students could very well inspire future leaders and innovators in your field. Now that is worth it!
The Secondary Teaching Programme
We are committed to providing high-quality professional learning for trainee teachers and early career teachers, supporting them to help them make the most significant impact in the classroom from their very first day and providing an excellent foundation for a successful career in education. On our teacher training programme for Secondary, you will benefit from:
Summer School
Highly rated by trainees as the perfect start to their training, the Summer School is a great way to prepare for your first few weeks in school. It brings trainees together for two weeks in August to learn about the programme, educational theory and practice.
Our comprehensive programme sets you up with everything you need, from support to expertise, to help you develop into a fantastic teacher for your pupils quickly. Here’s what you can expect…
School orientation experience
Get to know your school, pupils, colleagues, the community and where you will be working before the summer holidays, so you can hit the ground running in September.
Subject studies
We pride ourselves on our subject expertise: we deliver training specifically designed for your chosen subject on top of professional studies. At the heart of great teaching lies both excellent subject knowledge and understanding of how to teach your subject. In subject-specific training, you will develop your subject and curriculum knowledge and understand how to teach complex ideas. You will also practise teaching strategies for your subject, like setting up an experiment in a chemistry lesson or structuring a listening activity in a French lesson.
Coaching
Every week you will be observed and have a feedback session with your mentor. They will work with you to identify a targeted, bite-sized change in your practice that will improve you most the following week. For example, you may be asked to change how you move children around the classroom from one task to another.
Teaching in a second school
Seeing other schools is crucial to succeeding on your own. Over your first year, you will spend 17 days in different schools, in a completely different context to your own. These schools help you develop as a teacher by showing you how other schools work and what makes yours unique.
Networking and Summer School
You will be working alongside other trainees in-school and develop with them at weekly training. Teaching is a team sport so the trainees you meet will be important in supporting you throughout the year.
Teacher Training Lead
Your Teacher Training Lead is a dedicated and experienced person in the school to support you and other trainees. They work closely with your Tutor and Coach to make sure you receive the best training and support every week.
Weekly training
Every week you’ll spend one afternoon with other trainees and receive training from Ark Teacher Training and your tutor. You’ll build on what you learnt at Summer School and begin to master different aspects of educational theory and practice. The training is structured to help you understand the theory that underpins excellent teaching, see examples of great teaching and practise new strategies yourself to implement in the classroom.
In-school curriculum
This is designed to complement the training, so you are learning throughout your school year. You will be asked to complete peer observations of experienced teachers teaching your classes and your subject. Additionally, you will have meetings with different faculty members in your school.
Planning
Your Teacher Training Lead is responsible for ensuring that you work with experienced teachers to develop your planning skills throughout the year. Planning will include intellectual preparation and provide you with the chance to reflect on what you already know about a topic and what steps you will need to take to develop your subject knowledge.
Wellbeing
A trainee’s wellbeing is paramount to us, so it’ll be an ongoing conversation with your tutor throughout the training year. You can find out more about our approach to trainee wellbeing below.
Your Tutor
You will be assigned a Tutor from the start of Summer School, an experienced teacher and phase specialist who will visit you in school regularly throughout the year. Tutors are your point of contact throughout the year. They work alongside your Lead and Coach to help you progress and receive the correct support in school.
Your timetable
Your teaching load will gradually increase throughout the year depending on your progress. As a secondary teacher, you would be teaching KS3 and KS4 from the start of the year with a range of classes in your subject.
As well as your lessons, each week will consist of:
We encourage prospective trainees to choose a subject that you’re passionate about, or to consider unlocking the potential of a subject you might not have previously considered but are qualified for. The curiosity and excitement you instil in your students could very well form the academic foundations for your field’s future leaders and innovators.
Subject expertise
In addition to professional studies, we deliver training specifically designed for your chosen subject, or in the case of primary for your phase, across all subjects of the National Curriculum. At the heart of great teaching lies both excellent subject knowledge and understanding of how to teach it. In subject-specific training, you will develop your subject and curriculum knowledge and understand how to teach complex ideas. In Secondary training, you will also practise teaching strategies for your subject, like setting up an experiment in a chemistry lesson or structuring an English lesson’s listening activity.
Teaching Maths provides you with the privilege of seeing the sum ‘click’ in the minds of your pupils. Sharing your passion for Maths with your students allows you to transform the subject from one that can seem daunting to an achievable, powerful skill to harness. Our comprehensive programme sets you up with all the support and expertise you need, to develop into a fantastic Maths teacher for your pupils. In addition to your professional studies, you’ll benefit from training designed specifically for the Maths subject. You will learn:
With English teacher training, you’ll be passing on your passion for the classics and more. The study of English sparks imagination and teaches critical thinking, communication, analysis and emotional expression – all essential for young people trying to navigate the modern age. Did you know, you don’t necessarily need an English degree to be an English teacher? You could still qualify, if you have an A-Level in English Language or Literature!
By sharing your passion for Physics with young people through fantastic teaching, you’ll be giving them the knowledge and skills they need to broaden their horizons, pursue the sciences and wider areas of study. You’ll open up their futures to a vast number of exciting career opportunities. In addition to your professional studies, you’ll benefit from training specifically designed for the Physics subject with our Teacher Training.
You’ll be provided with all the expertise and support you need to become a fantastic Physics teacher for your pupils. Our comprehensive programme ensures that you’re equipped with the skills to teach complex scientific ideas while continuously improving your subject and curriculum knowledge. You will:
As a trainee Chemistry teacher, you’ll benefit from the programme’s balance of theory and practice to quickly develop into an excellent science teacher.
Our comprehensive programme provides you with the support and expertise needed to develop into a fantastic Chemistry teacher for your pupils quickly. On top of your professional studies, you’ll benefit from training that’s been designed specifically for the Chemistry subject. A balance of great subject knowledge and an understanding of how to teach your subject is the recipe for a great science teacher, so we support you in developing your subject and curriculum knowledge and understanding of how to teach complex ideas. You will:
As a Biology teacher trainee, you’ll be taught the skills needed to introduce students to significant scientific processes, from the human body to the natural world. Sharing your passion for Biology with young people will set them up with the skills to succeed in a diverse range of careers, broadening their horizons and opportunities.
In addition to your professional studies, you’ll benefit from training specifically designed for the Biology subject with Lift Schools Teacher Training.
You’ll be provided with all the expertise and support you need to become a fantastic Biology teacher. Our comprehensive programme equips you with the skills to teach complex scientific ideas while continuously improving your subject and curriculum knowledge. You will:
Our programme subject experts and subject knowledge enhancement courses will help make sure that you’re teaching your students the most up-to-date information in the field of Geography and that you’re constantly expanding on your knowledge.
By learning to teach Geography, you will discover how to:
As a Computing trainee, you’ll be helping your pupils discover and harness the universal language of the future. You’ll have the privilege of seeing that ‘lightbulb moment’ as young people, through excellent teaching, find the whole world at their fingertips and broaden their academic and career horizons.
As two of the most widely spoken languages globally, there is an emphasis in our network on French and Spanish teaching.
As a teacher trainee of either French or Spanish, you’ll be inspiring young people to travel the world with words and expand their occupational horizons as they begin their journey to bilingualism and multilingualism!
With our programme, you will learn how to:
There are a number of ways to fund your training and cover your tuition fee.
Regardless of which funding route you take however, you will receive the same fantastic training experience and a full salary on the qualified teacher pay scale when you continue onto our Early Career Teachers 2-year programme.
Click on the options below to explore the different funding routes:
The most common route for trainees, especially recent graduates
Our approach to trainee wellbeing and support
While incredibly rewarding, your teacher training year can also be demanding and challenging at times. And so, from your very first day, we focus on teacher training wellbeing and support to make sure that you have a fantastic experience on the programme.
Helping children and young people to progress and reach their full potential in life is an amazing gift. It’s our responsibility to make sure that our trainee teachers are protected, supported and take care of themselves on this incredibly selfless journey.
How we support your wellbeing
We’re dedicated to the welfare of our trainees. The teacher training year is an immensely busy one and looking after ourselves is key to avoiding burnout.
All the wellbeing support that you receive during your teacher training year is based on the ‘5 Ways to Wellbeing’. We help you to practise and embed proven methods and strategies (such as mindfulness, resilience building, emotional self-assessment, and identifying personal early warning signs of emotional overload) to not only improve wellbeing in the workplace but also in your daily lives.
Ongoing Support
Wellbeing is a key feature of the one-to-one check-ins you’ll have with your tutor. You’ll be asked to reflect on how you’re doing emotionally and mentally and share the challenges you face. Trainee welfare is also an important discussion point when your tutor meets with in-school Teacher Training Leads.
If there are any concerns about your wellbeing, your tutor will work with you to create actions that you can take to help to address these issues. These actions form a Wellbeing Plan, which you will discuss every fortnight with your tutor to reflect on your progress.
The Wellbeing Curriculum
We have a dedicated Wellbeing Curriculum strand that begins with a wellbeing session on your very first day of Summer School before you start your life as a teacher trainee. We recognise the link between wellbeing and personal organisation so our curriculum supports you with organisation over the course of the training year.
The curriculum provides practical strategies that you can use to support your own wellbeing and develop positive personal organisation habits. You’ll be given a focused curriculum booklet, which you’ll use throughout their year to complete tasks and guide your practice. It is designed to support your workload, and share upcoming tasks and deadlines to allow you to organise and manage your time.
Your timetable
Tutors work together with in-school Teacher Training Leads to design teaching timetables that reflect the progress of the individual trainee. Your teaching load will gradually increase over the course of the year as you become more confident leading lessons.
Wellbeing Representatives
At the beginning of the training year, each training group is assigned a Wellbeing Representative. They will be responsible for organising social events for your training group so you can bond with other trainee teachers over shared experiences, starting to build a supportive network of teachers across schools. Trainees on our course find that these social interactions and shared experiences help them stay more connected with their peers.
Wellbeing newsletters
Every half term, a Wellbeing newsletter will be sent out to all trainee teachers. This newsletter includes top tips for wellbeing linked to the ‘5 Ways to Wellbeing’, shoutouts to trainee teachers and good news stories to celebrate.
Managing classrooms and behaviour
We know that managing classrooms and behaviour is one of the biggest concerns for teacher trainees and early career teachers. Establishing a positive classroom environment can be challenging, and we don’t expect you to manage everything on your own. Classroom and behaviour management is a collective, school-wide responsibility that continues even after you’ve become a fully qualified teacher.
Connecting with your pupils
One of the key ways to create a purposeful classroom environment is having positive relationships with your pupils. We teach communication techniques that will help you to form great relationships with your students so that they understand your instructions, feel able to progress in your lessons and make mistakes, and feel seen in their progress and their struggles.
Developing your classroom authority
We debunk the myth that some people have a natural teaching authority, and are able to better manage behaviour as a result. Classroom authority is developed by breaking down behaviours and body language. We practise teaching techniques that trainees are encouraged to use in and out of lessons so that authority in the classroom becomes second nature.
Diversity & Inclusion
At Lift Schools, we advocate for diversity and inclusion in teacher training to make a positive difference to the lives of our pupils. And we want to do even more to promote diversity throughout the organisation.
Roughly 37% of Lift Schools students are eligible for the Pupil Premium Grant compared to 24% nationally, and about 33% are from ethnic minority backgrounds which is comparable with 33% nationally.
As of November 2020, 19% of teachers in Lift Schools described themselves as being in a minority ethnic group, compared with the national average of 15%.
Qualified Teacher Status
Once you reach the end of your training year and it has been confirmed that you meet the Teachers’ Standards, you will be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), a nationally recognised teaching qualification allowing you to teach in other schools.
PGCE
By training with us, you will also gain your internationally recognised Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). This PGCE also counts as 60 credits towards a Master’s degree – a third of the credits needed for the full qualification.
Graduation
Completing your training year is a huge achievement, and we want you to be able to appreciate and celebrate just how far you’ve come since your very first day.
So, at the end of every year, we hold a graduation event for our trainees to enjoy with each other and their colleagues.
