Initial Teacher Training (ITT)

🎓 Celebrating Success: 69 PGCE with QTS Trainees Graduate with Pride!

As the academic year draws to a close, we are thrilled to mark a significant milestone in our teacher education journey—69 outstanding PGCE with QTS trainees have successfully completed their training and are ready to step into classrooms across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin(STEP) equipped with the skills, passion, and resilience to make a lasting impact.

👏 A Round of Applause for Our Placement Schools

This incredible achievement would not have been possible without the unwavering support of our partner placement schools, whose mentorship, guidance, and everyday inspiration have shaped our trainees into confident, reflective professionals. Your dedication to nurturing future educators continues to be the cornerstone of this programme, and we are sincerely grateful for every lesson taught, every piece of feedback given, and every door opened.

🧑‍🏫 To Our Trainers—Thank You for Your Expertise and Encouragement

Our heartfelt thanks also go to the brilliant academic and professional trainers who have gone above and beyond in delivering expert sessions, offering individual support, and sharing a wealth of wisdom from the field. Your commitment to excellence in teacher education has empowered our trainees to rise to every challenge.

Thank you to all our Lead School Partner leads across STEP, who put our programmes together, support our Associate Teachers, academically and ensure their wellbeing. A special mention to Sam Scott and Claire Jones who have completed their first year as ITT leads for Shropshire Primary Partnership and ALL.

🧑‍🏫 To our Lead School Partners Leads at ALL, Salop, Severn, Shropshire Primary Partnership

💫 Looking Ahead with Pride and Excitement

To our newly qualified teachers: congratulations on this momentous achievement. You’ve shown remarkable perseverance, growth, and adaptability, and we have no doubt that you will go on to inspire the minds and hearts of countless young people. We wish you every success in your future careers—may your journey be filled with joyful learning, meaningful connections, and continued curiosity.

🎥 Unveiling the Future: STEP’s Inspiring ITT Promo Video

We’re proud to introduce our latest promotional video for STEP—a powerful glimpse into the vision, passion, and purpose behind our ITT (Initial Teacher Training) programme.

From the very first frame, the video captures the heart of what we stand for: empowering future educators to make a difference. Whether you’re just beginning to explore the world of teaching or ready to take the leap, this is your invitation to join a community where growth, support, and excellence come standard.

Expect uplifting stories, real voices, and a vivid showcase of the training experience that sets STEP apart. It’s not just about shaping careers—it’s about shaping the future of education, one teacher at a time.

🌟 Ready to be inspired? Watch the video in September 2025 and see why STEP is more than a programme—it’s a movement.

Let this be a celebration not just of the end of a chapter, but of the beginning of a lifelong vocation.

Here’s to the Class of 2025! 🌟

With pride and best wishes from the PGCE Programme

This year marked a significant milestone as Claire Jones (ALL) and Sam Scott (SPP) completed their first year leading their respective ITT programmes. Their commitment and fresh perspective have brought renewed energy to the partnership.

Sam Scott – ITT Lead for Shropshire Primary Partnership

“This has been a very enjoyable year and a steep, but rewarding learning curve. It has been great to have the support of the other ITT leads in STEP to ask questions and share advice. There has also been great support from Sian Dean, the Strategic Lead for ITT, who has kept me up to speed and guided me when I have needed support. The fortnightly meetings with the University of Chester have also really supported me. The most important part is that I have played a part in helping support the next generation of teachers.”

Claire Jones – ITT Lead for Alliance of Leading Learning(ALL)

“It's been a pleasure completing my first year coordinating ITT alongside Lucy and Elaine. Kate has continued to be a valuable source of guidance, and I feel fortunate to be part of such supportive teams with ALL and STEP. Communication with Chester University has also been excellent. I’m looking forward to being a part of the journey for the next cohort of ATs from interview through to QTS”.

Krissy Stevanovic and Jesse Ladd - Shropshire Primary Partnership

“My PGCE year has been the most incredibly rewarding year and I am so grateful to have met lots of wonderful people along the way! Although there have been some challenging times, the support from mentors, university and subject tutors, lecturers and other associate teachers on the course has been fantastic. The course has a good balance of practical experience and theory and has helped me to develop many skills and gain confidence in the classroom. "It has been a pleasure to learn from so many inspiring people and develop both personally and professionally”. I have absolutely loved this PGCE year. It has been the most challenging and rewarding thing I have done in my career and I am so happy I chose to start my teaching journey with Shropshire Primary Partnership. I have learnt from so many amazing educators and have had incredible support throughout the year. The course has given me an insightful experience of the teaching world and I feel well-equipped from all the training and opportunities of working in a variety of schools to start teaching my own class in September. I couldn't speak more highly about this course and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking to start their teaching journey!”

Lottie Rowlands – Severn Training and Schools Alliance

“As I near the completion of my PGCE, I cannot be more grateful for all that STSA has done for my career. It can be daunting to start a new journey, but the course leader ensures that all Associate Teachers feel supported every step of the way throughout the year. The course leaders take great care in selecting their lecturers, and I have been provided an outstanding training in how to teach a whole range of subjects. Even now as I am preparing to start my first job in teaching, I continue to feel supported and excited to see what the future holds for me. I really couldn’t recommend this programme enough to people interested in Primary Education. Thank you STSA”!