Recruitment & Assessment Process

The assessment day will take place centrally with the SCITT team at Barr Beacon School. Partner schools will be part of the assessment day so you will have the opportunity to ask any school specific questions you may have. Applicants who are invited to interview will be sent an invite to interview booklet which goes through the process of preparing for the assessment day in detail. The day will consist of a number of different elements which will allow us to assess whether you have the key attributes to become a trainee at Barr Beacon SCITT. During the assessment day you will complete:

A Subject Knowledge Assessment

A 50-minute test of your subject knowledge up to the age range you are expected to teach (11-16 courses this is up to GCSE level, 14-19 courses this is up to A Level). You will also complete a 10-minute assessment of your written English skills.

A Teaching Episode

A 15-minute teaching activity in your subject.

A baseline audit of your Fundamental English and mathematics skills

All trainees will complete a 60-minute audit of your Fundamental English and mathematical skills at the start of the year.

A Pre-Prepared Presentation

A 5-minute pre-prepared presentation on a given topic area with a short Q&A session.

An Interview

A formal interview on all aspects of becoming a teacher. There is also an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have.

What are we looking for?

Throughout the assessment day, you will be assessed against your potential to train to teach alongside the essential skills, qualities and attributes that a Barr Beacon SCITT trainee can demonstrate. These are listed below:

1

Subject Knowledge

  • Appropriateness of subject qualifications and knowledge and relevance to the teaching of the subject.
  • Be able to demonstrate that they have completed research into their subject area.
  • Capacity to extend subject knowledge.

2

Wider Professional Responsibilities

  • Awareness of the role and responsibilities of a teacher and school environments.
  • Resilience.
  • Enthusiasm for and commitment to teaching.
  • Awareness of personal strengths and areas of development.

3

Aptitude for Teaching

  • Ability to engage and enthuse students in the subject.
  • Ability to be flexible to meet the needs of the students and manage the learning environment.
  • Ability to communicate effectively, using standard spoken and written English.
  • Awareness of the provider and our programme.

Fundamental English and Mathematics

Entrants to teacher training courses are no longer required to pass the skills tests before starting teacher training. Trainees are expected to be competent in and demonstrate their competence in Fundamental English and Mathematics by the end of their training before being recommended for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

The Department for Education defines Fundamental English and Mathematics skills as the following:

  • Speaking, listening and communicating are fundamental to a teacher’s role. Teachers should use standard English grammar, clear pronunciation and vocabulary relevant to the situation to convey instructions, questions, information, concepts and ideas with clarity. Teachers should read fluently and with good understanding.

  • Writing by teachers will be seen by colleagues, pupils and parents and, as such, it is important that a teacher’s writing reflects the high standards of accuracy their professional role demands. They should write clearly, accurately, legibly and coherently using correct spelling and punctuation.

  • Teachers should use data and graphs to interpret information, identify patterns and trends and draw appropriate conclusions. They need to interpret pupil data and understand statistics and graphs in the news, academic reports and relevant papers.

  • Teachers should be able to complete mathematical calculations fluently with whole numbers, fractions, decimals and percentages. They should be able to solve mathematical problems using a variety of methods and approaches including: estimating and rounding, sense checking answers, breaking down problems into simpler steps and explaining and justifying answers using appropriate language.

An applicant’s competence in these areas will be audited at interview and, if successful in the assessment day process, a targeted plan will be drawn up for your training year. It is the trainee’s responsibility to secure these fundamental skills in order to be awarded QTS.

Disclosure and Barring Service Checks

At Barr Beacon SCITT we are guided by the Department for Education’s guidance on Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2023) and all offers to Barr Beacon SCITT are subject to enhanced DBS clearance prior to the commencement of the course.

Health and Physical Capacity to Teach

Barr Beacon SCITT has a responsibility to ensure that trainees have the health and physical capacity to teach. This will take the form of a questionnaire prior to the commencement of the course.

Background Checks

At Barr Beacon SCITT all trainees are subject to a TRA prohibition to teach check, a disqualification check and a right to work check. In addition we may contact references from a trainee’s application for further information if required. There is an opportunity at interview for applicants to discuss all statutory checks in more detail.

Equality and Diversity

Barr Beacon SCITT is committed to promoting and practicing equality of opportunity, valuing diversity and eliminating harassment and discrimination. We are an inclusive organisation which welcomes and treats both staff and trainees fairly and equally regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, race, ethnic origin or nationality. Our workforce should be representative of the communities we serve. Legislation designed to eliminate unfair discrimination and promote equality of opportunity is in place and is adhered to by the SCITT, which include:

The Equality Act (2010) Race Relations Amendment Act (RRAA) (2000) The Disability Discrimination Acts (1995 and 2005) The Protection from Harassment Act (1997) Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (2001)

The SCITT provides opportunities for applicants to identify any special arrangements that they may require. Applicants can find further information on Page 7 of their Assessment Day Information Pack.