Partnership to boost primary teaching in Barrow

Places will be offered for selected applicants who want to train as primary teachers at Chetwynde School in Barrow.

They will study for a one-year University of Cumbria Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) which will also give them Qualified Teacher Status, ratified by University of Warwick, enabling them to pursue a teaching career.

The Initial Teacher Training programme will start at the school on Rating Lane in September 2025 with applications open now and placements across the Trust.

Above: University of Cumbria's Dr Ruth Harrison-Palmer with SCMAT CEO and university professor of practice Andrew Wren

Andrew Wren, CEO of SCMAT and a professor of practice at the University of Cumbria, said the Trust was committed to a model of ‘growing our own’ to increase continuity of staff and provide a talented workforce for the benefit of all its pupils.

“South Cumbria is entering a phase of growth and investment, particularly Barrow, and collectively our community is working to ensure that the infrastructure, including building the skills and future professionals, that our area needs is in place across many fields, including education.

“The Trust has been looking to provide high-quality Initial Teacher Education to potential trainees, with a focus on primary education.

“A partnership with University of Cumbria, with which there are already many links through the growing presence of the university in the town and new campus opening next year, is seen to be a natural and mutually beneficial step.”

Dr Ruth Harrison-Palmer, Director of the Institute of Education, Arts and Society at the University of Cumbria, said: “We are a university for and from Cumbria, proudly working with educators, employers, businesses and many more to increase and meet the need for higher-level skills across many sectors in Barrow and beyond, and working to raise the participation in higher education locally.

“It is our mission to equip our learners and communities, enabling them to thrive for generations to come. Our work in and for Barrow includes this new partnership with South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust, which is an example of our strategic plan and intent to create inclusive and accessible opportunities and progression routes through to higher education.

“We are particularly proud of our service to the education sector and workforce via our strong partnerships with schools, networks and settings along with our long-established Initial Teacher Education which is judged to be ‘good’ by Ofsted. Our trainees ‘benefit from well-structured curriculums’ and via our ITE are ‘very well prepared’ for their future careers.”

Head of Chetwynde Steve Jefferson said he wants to hear from any graduates over the age of 21 who are thinking of becoming a teacher, have a passion for education, enjoy a challenge and who put children and their needs first.

“We welcome this collaboration which opens up fresh opportunities for people to enter the profession.

“School-led teacher training opportunities are an invaluable way for us to develop staff for the future to ensure our pupils get the best possible all-round education. I have seen first-hand the amazing skills that people can bring to the classroom through initiatives such as this.

“Chetwynde School is the only all-through school in the area and, while placements are in primary, the chosen candidates will benefit from all the expertise staff across our entire school and Trust can bring.”

The places are non-salaried places and are funded through student loans with a guaranteed interview at the end of the course. For more information visit: www.scmat.org.uk/thinking-of-becoming-a-primary-teacher/

ENDS