About Us

I pretty much knew within a few minutes of my interview that Portsmouth Primary SCITT was the course for me. The passion and dedication of the training team is second-to-none.... they believe in your potential as a teacher from the outset. Having worked for 25 years as an accountant, it was a huge decision for me to change my career and go into teaching; it's a huge decision for anyone. If you're one of the people currently pondering that decision right now, then I couldn't recommend Portsmouth Primary SCITT enough. The whole team, goes above and beyond in doing all they can to ensure they give you the best chance in moving towards becoming the teacher you one day aspire to be

I chose Portsmouth Primary SCITT because there was a big emphasis on well-being mentioned in the interview! I definitely made the right choice to choose Portsmouth Primary SCITT - I’ve loved the workshops we have before each placement. No one should be put off from applying - SCITT caters for all!!

Joining Portsmouth Primary SCITT was a no-brainer for me. The course has been planned immaculately and all necessary information is shared ahead of time. The team have spent time getting to know the strengths and weaknesses of all trainees to ensure our placements suit our individual needs. Trainee feedback has been taken very seriously, enabling us to have our own voice too. This course has been supportive, inspiring, and empowering. Training at Portsmouth Primary SCITT was the best decision I've made.

As soon as I heard about the course I knew in my gut this was the course for me and I was 100% correct. Right from the point of interview I’ve been made to feel comfortable, welcomed and valued. Each member of staff takes the time to know my strengths and weaknesses and does their best to challenge me and push me to levels I never thought possible. I’m actually devastated it’s only a year with SCITT because I would gladly stay for longer!

Teachers from a variety of Portsmouth schools all recommended SCITT. It's a successful programme that develops trainees into teachers across the primary key stages. To have the opportunity to work with experienced teachers in their own classrooms is such a privilege. I will always recommend Portsmouth Primary SCITT to anyone interested in a career in education.

I applied to SCITT and knew before the interview was over this was the course for me. Before the course started I was nervous as I'd never done anything like this before but through endless support from every one involved, especially fellow SCITTIES and really well matched mentors, I've been able to break out of my comfort zone and really surprise and challenge myself. Anyone who's scared or nervous about becoming a teacher should definitely consider Portsmouth Primary SCITT as you couldn't ask for a more supportive or friendly provider.

What makes Portsmouth Primary SCITT a step above the rest is that it is run by people who really care about their trainees. You are carefully placed with mentors that they know will best support and challenge you. This course is for anyone with a passion for wanting to help shape children’s futures. I couldn’t have made a better choice and I would always recommend Portsmouth Primary SCITT to others who have a passion for teaching. Take the leap!

Training Graduates Since September 2000

Portsmouth Primary SCITT began training graduates to become primary teachers in September 2000

A successful bid was made in that year and validation for a PGCE was granted by the University of Portsmouth.

At that time there was a shortage of primary teachers in Portsmouth and the programme was seen as a way of training high quality teachers, who would predominantly work within the boundaries of the city.

Depending on appetite, we can also run an Early Years course alongside the Primary Course. When our lead school joined the University of Chichester Multi Academy Trust, we also transferred our accreditation to the University of Chichester.

The Course

Our current training room is situated within Stamshaw Junior School, Portsmouth. It is a one year course that qualifies successful primary trainees to teach children aged 5-11 years, and early years trainees to teach children aged 3-7 years.

From September 2025, we will also be delivering training from a training room on the Isle of Wight.

This is a full-time PGCE course; Trainees spend 60% of their time in local schools and 40% in our training centre participating in workshops. Trainees have the opportunity to observe good teachers at work and be able to work alongside them, gradually developing their own teaching skills. They receive high quality mentoring, together with support from the SCITT team to enable them to develop into a competent and confident early career teacher.

Portsmouth SCITT Consultants and Expert Colleagues, as well as the SCITT team undertake much of the training. This enables excellent continuity for the many trainees who subsequently take up their first teaching appointments in Portsmouth. Now the programme has been running since 2000, many ex-trainees are taking on the role of mentoring new trainees.

Trainees can qualify under either the Professional or Postgraduate route; the Postgraduate route also awards trainees 60 Masters Level credits.

Course Structure

September - December

Autumn taught element
Placement A

January - April

Spring taught element
Placement B

May - July

Summer taught element
Placement A

Portsmouth

What many of our trainees have found especially motivating is the excitement and stimulation of learning to teach in Portsmouth. Many of them feel it is not just a job. The course helps them grow personally.

The city includes areas of social deprivation, and this means teachers here need high levels of commitment and skill. They have to expect a lot of themselves and of others. Trainees usually feel that meeting the challenge brings a powerful sense of achievement and reward.

A strong feature of the course is the mutual support that the trainees give one another. There will only ever be a maximum of 36 within the cohort – a good size for cohesion and diversity, whilst small enough to be friendly and for everyone to know each other personally. Trainees forge lasting friendships and their learning about team work serves them well when they graduate to become Early Career Teachers.

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Isle of Wight

Portsmouth SCITT are delighted to be bringing our outstanding initial teacher training to the Isle of Wight for 2025/26. We have partnered with high-quality schools across the Island to deliver our hands-on, bespoke training and will deliver our engaging sessions in our Island based training room

This exciting new venture brings our highly regarded training to the Island for the first time and gives residents the unique opportunity to gain a PGCE with qualified teacher status without regular travel to the mainland. Our course will follow the same structure as our Portsmouth based course and will be delivered by a mixture of our Portsmouth-based team as well as expert colleagues from the Island.

Member of the Global Equality Collective

As of January 2024, we are proud to be an official member of The GEC to further enrich and inform our trainees’ knowledge and experience in all areas of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion.

Employment

We are proud of the employment rates of our trainees, with many securing employment at their placement schools or in the locality. Some choose to to work in supply until they find a school that’s right for them, and some travel and work aboard.

Teaching also comes with a competitive starting salary of £31,650 and excellent opportunities for career progression.

Contact Us

For further information, or to arrange an informal visit to our training rooms to discuss our programme, please contact us on 023 9237 3432 or by sending an email to admin@portsmouthscitt.co.uk.

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