October 2019

Dear Parents/Carer

Train to Teach Day – Tuesday, 5 November 2019

Are you or anyone you know interested in considering a career change and would like to consider training to teach?

As a teaching school, Valley Invicta Teaching School Alliance, offers the opportunity to train to teach through salaried or non-salaried School Direct courses, currently in the following subjects for 2020/2021: Art and Design, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Computing, Dance, Design and Technology, Drama, English, Geography, Health and Social Care, History, Maths, MFL (French and/or Spanish), Music, Physics, PE, and Primary General. These courses are delivered at Invicta , , Grammar School, the VIAT primary schools along with a number of other schools in partnership with Canterbury Christ Church University, University of Brighton, University of Sussex or the University of Greenwich. Bursaries are available for some non-salaried posts dependent on the subject. Physics for instance, attracted a scholarship of £28,000 or a bursary of £26,000 during 2019-20; Mathematics attracted a scholarship of £22,000 or a bursary of £20,000 during 2019-20 plus two later early career payments of £5000 each.

Ideally, you would have graduated with a degree with a 1st or 2.1 degree. For primary teaching, your degree can be in any subject but for secondary, ideally it should be relevant to your chosen subject. You must have GCSEs at grade C or above (or equivalent) in Maths and English (and Science for Primary courses). You will also need to sit and pass the Professional Skills Tests required to embark on the Train to Teach Schools Direct course.

Interested? Then, I would like to offer you the possibility of furthering your interest in our Train to Teach programme by providing an opportunity to join one of our School Experience Days; the first of which will be held on 5 November at , Valley Park School, or at Valley Invicta at East Borough . The day will offer an opportunity to see all the schools in action, observe a number of lessons in each school, ask further questions of department and senior staff, as well as understand a little more about the teacher training courses.

We are also offering Teaching Apprenticeships – please ask about these if you are interested. Essentially the training is very much the same via a different route into teaching.

Please note this is not an open day for parents. The sole purpose is to offer those interested in a change of career and wishing to consider teacher training, the opportunity to explore a teaching career.

If you have already joined one of our previous very successful School Experience Train to Teach Days but are interested in a second visit on 5 November, we will provide you with further opportunities to see teaching in action and to meet with department staff to gain a further insight into teaching.

I do hope you are able to join us. If you are able to, please complete the online form at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/vitsa-train-to-teach-school-experience-day-tickets-72068574045

Yours sincerely

Mrs C Webb Director of Teaching School Valley Invicta Teaching School Alliance