Barnton Primary School's story
The Barnton Challenge
Barnton first trialled our Straight to Teaching course as they felt there were fewer candidates available in their community year on year. They wanted a secure, stable and reliable team, with all teaching staff understanding the role they played within the MAT and supporting the school's mission, vision and values.
Barnton knew finding new staff with this knowledge and experience would be challenging, especially with the current teacher recruitment crisis. However, they had outstanding graduates and teaching assistants working within the school who already knew and supported their vision.
After talking to us, Barnton realised they could develop those talented individuals, help them gain QTS, and retain them as staff members, who could continue to work in school during their course.
A “one of a kind” course that's aligned to Barnton
Barnton’s first Straight to Teaching partnership included five learners, with varying knowledge, skill sets and experience. These were taken into account when planning their individual learning journeys.
Learning journeys are mapped out during a pre-induction phase, led by pathway tutors. This initial knowledge mapping helps tutors and schools to identify how learners align to the teaching standards and create personalised learning journeys that suit their needs.
As learners develop their confidence and teaching knowledge, their learning journey can be adapted. This ensures they spend more time working to develop the teaching standards they find most challenging and progress quickly through those they're more comfortable with.
For Barnton the flexibility of the course was a real benefit. It allowed them to focus attention on elements of their school development plan – such as SEND, Pupil Premium, and writing and reading – offering learners an area of excellence and having a direct impact on school priorities and outcomes.
While on the course, each learner was assigned a mentor who was an experienced teacher within the school, already had QTS and could support them throughout their course. Barnton assigned outstanding teachers to help ensure learners' success.
Liaising closely with the Straight to Teaching pathway tutor, each mentor helped their learner(s) with their online learning diaries, lesson observations and their portfolio of evidence.
Straight to Teaching results
Since completing the Straight to Teaching course, all five learners have gained QTS and were awarded Good or Outstanding during their final assessment.
Barnton's early career teachers (ECTs) have given the school capacity to release more experienced staff so they can become SLEs for maths and English, English consultants and even a Tes Institute consultant.
The ECTs themselves are now so experienced and comfortable with school policies, procedures and teaching practices that they're able and very willing to take on additional roles and responsibilities, such as subject leadership.
Having already understood the vision, practices and policies at Barnton, the ECTs are able to fast track through the initial ‘early stages’ of their career, quickly becoming competent and confident in areas of leadership and specialism.
An example of this is Sam Rutter, who is currently Barnton’s KS1 English and Assessment Lead. Sam has a direct impact on teaching and learning across the school and is also involved with Barnton's reading initiative, alongside supporting two other Straight to Teaching ECT's.
The practices developed on the Straight to Teaching course and through other CPD opportunities, such as research gathering in Denmark and Sweden, mean Barnton staff have the confidence to lead the reading project across the school and MAT. Methods such as Reciprocal Reading (students taking ownership of their reading) and whole-classroom Shared Reading, have been introduced to the school since this research gathering. The project has proven to be a real success and showed in last year’s SATs results, with 94% of children reaching ARE and the gap between disadvantaged children and their peers closing completely.
Emma Boyd, English Lead and Assessment Lead Practitioner at Barnton said:
"Straight to Teaching has had an outstanding impact on our school. We have the securest and strongest staffing structure that we have ever had… Our Straight to Teaching staff feel valued by Barnton for the support and funding they have received on the course throughout the process."
She also commented that their experience of working with Straight to Teaching was:
"Absolutely magnificent! We love the programme and are so glad to have been introduced to it!"
and that having the Tes Institute team “at the end of the phone” supporting learners has contributed to the “programme's outstanding outcome”.
Alison Lawson, Headteacher, explained that:
"Straight to Teaching has allowed us to strategically plan for growth across Barnton and Weaver Trust. Growing our own teachers ensures quality practitioners are ready to step in, giving us the capacity to use our talented and experienced staff to drive school improvement."
Barnton Community Nursery and Primary School are now a Straight to Teaching Hub for Tes Institute and help to promote and enrol potential teachers within their local community. The Straight to Teaching course has become a fundamental part of their succession planning for now and in the future.
Learn more about Straight to Teaching
If you’re a school leader interested in developing staff at your school you’ll find more information on our Straight to Teaching for schools page. If you’re looking to progress from TA to qualified teacher without leaving your current school, take a look at our Straight to Teaching course page.