Roseanna Smith

Destination: Early Career Teacher (ECT) at The Skipton Academy
Subject: English
Lead School: St Mary’s Menston
Placement A: St Mary’s Menston
Placement B: St Mary’s Menston

How did I prepare for studying my PGCE in English?
I finished my degree in English Language and Linguistic Science. I also read through all the books on the curriculum to improve my literature knowledge.

What did you like about the Lead School Experience?
The Lead School Experience was fantastic because everyone at my Lead School was incredibly supportive and welcoming. I received lots of helpful feedback from my Subject Lead Tutor as well as other staff.

How does the course support you in preparing for your teaching placements?
I stayed at St Mary’s Menston the whole course, however they constantly prepared me and pushed me to be my best. They steadily increased workload throughout the placement and supported me while doing so.

How much time do you spend in school on the course?
All the time is spent within your school which helps immerse you in the environment.

What support have you felt the course has given you?
The Leeds SCITT course provides various training days which have helped me when I had to address certain challenges face to face in the classroom. The Team at Leeds SCITT are always just an email away if I needed anything or had any questions.

How has your mentor helped you improve in your teaching practice?
James has helped massively. He has offered feedback throughout the course and has always gone the extra mile to do so. He constantly checked in with me to make sure that everything was ok, and my work was up to date. I am very grateful for all of his support and advice.

What other experiences have you had during your training year to help you feel prepared for your ECT year?
I was given a form class to look after as well as helping out on various duties and observing multiple lessons in different subjects.

What else do you have to do as part of the course?
Everything that you think of when you think of teaching we have to do and have done. That is one of the things that is really great about the course you are treated like a teacher from the off.

What have you enjoyed the most about the course?
The interaction with students, the support you get from mentors and the other trainees you meet. I would really recommend this course to anyone who has a passion for teaching.