Train to Teach

Why train and work with us?

Anyone who has trained at The Green School will advocate that very special something which characterises their time with us. In the same vein,  it is widely acknowledged  that our student teachers, NQTs and new staff are seen to flourish and talk highly of the welcome, induction and support they have received.

A teaching experience at The Green School allows you to learn, develop or continue your practice within a supportive and stimulating environment where professional reflection is not a luxury, but the norm! The testimonials that follow, bear witness to the extent to which we both engender and encourage professional development and cultivate a learning community to which I am very proud to say I belong.

Gary Munro  Professional Tutor

What makes the Green School brand special?

The Green School provides an extremely supportive and welcoming environment for trainee teachers. I spent two weeks at the school as part of my contrasting school placement during my PGCE and I learned a great deal through observing excellent practice in and around the English department.
English (Teach First)

I spent six weeks at The Green School for my placement school. It was here that I valued my time the most during the year as this is where I learnt the most, particularly about teaching pedagogy and myself as a teacher.
School Direct 2016-2017

The kindness of all staff is noticeable and this makes such a difference when you are training
PGCE Roehampton 2016-2017

There is very positive feedback from all STs regarding their placement. They talk about an “excellent and welcoming school community” and all clearly felt very well supported by their mentors and the departments.  The majority of STS commented on how good their mentors had been, whilst others identified areas of exceptional practice as: excellent behaviour policies, very good structure and planning of KS3 lessons, home learning, good inter-department relationships. Whole school induction and the professional studies programme was also seen as very well organised and useful and the appreciated the accessibility and support of the PCM. The student teachers found the welcome to have been amazing and said how they had all felt valued. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
IPM Feedback UCL the Institute of  Education 2016-2017

 What our previous trainees think.

I trained as a teacher of Social Sciences at The UCL Institute of Education and was really pleased when I found out I was going to train at The Green School for my first placement. I’m local to the area and was aware of the school’s great reputation. The inclusive nature of the school and the invaluable support offered by the staff enabled me to get going straight away and I felt as though I was learning from day one. The weekly professional studies sessions were extremely informative and the student teachers were always invited along to the regular training opportunities that are offered by the school. I enjoyed my time training at The Green School for Girls so much that I decided to apply for a teaching position for my NQT year which I started in September 2016.

The program for NQTs at the school has been great in terms of developing skills and support. Fortnightly meetings with the NQT manager have been a real blessing, whether we discuss pedagogy or simply have a chat about what has been going on throughout the week, the time is always extremely valuable. There have been a number of training sessions that have been offered to NQTs throughout the year which have been both interesting and rewarding and there are always opportunities to discuss ideas with more experienced staff. The atmosphere in the staffroom is always welcoming and staff are always there to lend a helping hand and it’s a great place to share ideas and catch up with the other NQTs!
NQT Sociology 2016 -2017 former student teacher at UCL /The Institute of Education

I came into teaching with the hope of working with young people to inspire, motivate and cultivate creative minds. For me, my subject teaches more than the ability to read and write, it allows opportunities to creatively explore a range of material which helps to embed a lifelong passion to learn and to explore English as a subject. Having completed a challenging first placement, I came to The Green School with some fears and worries, but upon being warmly greeted at reception by members of TGS on my very first day I could immediately feel the kindness, care and warmth that is at the heart of TGS community.

As a student teacher I was supported in every aspect of my teaching, the support of a fantastic department helped me to develop skills in teaching a subject that I love so much. I was allowed to use creative means in my teaching approach and was encouraged to try new things to help to develop a love of learning – this trust is a rare occurrence when you are a student teacher. Alongside the support from my department, the individualised and personal CPD programme run by the Professional Tutor allowed me to become a reflective practitioner and I still look forward to our fortnightly meetings when I can breathe for a moment, take a step back and focus on becoming the teacher I want to be!

I am now coming to the end of my NQT year here at TGS, and I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to experience TGS as my second placement, for had I not come here for my placement I would not have known that there are still schools out there that place the students at the heart of everything. But for me it doesn’t end there, for I found a school that places learning, creativity, resilience, the students and the staff at the heart of it all – a perfect combination in my eyes!
NQT English 2016-17 former student teacher at UCL /The Institute of Education

I started at The Green School in 2014 as a Science Technician and was afforded the opportunity to train as a Physics Teacher. The majority of my teacher training took place at the Green School as a result in which the environment was an incredibly supportive one. Colleagues were always on hand to give advice and guidance whilst sharing their practice to help develop my own. After training to teach I was offered a permanent post with a teaching and learning responsibility allowing me to develop leadership skills in my NQT year in addition to honing my pedagogy. The level of support and guidance during my NQT year has been consistently high and remains both enjoyable and challenging. Developing my leadership has been a highly useful experience in my role as Key Stage 5 Co-Ordinator of Physics, just one example of the many opportunities that can arise.
NQT Science 2016-17 Head of Physics

 Before I taught BTEC Health and Social Care, I was a New Zealand provisionally qualified PE and Health teacher. In order to gain my QTS I completed an Assessment Only (AO) route through E-Qualitas. This AO Route enabled me to gain QTS within a year whilst continuing with my current job at The Green School. Throughout this one year programme, I was required to create a portfolio showing how I met the teacher’s standards. My portfolio consisted of reflections on my teaching practice and how I applied educational theorists within my planning. This was an incredible opportunity, giving me in-depth understanding of the UK education system. I also did placements in two secondary schools over a duration of three weeks teaching other Health and Social Care curriculums. Aside from placements, I was also required to observe and reflect on teaching and learning in a primary and Special Education Needs School, making a comparison to secondary school teaching. Overall, I highly recommend the AO Route for teachers wanting to achieve QTS as it has taught me plenty about my own pedagogy and has enabled me to consistently teach good-outstanding lessons as well as progress to my present role as BTEC Coordinator and BTEC Quality Nominee
The NQT year that followed here at The Green School offered the support and guidance I still needed in a caring and supportive environment from experienced Mentors and colleagues.
BTEC Coordinator and BTEC Quality Nominee – Head of Year 7 (2017-18)

I have had the wonderful opportunity to work with The Green School under the LWA Lampton SCITT partnership. The rewards of teaching at the same school for the first and third placement have meant that I could work with students who I already knew and strengthen my classroom rapport.

My successes for this year are owed  to the wonderful staff and colleagues who have welcomed me into the School and offered their time and support to ensure that I progress through my training. The School provides you with a PCM, Subject mentor and weekly mentor meetings to ensure that you are meeting targets tailored towards your teaching needs. Their advice and support has gone beyond my own expectations, by helping me grow both as a teacher and as an individual with a passion for English.

After successfully completing my Teacher training year on the SCITT course, I now look forward to starting my official job as an English teacher in September.
School Direct 2016-2017, English Classroom Teacher TGSG/TGSB  2017-18

My experience at The Green School was wonderful as the students were all very enthusiastic. I presented an activity around insect repellence that involved some hands-on experiments. All the students were very engaged and in all cases, I was asked a lot of questions and the students were very inquisitive and eager to learn. Furthermore, the staff were very friendly which contributed to a very positive experience.

Inspire Progamme (Imperial College London)