Hear From Alumni

SONIA TAILOR - English teacher at Beauchamp College

I am currently a Recently Qualified Teacher (RQT) at Beauchamp College. When I started my journey to becoming a teacher, I knew I wanted to gain a breadth of experience in a trust that's dedicated to empowering their pupils. That’s exactly what I got with Beauchamp Teach.

During my training year, I was placed in two contrasting schools within the Trust. This provided me with an insight into how lessons are tailored to the needs of pupils and exposed me to a range of strategies to manage behaviour. As a result, it aided my development as a teacher.

Despite the differences, the schools clearly shared the same values and there was a clear collaborative approach. The same curriculum is taught across the schools. It aims to expose pupils to different ways of thinking, including critically and creatively. This provided a smooth transition for me, from the first school to the second, and increased my confidence.

Throughout my training year and my Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) year, I was given support and guidance from a number of people including my mentors and the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) co-ordinators. The trust organised a range of meetings throughout the year for us trainees and NQTs to get together and discuss our experiences, this was extremely insightful and made me feel as if I was part of a team.

Since the start of my RQT year, I have been a Head of House. This wonderful role enables me to contribute to the evolution of the house system. I help generate a sense of house identity amongst pupils. I feel honoured that I am able to encourage pupils to have a voice, celebrate diversity and help the wider community.

As my journey continues, I look forward to progressing my teaching career within the trust.

RUQAYYAH SAIYED – Trainee teacher with lionheart Teach

I made the decision to apply for the Initial Teacher Training programme after having completed an internship with Lionheart Teach which I thoroughly enjoyed!

The internship was the perfect experience for an aspiring Mathematics teacher like myself, as it gave me an insight into the classroom environment; I was placed at a school for a total of four weeks, and I had the opportunity to work with pupils from different year groups and with varying abilities. I was also able to network with supportive and qualified subject specialists who taught me a great deal about the knowledge and skills required to become an outstanding teacher.

The training that I have received with Lionheart Teach has been invaluable as I have been supported and encouraged throughout the course by my mentor, Initial Teacher Training (ITT) co-ordinator and other members of staff. The weekly Continuing Professional Development (CPD) sessions, which were delivered by knowledgeable professionals within the Lionheart Educational Trust, have allowed me to progress as an individual and enhance my teaching practice as I learned about various strategies related to teaching and learning that could be implemented within the school setting.

The research-informed University studies provided me with a theoretical perspective which accelerated the development of my practice as I was able to understand why certain pedagogical approaches were effective and I was able to apply a range of techniques to optimise the learning within the classroom.

I am now looking forward to becoming an NQT and continuing to learn and progress as a Mathematics teacher!