Our selection process
If you meet all of the entry requirements and can demonstrate through your personal statement that you have compelling reasons for wishing to train to be a teacher, you will be invited to take part in our selection process.
Our selection process is designed to ensure that we are a good match as a provider for you as the training candidate and that you are ready to enter the teaching profession as a trainee. We aim to establish an understanding of your personal and interpersonal skills, subject knowledge and life experience which will allow us to assess your suitability for training. At the same time, we hope our selection process allows you as the candidate to get a good sense of what Ripley ITT stands for and how it would be to train with us. As such, it is a two-way process. Below we outline:
- Our selection process
- Enrolment procedures and pre-course support
- Statutory safeguarding checks
1) Our selection process
Our selection process has a number of elements which will take about 2.5 hours to complete. Our selection process will take place either at Ripley St. Thomas CE Academy, where we are based, or at one of our partner schools in the area.
Your interview
When you are invited for interview, you will be asked to submit a lesson overview at least twenty-four hours in advance of your appointment. We will ask you about your lesson overview as part of your interview. We’ll want to find out how you have structured it and why you have chosen that particular topic. We recognise that you are applying to learn how to teach, but this exercise is designed to get a sense of how you think about teaching and learning now.
Ripley ITT is looking for candidates who have enthusiasm for working with young people, the determination to succeed, a commitment to working hard and the ability to work with others. To be a successful trainee at Ripley ITT, you will need excellent interpersonal and communication skills. You will be able to show enthusiasm for your subject and age phase and demonstrate a strong desire to work with young people and make a difference in their lives. You will be willing to listen to advice and act on it to continually improve and develop as a teacher. In addition, you will need to have a good understanding of what working as a teacher involves and an awareness of the rewards and challenges that a career in teaching involves. Our interview will explore all these themes with you.
Other assessment tasks
As well as your formal interview, we will ask you to complete a number of tasks whilst you are with us for the selection process:
- A Pupil Panel (approx. 15 minutes) – to assess your interactions with young people.
- A Written Task (30 minutes) – to assess the quality of your written English.
- A Subject Knowledge Task (30 minutes) – to assess your subject knowledge.
Throughout the selection process, the panel will consider your:
- Quality of subject knowledge.
- Ability to communicate effectively.
- Capacity to establish effective relationships inside and outside the classroom.
- Passion and drive to deliver the highest quality of educational standards.
- Commitment to develop as an educator of character.
- Suitability to train to teach and to meet the Teachers’ Standards by the end of training.
- Flexibility to adapt to change and ability to think instantaneously.
- Resilience and your ability to commit to tasks.
- Time management and organisation.
2) Enrolment procedures and pre-course support
If successful in the selection process, Ripley ITT will then provide you with a conditional offer based on the selection process outcomes. If you choose to accept the offer, we will enrol you in our pre-course Microsoft Team so that you can begin to get to know your new colleagues from your cohort. We will also use this Team to get information to you and share some resources to prepare you for the start of your course. We will also invite you to Ripley ITT for a pre-course session to give you further information and answer any questions you may have about next steps.
As part of the enrolment process, you will be required to complete documentation including safeguarding checks which are outlined below.
3) Statutory Safeguarding Checks
Ripley ITT are required by statutory guidance to make specific safeguarding checks on everyone we place in schools. We undertake the following documentary checks as part of our programme registration process.
Identity
Ripley ITT checks your identity against the DBS approved list of documents, most commonly:
• Passport
• Photo driving licence (UK)
• Utility bill or bank statement (dated in the last 3 months)
Right to Work in the UK
• Valid or Expired UK/EU passport or
• Non-EU passport with visa and Biometric Residence Permit or
• EU National ID card or
• Full UK birth certificate and NI number or
• Certificate of Naturalisation and NI number
Criminal Record Check
• Enhanced DBS Enclosure from Protocol Education dated within 12 months or
• Enhanced DBS Enclosure with valid Update Service subscription
• Overseas Police Check (where applicable)
Barred List
• Checked as part the Enhanced DBS Check and then re-checked annually
Prohibition from Teaching Orders
• Checked against the DfE database
Entry References (2 required)
• Most recent employer (from head, deputy or head of department)
• One other professional reference
• University tutor and references from school placements (work-based and volunteering)
• Non-school references and character references are accepted where you have not previously worked in schools.
Health Check
Before being accepted onto the programme, all trainees must satisfy the DfE requirements with regards to health and capacity to teach. You will be required to complete a confidential medical questionnaire if you are offered a place on our training courses.