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As part of National Apprenticeship Week, we are proud to highlight the teacher apprenticeship route available at Colchester Teacher Training Consortium (CTTC).

The apprenticeship programme allows aspiring teachers to work in a school while training towards Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Apprentices are employed by their placement school from the very start of the year, becoming part of the staff team and learning in the classroom every day, while also attending regular centre-based training with CTTC.

In the video you can meet Lily, one of our current apprenticeship trainees. Lily shares her experience of balancing study, classroom teaching and professional development, and explains why the apprenticeship route was the right choice for her. For many trainees, it provides a practical and accessible pathway into teaching, particularly for those who wish to remain in employment while retraining.

Throughout the year, apprenticeship trainees are supported by:

• a trained in-school mentor,
• CTTC tutors and subject specialists,
• weekly face-to-face training sessions,
• a second school placement to broaden their experience.

The apprenticeship route is demanding – trainees are both employees and trainees – but it is also highly rewarding. Apprentices quickly build confidence, develop strong classroom practice and become valued members of their school communities.

We are proud to work with partnership schools across Essex and Suffolk to support the next generation of teachers through this route.

If you are interested in becoming a teacher and would like to earn a salary while you train, the apprenticeship programme could be the right pathway for you. Please contact us to find out more about training with CTTC.

Are you a 14 to 18-year old interested in a career in teaching?

We are pleased to share a new information booklet designed to inspire the next generation of teachers that has been launched as part of the Essex Year of Opportunity. Produced collaboratively by the regions Teaching School Hubs and Essex County Council, the guide is aimed at young people aged 14 to18 who are considering a future career in education.

The booklet offers clear, accessible information about why teaching is such a rewarding profession, the many routes available into initial teacher training, and the skills and experiences that can help young people prepare. It also showcases local opportunities and highlights the strong support networks available across Essex schools.

Please feel free to access the guide below and if you have any further questions, please feel free to get in touch with our friendly team.

Celebrating 25 Years of Sector-Leadership: A Milestone Evening for National Association of School‑Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT)

Last week, our Directors were honoured to attend celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of NASBTT, held in the grand surroundings of BMA House in London. This significant evening brought together more than 140 sector-leaders, trainers and provider colleagues to reflect on a quarter-century of innovation and impact in school-based teacher training.

A Journey of School-Based Training

Founded in 2000, NASBTT has steadily grown into the authoritative voice for school-based initial teacher training (ITT) providers, working tirelessly to represent, support and shape the sector.

Over these 25 years it has:

• Advocated for the role of school-based training routes and ensured the voice of providers remains front and centre in national debate.
• Delivered a rich suite of professional development resources – such as mentor development modules, subject development frameworks and administrator training – that support operational excellence in ITT.
• Facilitated strategic collaboration across schools, higher-education institutions and other provider organisations to enhance the quality and coherence of training provision.

The Anniversary Evening

The celebration evening followed NASBTT’s Annual Conference and brought together well-over one hundred and forty participants in the Great Hall of BMA House for a formal three-course dinner and a series of reflections on the organisation’s journey.

It was an opportunity to:

• Reflect on the changing landscape of ITT – policy shifts, structural reform, rising expectations – and the role of NASBTT in steering, supporting and enabling providers through those changes.
• Celebrate the network of school-based providers as a valued community of practice, with hundreds of provider organisations sharing knowledge, challenge-solving and innovation across the sector.
• Look ahead: the anniversary is positioned not just as a celebration of the past, but as a springboard into the next 25 years of high-quality training, professional development and teacher preparation.

Our Appreciation

At CTTC, we believe passionately in the power of school-based training, strong mentor networks, face-to-face training days and placements embedded within local schools – all of which align closely with NASBTT’s vision. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to NASBTT on this milestone anniversary. We also reaffirm our commitment to ongoing collaboration, sharing best practice and contributing to the next chapter of teacher preparation.

It has been a fantastic start to the academic year for Colchester Teacher Training Consortium (CTTC), as we proudly welcome our largest ever cohort of trainee teachers across our Primary and Secondary programmes. The enthusiasm, professionalism and dedication shown by our new trainees has been outstanding, and it has been wonderful to see them engaging so positively with their centre-based training and placement experiences. From early school visits to their first teaching experiences, our trainees have demonstrated the passion, adaptability and reflective practice that sit at the heart of becoming an excellent teacher.

This half term term, we have also been delighted to welcome a number of new Lead Mentors and Lead Subject Mentors to the CTTC team. These expert teachers, drawn from our partnership schools across Essex and Suffolk, play a vital role in supporting our trainees and mentors throughout the year. They bring with them a wealth of classroom experience, subject expertise and leadership insight, helping to ensure that our training remains firmly rooted in current educational practice. Alongside this, we are very pleased to welcome new placement schools into our expanding partnership network, broadening the range of school contexts in which our trainees can learn and develop.

To celebrate World Teachers’ Day, CTTC was proud to gift each trainee a copy of What Happy Teachers Do – written by one of our very own Lead Mentors, Michelle Auton. This inspiring and thought-provoking book offers practical advice and encouragement for teachers at every stage of their career, reminding us all of the importance of wellbeing, professional connection and maintaining a sense of purpose in teaching. It was a fitting way to celebrate a profession that changes lives every day.

We are also delighted to welcome Clair Bishop to our administration team. Clair will be supporting the smooth running of our training programmes and the day-to-day coordination of our dedicated training base in central Colchester. Her attention to detail, warmth and professionalism have already made her a valued member of the CTTC team.

CTTC staff have continued to engage in a wide range of professional development opportunities this term, ensuring that our programmes remain up-to-date and closely aligned with national developments in teacher education. This has included taking part in professional discussions on SEND and inclusion, and working closely with colleagues from the Teaching School Hub to refine how ITT providers map and uses the new ITT Core Content Framework (ITTECF) progression statements. These collaborations ensure that our trainees benefit from a curriculum that is evidence-informed, ambitious and fully compliant with DfE and Ofsted quality requirements.

Our network of mentors has also benefitted from a strong programme of professional learning, including this term’s Instructional Coaching session. These training sessions are designed to ensure our mentors feel confident, supported and equipped with the latest research-informed approaches to developing trainee teachers effectively. Mentoring remains one of the defining strengths of the CTTC partnership, and the continued investment in mentor development ensures our trainees receive the highest-quality guidance throughout their training year.

Looking ahead, applications are now open for teacher training starting in September 2026, and we are delighted to have already begun receiving high-quality applications from individuals eager to make a difference in local schools. Our recruitment and selection team has been impressed by the calibre of applicants so far, and interviews are already underway with prospective trainees who share CTTC’s commitment to evidence-based, inclusive and inspiring education.

As we start to conclude this first half term, we would like to express our sincere thanks to all placement schools, mentors and colleagues across our partnership for their ongoing dedication and support. Your contribution is central to the success of our trainees and to the continued strength of CTTC’s Ofsted “Outstanding” provision.

Finally, we extend our warmest congratulations to our new cohort of trainees, who have made an exceptional start to their teacher training journey. We look forward to supporting you throughout the year ahead as you continue to grow, reflect and develop into the teachers our children and young people deserve.

Last week our trainees enjoyed an inspiring session on classroom presence and motivating pupils as part of their Intensive Training and Practice (ITaP) training. The session was led by Billy Herring, an experienced drama teacher and professional actor.

Drawing on his wealth of classroom and stage experience, Billy shared practical strategies for using voice, body language and presence to command attention and create a positive climate for learning. Trainees explored how performance techniques can support confident teaching and how small changes in delivery can have a big impact on pupil motivation.

The session was interactive and hands-on, giving everyone the chance to practise approaches in a supportive environment. One trainee reflected: “It really opened my eyes to how much presence matters – I feel more confident about projecting myself in the classroom.” Another added: “The activities helped me think about how to motivate pupils by making lessons more engaging and dynamic.”

This training is an important part of our programme’s commitment to developing not just subject knowledge and pedagogy, but also the professional presence and confidence that enable teachers to inspire and manage their classes effectively.

• Initial tutor training.
• Tutor workbooks aligned to the National Curriculum.
• Ongoing optional bitesize training to support your development as a tutor.
• In-session support from a programme coordinator.
• A free DBS check.
• A reference at the end of the 10-20 week programme.

This flexible volunteer role is perfect for you if you:

• Are passionate about making a difference and helping young people succeed, particularly those facing disadvantage.
• Are seeking experience working with children and/or in the classroom.

If this sounds like a volunteer role you’d be interested in, you can visit their website to find out more and sign up.

You can also contact hello@actiontutoring.org.uk with any questions about volunteering or the charity.

The start of the new academic year marked the beginning of an exciting journey for our new cohort of trainee teachers as they took part in CTTC’s Induction Week. The programme provided a warm welcome, valuable introductions and the first steps into their teacher training year.

The week began with an opportunity for the trainees to meet their cohort for the year. This was not only a chance to build connections with fellow colleagues, but also to begin establishing the supportive professional community that will accompany them throughout their training.

Across the week, trainees engaged in a range of carefully designed sessions. Highlights included a focus on trainee wellbeing, led by Jo Morton-Brown (pictured), exploring strategies for maintaining balance and resilience in what can be a challenging but rewarding year ahead. Another key session centred on cognitive load theory, offering practical insights into how understanding how pupils learn can support effective lesson planning and classroom practice. Trainees also had introductory sessions from the Chartered College of Teaching and a session on Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Belonging.   

Feedback from the trainees has been overwhelmingly positive, with many noting how the induction helped them feel both prepared and motivated for the year ahead. The combination of professional learning and opportunities for networking created an energising and supportive start.

As we look forward to the coming term, it is clear that this year’s cohort have embraced their induction with enthusiasm and curiosity. We are confident they will continue to build on this strong foundation as they develop into reflective, resilient, and skilled teachers.

We are delighted to announce that Christine Wager, Director of the Colchester Teacher Training Consortium (CTTC), has been elected as the Regional Chair for Initial Teacher Training (ITT) in the Eastern Region.

In this role, Christine will lead the regional ITT provider network, which brings together accredited training providers from across the region to collaborate, support one another, and share best practice. As Regional Chair, she will also represent the Eastern Region at the national ITT Advisory Group (ITTAG), providing expert operational advice to the Department for Education (DfE) and helping to shape future developments in teacher training policy and provision.

Christine’s appointment reflects her deep commitment to high-quality teacher education and her strong leadership within the sector. Through this role, she will help strengthen communication between providers and the DfE, offer feedback on emerging policies, and ensure that the unique needs and perspectives of schools and trainees across the Eastern Region are heard.

Christine looks forward to making a valuable contribution to the development of teacher training at both a regional and national level.