BPET & University of Westminster partnership
We are delighted to announce a new exciting partnership with the University of Westminster, providing their students with teaching placements across all our schools.
As an educational institution, our core mission is to nurture pupils’ potential through a personalised approach to learning. We believe that not only every child, but also every member of staff has the entitlement to benefit from learning experiences - Learn - which are broad and enriched, - Enjoy - enabling them to achieve far greater individual success - Succeed - than they might previously have thought possible. That’s what we stand for: Learn, Enjoy, Succeed.
Now we are taking our approach beyond our own schools’ walls welcoming University of Westminster students who will be joining us for their Explore Teaching Scheme placements. The scheme will provide the older students with an opportunity to gain experience of a career in education, and it’s also a chance to act as a role model for young people and raise their aspirations towards higher education.
The first cohort of students will join us in February 2025 in four BPET schools across London; we envisage the programme to grow so that all BPET schools accommodate University of Westminster’ students over the years to come. Trainees will gain experience by joining a supportive team for one day a week for 15 weeks. During their time in school they will gain invaluable experience working alongside our talented teams of teaching and support staff. On completion, trainees will reflect on their experience and evaluate if a career in teaching is something they would like to progress further. For those interested in exploring such a career, the option to apply to join BPET’s School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) programme is available.
Our SCITT programme approaches trainees as individuals: individualised learning is at the heart of what we do, from pupils, to teachers and more experienced staff. Our SCITT programme, delivered in partnership with Teach First, is one-year long and involves a powerful mix of live training in class, self-directed study and one-to-one support.
Alison Colenso, BPET Director of Education and SCITT said: “We are very excited to welcome University of Westminster students. Our mission is to train and nurture talent, and we are looking forward to showing trainees what a rewarding career teaching can be, by letting them experience that for themselves in our fantastic schools.”
Hanna Gnanaseharam, Work Experience and Placement Officer at the University of Westminster said: “We are very much looking forward to strengthening our relationship with BPET. The opportunity for our students (and recent graduates) to acquire experience in a primary school setting will be invaluable for students wishing to explore a career in teaching”.
Applications for the BPET SCITT are now open.
