At Five Counties SCITT, we provide secondary teacher training across Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Bath and North-East Somerset, North Somerset and Somerset, giving you the skills, confidence, and practical experience you need to thrive in the classroom.
Whether you’re looking for a Secondary PGCE course near Bristol or want a school-based pathway to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), our programme combines academic rigour with hands-on classroom practice to prepare you for a successful teaching career.
What is Secondary Teacher Training with SCITT?
Our School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) programme places you directly in the classroom from day one, while also providing high-quality professional and subject-specific training. You’ll learn how to manage a classroom, plan engaging lessons, and support pupils with diverse needs, all while developing your subject expertise.
Successful completion of the programme leads to QTS, enabling you to teach in secondary schools across England. Many trainees also choose to gain a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) with 60 Master’s level credits, awarded in partnership with Sheffield Hallam University. This combination of practical experience and academic recognition sets you up for a strong start in your teaching career.
Where will you train?
School placements
You’ll spend a minimum of 24 weeks in secondary school placements, split across at least two schools. This means you’ll experience different contexts – for example, teaching in schools of different sizes, communities and pupil demographics.
Placements are typically in our partner schools across Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Bath and North-East Somerset, North Somerset and Somerset. When placing you, we take into account:
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The subject you want to teach
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Distance from home and travel options
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The ethos and character of the school
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Any personal or family circumstances
During placements, you’ll be supported by a subject mentor, a lead mentor, and our SCITT programme leaders. This ensures you’re guided by subject experts while also having access to broader professional development support.
Where you’ll study
Alongside your placements, you’ll attend weekly centre-based training at our Bristol or Weston-super-Mare centres. These sessions are led by practising teachers and expert teacher educators, blending subject knowledge, pedagogy, and professional skills.
How Secondary placements work
Our placement model is carefully structured to help you develop gradually. Early in the year, you’ll observe lessons and start working with small groups of pupils. You’ll then move on to planning and delivering parts of lessons, before taking responsibility for full lessons and sequences of learning.
By the end of your training year, you’ll typically be teaching up to 80% of a full timetable, preparing you for the realities of life as a secondary teacher.
Throughout your placements, you’ll benefit from targeted feedback and coaching, helping you reflect on your practice and grow as an educator. Intensive practice weeks focused on key aspects of teaching – such as behaviour management, assessment, or curriculum design – allow you to put theory into practice straight away.
The Secondary training pathway
The year follows a progressive structure that blends school-based and centre-based training:
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Induction – A September start with sessions on safeguarding, reflective practice and team building.
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Intensive training and practice weeks – Focused opportunities to develop subject-specific approaches with expert input.
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Main school placements – Two long placements in contrasting schools, giving you breadth of experience.
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Weekly training sessions – Ongoing centre-based training covering subject knowledge, pedagogy, and professional studies.
This layered approach helps you build confidence at every stage and ensures you’re ready for life as a secondary teacher by the end of the programme.
Why choose Five Counties SCITT for Secondary training?
A focus on subject expertise
Our training is led by subject specialists who are current practitioners, meaning you’ll learn the latest and most effective teaching approaches. You’ll also get the chance to work with expert educators across a variety of schools.
Outstanding training and pastoral support
Our provision was rated Outstanding by Ofsted in 2024, with inspectors praising both the quality of training and the exceptional pastoral care we provide. We know the training year can be demanding, so we ensure you have the right balance of challenge and support.
Real career opportunities
Because we work in close partnership with schools across the region, many of our trainees go on to secure teaching posts in the very schools where they trained. We also continue to support you in your early career, ensuring your transition from trainee to teacher is as smooth as possible.
Secondary subjects available
We offer a wide range of secondary SCITT programmes. These typically include:
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English
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Mathematics
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Science (biology, chemistry, physics)
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History
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Geography
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Modern foreign languages
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Design & technology
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Computing
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Physical education
- Art, drama, music
Whichever subject you choose, you’ll benefit from expert mentoring, practical classroom experience, and academic development that will set you apart in your teaching career.