Our Curriculum

The Embrace SCITT ITE curriculum equips Trainees and Apprentices with the knowledge, professional behaviours and skills to begin their career as professional, collaborative and hard-working colleagues with confidence.

We train excellent teachers who champion children’s right to an exceptional education in the North West and beyond by ensuring excellence in pedagogy and curriculum through research informed practice, which meets the needs of local Primary, Secondary and Special schools.

It is underpinned by our active ingredients:

  1. Academic rigour: Engagement with high-quality research bases, contextualised for the subjects and phases for which trainees are training to teach in.
  2. Curriculum sequencing: interleaved curricula woven through centre- and school-based training which promotes curriculum and pedagogical mastery.
  3. Exceptional talent: Exceptional facilitation and school-based mentoring.

Curriculum Intent

Our 3-Part Curriculum allows us to tailor our curriculum for each trainee. The three curricula flex and adapt to meet the needs of Trainees as they journey through to qualify as teachers.

How you are taught:

Our curriculum comprises knowledge, professional behaviours and skills which are delivered primarily through two core elements:

School-Based Training

Our programme utilises two teaching placements in great schools. We carefully consider where we place our Trainees to ensure they have the best opportunity to develop a thorough understanding of the phase and subjects that they are training to teach. Each Trainee is supported by a School-Based Mentor who monitors their progress, setting precise PEERS targets to support the Trainee to practise the skills outlined in the KPBS. 

Intensive Training and Practice placements are designed to focus on high-leverage, granular detail in teaching and learning. These are distinctive from typical school placements and encourage you to hone your skills on very specific areas of your practice.

Centre-Based Training

Trainees receive regular training in a variety of topics which expose them to the critical research available in teaching. We have three elements to our Centre-Based Training;

Professional Skills & Knowledge (PSK): Knowledge which is transferrable across different sectors and phases. These sessions expose Trainees to the evidence base of core aspects of learning such as behaviour management, Special Educational Needs, Assessment, Pedagogy, Planning etc.

Subject Skills & Knowledge (SSK): Knowledge which is subject and phase specific. We allocate 20 sessions throughout the year to build your knowledge and understanding of subject-specific content, and exemplify the Professional Skills and Knowledge through a subject specific lens.

Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE): A 60 Masters level (level 7) credit programme which compliments our PSK and SSK teaching. This is organised into two modules; module 1 focuses on assessment and the research which underpins this; module 2 primarily looks at curriculum design models. Our PGCE is delivered by Liverpool Hope University.

Our training is delivered by local, regional and national experts who have significant experience in the areas they are training you in.

In addition to our centre- and school-based training, our programme utilises a range of approaches to learning, including:

Online Training: These are used to revisit and consolidate training.

Directed reading: Used to develop a strong understanding of the research available to teachers to improve outcomes for pupils.

Formal Curriculum:

Our formal curriculum outlines the core and essential knowledge that we teach and practise in our centre- and school-based training. 

Organised under four curriculum drivers;

  • Leading Professional Partnerships
  • Growing Expert Teachers, Expert Learners
  • Becoming Teachers of the World 
  • Ensuring Achievement for All.

These drivers summarise the knowledge (taught through centre-based training), professional behaviours (reinforced through school-based mentoring) and skills (practised and rehearsed in the classroom). These are summarised in our Knowledge, Professional Behaviours and Skills (KPBS) documents which are provided to our Trainees, Apprentices and Mentors directly.

Our formal curriculum is rooted in the evidence of (and goes beyond) the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (the Department For Education's minimum requirements of all teacher training providers).

The Developmental Curriculum ensures you get the time, practice and support you need to master the Knowledge, Professional Behaviours and Skills (KPBS). It recognises that development is not linear. At different points, you may need targeted support to secure progress and confidence.

Why it matters for you

Teaching expertise develops through practice, feedback and refinement. The Developmental Curriculum exists to make sure gaps do not widen and confidence does not drop.

You benefit from:

  • timely, focused support

  • clear next steps when progress slows

  • structured opportunities to practise and improve

  • high expectations alongside appropriate support

Your Teaching Commitment

We don't rush you! Your teaching commitment gradually increases over the course of the programme so that, by the end, you are teaching 80% of a teacher's timetable - this sets you up to be ready for your career as a new teacher. Sometimes, there may be a need to adapt your teaching commitment to respond to events in your life or to ensure you can focus on specific skills.

PEERS Targets

PEERS targets were first proposed by Dr Jim Knight. They encourage you to focus on the highest leverage elements of your practice which will move your teaching on to positively impact on pupils. You and your Mentors will agree your focus targets together, focussing on your progress and development.

Instructional Coaching and Deliberate Practice

Improvement comes from precise, accurate rehearsal following detailed feedback. In Centre- and School-Based Training, you will complete deliberate practice activities to rehearse important elements of teaching and professionalism - this helps you to make mistakes in a safe and secure environment before taking your new skills to the classroom and your school.

You can find out more about how we support Trainees here.

Our Additional Curriculum captures what sets Embrace SCITT apart. It sits alongside the Formal and Developmental curricula and strengthens both. It ensures you leave the programme not only meeting the Teachers’ Standards, but ready for employment, leadership and the realities of the profession.

The Additional Curriculum focuses on breadth, opportunity and professional readiness. It is designed to widen your experience, deepen your understanding of the system, and support your transition into sustained employment as a teacher.

What the Additional Curriculum includes:

Teach Together in Europe (TTE)

  • A unique international placement opportunity

  • You teach in a European partner school.

  • You experience a different education system and culture.

  • You develop adaptability, confidence and professional independence.

  • You return with strengthened practice and perspective that benefits pupils and schools.

Professional Behaviours

  • A clear focus on how teachers act, not just what they know.
  • Expectations around professionalism, reliability and collaboration.
  • Development of ethical practice, inclusive attitudes and reflective habits.
  • Reinforced through mentoring, feedback and school experience.
  • Directly aligned with employability and leadership readiness.

Employability support

  • Structured preparation for the job market.
  • Guidance on applications, interviews and lesson observations.
  • Support to articulate your impact using evidence.
  • Coaching to help you secure your first teaching post.
  • Practical advice grounded in current school expectations.

Cross-phase and cross-sector experience

  • Opportunities to experience different phases or sectors.
  • Exposure to specialist settings where appropriate.
  • A broader understanding of pupil journeys across education.
  • Improved curriculum coherence and transition awareness.
  • Stronger professional judgement through varied contexts.

Why this matters for you

  • You gain experiences most trainees do not.
  • You develop confidence beyond your main placement.
  • You understand education as a system, not a single classroom.
  • You are better prepared for employment and progression.
  • You leave as a reflective, adaptable and employable teacher.

 

The Additional Curriculum is not optional enrichment. It is a deliberate part of how we prepare you to thrive, contribute and lead in education.

Our Trainees are assessed continuously throughout the programme:

  • Lesson observations & feedback
  • PEERS Target Setting
  • Weekly review meetings
  • End of phase reviews
  • Phase viva assessments
  • Moderation visits
  • Evidence for Qualified Teacher Status (at the end of the programme)

Our Trainees and Mentors are provided with a detailed Target Setting & Assessment Framework which outlines the explicit skills which are expected to be learnt, practised and mastered at different points of the programme. This is used to provide high-quality, detailed feedback, set targets and monitor progress towards the end of the programme at an appropriate pace.