What Our Trainees Say About Us
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I have just finished my teacher training, through one of the strangest and toughest years possible and I could not have done it without the support of Court Moor and The Wavell. From the very beginning, Terry and co. have been incredibly supportive. The communication between Court Moor, Reading University and my placement school was amazing. Throughout my training year I’ve felt continuously encouraged and supported. I could not recommend a better training programme. There is always someone to answer your questions or offer a kind word of encouragement. The professional development is well balanced and truly compliments the day-to-day life of teacher training. I want to thank everyone at Court Moor, Reading and The Wavell for helping me achieve my dream career in such testing times. THANK YOU!! |
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Becoming a teacher had always been my ambition and after achieving a degree in languages, I felt I was ready. Yet, the task to find a suitable school seemed daunting. There are so many schools out there with differing approaches. I decided to attend a variety of school experience days at nearby schools before applying. As soon as I set foot into Court Moor School, I felt very welcomed and after spending a day within the fantastic MFL department I was convinced I had found my ideal training school. So, despite lockdown and all the uncertainties coming with it, I decided to apply for a training place at Court Moor School – to say I was over the moon when Terry McEnroe and Beverly Lilly offered me the place would be an understatement. It was a year that I will never forget, from sessions at Reading University, to weekly study sessions from professionals across the alliance and the support from my mentor and the department. Despite this being a challenging year for all, I never felt like a burden and I always felt 100% supported. Court Moor helped me to develop into someone, I always aspired to be. Yes, teacher training is the hardest thing I have ever done, but thanks to Court Moor School and their unwavering support throughout the year, I managed to get through it and was even offered a post at Court Moor, which I immediately accepted. After such a great experience, I know my ECT years will be achievable and I am looking forward to many years in this rewarding career. |
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I am proud to say that I have just completed my PGCE teacher training year, and what a year it has been! I left the ‘glamourous’ world of television behind in 2020 and began my teaching journey in September here at Court Moor School. As you know, there are many options available when applying to teach and it was the School Direct Programme that appealed to me the most. This allowed me to choose my main school placement rather than a university placing me. This was something that I felt was important, being so new to the world of education. Upon entering the school, I was welcomed with kindness and enthusiasm, and I instantly felt at home. I knew this would be the best place for me to learn and grow as a teacher. Although we have faced some challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic, Court Moor continued to provide support and smiles throughout what really was an uncertain time. The English department are extremely experienced, and I have been fortunate to have spent a lot of time with everyone within it. They quickly became a source of guidance and support as well as friendship. I feel very lucky. In addition to this, the willingness to help from all members of the Court Moor team was something very special. If you are looking to take that leap into teaching, I thoroughly recommend it. Court Moor is a fantastic school where their teaching strategies are up-to-date and continually adapting to meet the needs of their students. It is a wonderful place to learn, and I am thrilled to be continuing into my ECT year with Court Moor. |
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It has been a significant mid-life pivot from the corporate world of adventure tourism sales/marketing, into my local secondary school geography classroom. My initial teacher training year has been a somewhat daunting, never boring, often challenging, mentally stimulating and thoroughly rewarding experience. The Court Moor Partnership team have been exceptional - in equal measure they have offered encouragement, imparted their knowledge, instilled confidence and allowed time for personal development. The school direct pathway provides a super balance of professional studies, classroom observations, lesson preparation and classroom practice. The course has been very well mentored. I have learnt a huge amount about the teaching profession, about myself, about my subject and about enhancing the learning outcomes for our young people. Top Tips:
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I have just finished my teacher training with Court Moor Partnership and can say that it has been a fabulous experience! I would recommend the Partnership, Reading University, and The Wavell to anyone who is starting their journey and who would like access to an outstanding support network, first-class guidance, and endless pedagogical knowledge during their training! I finished my degree in 2018 and applied for my teacher training place later that year. I had decided I wanted to teach before starting my degree and, after a short time working as a study supervisor at Court Moor, realised I wanted to do my training with the Court Moor Partnership. The wealth of knowledge and ambition in the school was palpable and I wanted to be part of that. The support I received from the partnership was great right from the start. This started with their support in the completion of a subject knowledge enhancement course, which aided hugely with my subject confidence. I was lucky to be offered my first placement at The Wavell. The support that I received from my Mentor, and the department, has been invaluable to the success of my year. I was not afraid to ask questions, or to be honest about how confident I felt, which enabled me to follow a trajectory that was organic and appropriate to me and my progress. We got along so well that I am starting my NQT year with them in September! Throughout my training, the partnership and their network of schools provided informative professional development sessions that complimented the brilliant sessions provided by Reading University. The sessions were structured in a relevant way, giving us the information, we needed, precisely when we needed it! The pedagogical knowledge I have gained this year, in University and beyond, is like nothing I could have imagined. I have been reflective, critical, and enlightened in equal measures and cannot wait to put in to practice what I have learnt! |
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Having just completed my PGCE and achieved my QTS I have absolutely no regrets when looking back to when I first decided to embark on this crazy whirlwind of an adventure that is teacher training. Once I knew that teacher training was something I wanted to pursue, I began by looking at the courses different universities offered. I narrowed down my search to the University of Reading as I had just completed my undergraduate degree here and knew I would be in safe hands. There were a few different options of courses through UoR however I decided to go down the School Direct route with a PGCE as this meant more time in school and therefore, more opportunity to learn on the job. I applied to the Court Moor alliance on my UCAS application and once everything was submitted, I was contacted by the very helpful Terry McEnroe to arrange a time to meet and discuss the course. Terry then put me in contact with two local junior schools (Heatherside and Church Crookham) which I arranged to visit and have a tour of the school. After this initial meeting, I was then offered interviews (and subsequently offers) from both schools which I was absolutely thrilled about as both schools really grabbed my attention. I was given support the whole way through this process and Terry liaised with me whilst I was making my decision. Once onto the teacher training programme at Church Crookham Junior School, I had support and guidance provided from all angles. The university were amazing at settling us onto the course and provided us with a university and academic tutor to support us, I also had a personal mentor within my school who was with me along every step of the way (I don’t know what I would have done without her). On top of this, Terry arranged for me to join a trainee group from St Polycarps which meant I was involved in regular group training after school and support from Charlotte Carr from the St Polycarps alliance who is involved with the training programme. I cannot fault the guidance and support that was provided over the year; I never felt out of my depth and always knew there was someone to turn to with any worries. Training to be a teacher was the best decision I have made and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone considering this career path. |
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I have really enjoyed my teacher training at Tomlinscote school and as part of the Court Moor Partnership. I initially applied directly through the school, after observations at other local schools, and was awarded a placement as a Biology RPT to complete my PGCE and QTS with Reading University. Reading University and the Court Moor school partnership were incredibly supportive throughout my training course – particularly during the unexpected lockdown during the final term of school! The Court Moor School partnership held weekly meetings with all their training recruits, where we were able to visit local schools and get support from teachers across a range of topics, including applying for jobs, lesson planning and professional studies. Treats were often provided, which was the perfect start to a Wednesday morning! My mentor and ITTco at my placement school were incredibly supportive throughout the year, and I quickly gained confidence in teaching. During my placement I was offered an interview at Tomlinscote school, resulting in a job offer that I was more than keen to accept. I would highly recommend applying to the Court Moor partnership when looking to start teacher training, as the support they offered throughout the year was always very positive, and everyone I met during my placement were supportive, friendly, and very happy to help! |
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I was not sure what to expect when starting my teacher training programme with Court Moor and whether I had made the right decision to start a School Direct programme rather than a University-led programme. All I can say is that I have no doubt that I chose the right path. I felt supported every step of the way and it was a pleasure to be able to work with such as great team. I applied through Court Moor who were very helpful in putting me in contact with a training school and helping me set up an interview. I had a lot of contact with Court Moor prior to the interview who supported me and made sure that I had everything I needed. The Professional Study sessions set up by Court Moor were a great opportunity to meet other trainees in the area and to visit different schools within the partnership. With the closure of schools and us not being able to complete our teaching experience, Court Moor could not have done anything more to support us. We continued with Professional Studies via Zoom, having sessions with different members of staff from several schools which helped maintain a sense of ‘normality’ throughout lockdown. I want to thank Court Moor for providing the very best teacher training and I am looking forward to starting my NQT year in September. |