At the heart of Lincoln Bishop University’s Initial Teacher Education (ITE) provision lies a deep commitment to practitioner expertise, ensuring that every trainee teacher benefits from a rich, research-informed and practice-led experience.
Training routes are available with a range of flexibility for full-time, part-time, blended and work-based options, to support a wide range of aspiring teachers in preparing to enter the profession as qualified practitioners.
The ITE team comprises of professionals with extensive careers across the primary, early years, secondary, and further education sectors. Strong subject knowledge is at the heart of ITE curriculum design and delivery. Each route is led by a specialist team of highly qualified academics with substantial school and college experience. They maintain currency through active engagement in national networks and ongoing research, ensuring that trainees receive up-to-date and relevant insights.
Mentoring plays a key role in successful delivery of teacher education and the ITE team are all highly skilled in mentoring, also acting as Lead Mentors across the ITE Partnership; many have completed the National Professional Qualification in Leading Teacher Development (NPQLTD). The annual mentoring conference, hosted at the university, is well-attended by partner school mentors and provides opportunities for sharing good practice, embedding the mentor curriculum and engaging with national experts in the field of ITE and mentoring. Further Education (FE) trainees benefit from a tailored mentoring model, including virtual mentors and subject experts who provide flexible, sector-specific guidance. The integration of digital tools and blended learning approaches ensures accessibility and adaptability across all programmes.
At the heart of ITE provision lies a coherently designed curriculum offer aligned with our ADEPT philosophy (Ambitious, Diverse, Evidence-based and Professionally Transformative). Skilled and experienced teams have collaboratively developed curricula providing sequenced approaches to incrementally building, applying, and consolidating the knowledge and skills students need to develop fluid classroom practice. Whilst adopting a consistent DNA, our subject and phase experts have tailored each programme to target the foundational and enhanced knowledge and skills required to be successful in each phase of education.
A standout feature of the ITE curriculum are our innovative ITaPs (Intensive Training and Practice), which significantly enhance trainee development in pivotal areas of pedagogy. From foundational topics like behaviour management and phonics, to advanced themes such as modelling, inclusion, and assessment, ITaPs offer a dynamic blend of theory and practice. Trainees engage with varied approaches and simulations to deepen understanding and confidence. Feedback consistently highlights the transformative impact of ITaPs, with confidence ratings typically increasing by upto 40 percentage points on average during each themed ITaP.
The success of our ITE provision is evident through trainee outcomes and employment rates, national and local survey results and external feedback from Ofsted and the Department for Education. This success is due to the expertise and commitment of our highly professional teacher education practitioners. The ITE team continues to innovate and expand the horizons of teacher education. ensuring that Lincoln Bishop University remains a beacon of excellence in practitioner-led teacher development.