I'm very grateful to have trained with Red Kite. I particularly appreciated the quality of training and the exceptional support given from start to finish. Both the training in school and on training days has been amazing, and the fact that these sessions were led by current practitioners meant that all advice was extremely valuable and applicable.

Red Kite were also extremely helpful when it came to finding and applying for my first teaching role. They provided support and guidance to help with applications and also provided a list of possible interview questions which was really useful. Also, when it came to prepping for my interview, Trainee Progress Leaders Cherie and Caroline helped me with mock interviews and going over my lesson plans. They are both excellent!

When I was at university, I got a part-time job as a Maths and English tutor and loved it. After graduating, I signed up to a teaching agency and applied for a full-time job as an English Intervention Support Worker at a local high school. I worked at the school for two years and it was the best move I made. I knew I didn’t want to jump straight into applying for teacher training as that wasn’t the natural step for me. Gaining experience in a real school setting before applying to Red Kite was invaluable in preparing me for the course.

I have absolutely loved my experience with Red Kite. From the outset, the team have always been so supportive, professional, approachable, and just an email or phone call away. One of my main worries about teacher training was becoming overwhelmed, but this certainly was not the case for me. As I do not drive, I was worried about my commute to placements, but this was taken into consideration as early as the interview stage and I worked at two fantastic schools that were 20 minutes away.

The course offered additional mental health first aid training and other sessions based on supporting some of the challenges we could expect to face during the course. My mentors in both placements were exceptional and I felt like a fully integrated member of staff within the schools’ English departments.

My TPL (Cherie) has been a credit to the RK team; offering feedback, additional reading and support with the employment process, interview preparation, application support and continues to offer a helping hand whenever she can.

I was treated as a colleague from the start, not as a ‘trainee’ or a ‘student’ and benefitted from the support of a close group of science Trainees. Looking back as an NQT, my Red Kite training prepared me extremely well for my current job. All the key aspects of teaching were covered, in particular the focus on meeting the needs of individual pupils, so there were no surprises when I started at Ilkley. Red Kite organised an employment day in November, which guided me very clearly through the application process and gave me the opportunity to talk to school leaders from across the region, including the school that employed me.

I got my job in the school where I did my first placement. I had lots of help with looking for and applying for jobs, including writing my application and practicing interview techniques.
The best thing about my training with Red Kite was the constant support and positivity from everyone linked to my programme, giving me confidence, and opportunities to reflect on what was going well and where I needed to focus. I felt part of a supportive learning community; I was never worried as there was always someone to advise and support me. I thoroughly enjoyed my training year and recommended the programme to a friend, who started training with Red Kite this autumn.

I had been a teaching assistant for two years when I decided I was ready to train to be a teacher.
Starting the course in my placement school from day one, meant that I was treated as a member of staff and I was integrated into school life, which gave me further insight into life as a teacher. The workload was my main worry, however, there is lots of support from Red Kite staff, University staff and your fellow trainees.

My placement schools were excellent, I always felt a part of the team, not just as a student but as a teacher. Advice and support was always readily available, whenever I needed it, from any member of staff.

I really enjoyed my teacher training and I would encourage anyone who is thinking about applying to do so.

This meant I was able to observe class teachers setting those all-important expectations in the classroom; from class behaviours to standards in children’s books. This was an experience that has proved invaluable for setting my own expectations with my year 3s.

This route into teaching is not without its challenges, but you are surrounded by professionals within your placement school and during the training days at one of the Red Kite hub venues. The training days are led by practicing teachers, from across the Red Kite schools, who can pass on their experience and expertise to a new generation of teachers.

When I came towards the end of the course and it was time to start applying for jobs, I felt confident that the knowledge and skills I had acquired during my training year would come across in interview. I was thrilled when a job came up at a local school in the Alliance, so I submitted my application at the end of March and on the 6th of April, after an in-depth interview process, I was offered a job as a year 3 teacher.

The diverse placements and mini placements allowed me to visit a range of schools and helped me to decide on a school which was suited to me. Training with other trainees from a range of subjects gave me the support on a daily basis, but I always knew I could call Red Kite at any time. The subject pedagogy days also allowed me to discuss any issues with like-minded people.

The University aspect of the course allowed me to reflect on my teaching from a theoretical basis. The Red Kite Alliance is much more than just teacher training, and the fact you are part of a hub of schools, allowed me to secure my first teaching post.

I received excellent and high-quality training on key areas e.g. behaviour management, Science pedagogy, teachers’ wider responsibilities, meeting the needs of all learners and pupil progress, to mention but a few.

This has extensively prepared me for my current NQT year, as I am now confidently and successfully teaching a whole range of classes at Roundhay School – an outstanding Red Kite partnership school I feel very happy and privileged to be working at. Additionally, training with Red Kite has enabled me to be part of a strong support network which provides continuous, high quality support whenever needed, something which I greatly value and have benefitted from as a Trainee and continue to do so as an NQT.