Teacher Training Programme

New teaching volunteers without any experience are put onto our bespoke teacher training programme.

How does the programme work?

The programme runs twice a year, starting in September and January and lasts eleven weeks.

Volunteers must attend once a week (on Monday or Wednesday evenings) for the duration of the programme and be willing to commit to teach at the school for two academic terms after finishing.

You spend the first two weeks learning English language teaching theories and tips, and practice techniques with other trainees.

You'll then spend the following eight weeks observing three classes with learners of different ability levels and teaching four times, starting off with a 20 minute slot and working your way up to deliver a full 1 hour 45 minute lesson. Your teaching practices will be assessed and feedback given after each one to help you improve.

You'll finish the programme with a debrief week and then we'll place you into a class (subject to availability).

What will I learn?

The programme is run by by our in-house Teacher Training Manager and is designed to meet the specific needs of new volunteers, to help them develop classroom management, lesson planning and lesson delivery skills, as well as understanding the ethos of our school.

By the end of the programme, you will have gained the tools to plan and deliver an effective English lesson to adults of different abilities.

What do I need to join?

You don't need any teaching or classroom experience to join the teacher training programme, however you do need to be fluent in English (you don't have to be a native speaker).

The programme requires lesson planning to be done outside of classroom time and is a considerable commitment, however you will benefit from a free training programme which will train you to deliver effective English language lessons to adults both at our school and elsewhere.

You will be expected to commit to the school for two academic terms after you complete your training.

I'm a qualified teacher. Do I still need to do the training programme?

If you hold a CELTA/TESOL, or you're an experienced adult language teacher, it's probably best to place into a class directly (subject to availability). We'll observe and give you extra support in the first few weeks to make sure you settle into the school.

You may still want to do this programme if you've had a gap with teaching or you want a refresher. We can adapt the programme to allow experienced teachers to be more creative with their lesson planning and help trainees without teaching experience.

If you're an experienced teacher, but you've not taught language to adults, we can have a conversation about the best course of action.

How can I join the programme?

The next programme is starting in January 2022. There's a maximum of five spaces on each evening.

Please get in touch with us and we will arrange for you to visit the school and have a conversation with us.