The i2i Teaching Partnership welcomes candidates to our School Experience Programme throughout the academic year, giving you the opportunity to spend time in one or more of our local partner schools and gain a first-hand insight into the teaching profession.
We’ll arrange for you to spend a day or more in school, where you can observe lessons and pastoral work, experience the wider life of the school and talk to teachers and students about their day-to-day experiences.
You’ll have the opportunity to see a range of lessons and age groups being taught. If you have particular areas you’d like to experience, let us know and we’ll do our best to accommodate your interests. This could include observing a particular subject area, experiencing different age groups or phases, or, where appropriate, gaining experience across both primary and secondary settings.
School experience can help you understand what teaching involves, ask questions and gain a clearer picture of the role and responsibilities of a teacher. It can also help you decide whether teaching is right for you, strengthen your teacher training application and give you valuable experience to draw on when preparing for an interview.
Alternative ways to experience teaching
If you’re unable to undertake school experience in person for any reason, our Alternative ways to experience teaching section below provides other ways to learn more about teaching and gain a better understanding of life in the classroom.
Safeguarding
The i2i Teaching Partnership is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect all staff, trainees and school experience participants to share this commitment.
How To Join
We aim to accommodate everyone who would like to gain school experience. Complete our Enquiry Form, selecting “School Experience Programme” in the enquiry box, and a member of the i2i team will get back to you to discuss your requirements and arrange your experience.
If you have any questions about school experience before submitting your enquiry, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help.
As part of your placement, a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check may be required.
Safeguarding
The i2i Teaching Partnership is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect all staff, trainees and school experience participants to share this commitment.
Top Tips For Getting The Most Out Of School Experience
Make the most of your school experience by observing carefully, asking questions and taking time to reflect on what you see.
You might want to think about:
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The teacher’s role – What does a typical day, week or year look like? What happens before and after lessons?
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Planning and preparation – How do teachers plan their lessons? What resources do they use?
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Teaching and learning – How is your subject taught across different year groups? What strategies and activities do teachers use, and why?
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Relationships with pupils – How do teachers communicate with and support pupils, both in lessons and around the school?
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The pupil experience – What do pupils enjoy about the subject? What do they find challenging?
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The wider role – What other responsibilities do teachers have beyond teaching lessons?
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The reality of teaching – What do teachers enjoy most about their role? What do they find challenging?
Try to speak to the teachers you meet and ask about their experiences. There is no better way to understand what teaching is really like than hearing directly from people doing the job.
For more ideas on making the most of your school experience, you can also read this Get Into Teaching article.
Alternative ways to experience teaching
If you’re unable to undertake school experience in person, there are still plenty of ways to learn more about teaching and gain an insight into life in school.
You could:
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Talk to a teacher – speak to someone you know who works in education and ask them about their journey into teaching, what they enjoy about the role and some of the challenges they face. If you don’t know a teacher, please get in touch and we may be able to help.
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Watch our A Day in the Life of a Teacher video – hear from teachers about what a typical day is really like.
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Watch lessons online – look at how teachers explain concepts, engage pupils and respond to different behaviours. Think about what you notice and what you can learn from the approaches used.
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Join an i2i Virtual Information Seminar – find out more about teacher training, hear from the i2i team and ask questions about the profession and our programmes.
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Reflect on your own experience – think about any experience you’ve had working with or supporting children and young people, whether through tutoring, sport, volunteering, caring responsibilities or other activities. Consider what these experiences have taught you about yourself and working with others.
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Keep up with education – read about current issues in education and follow the experiences and perspectives of teachers. This can help you build your understanding of the profession and consider the issues that matter to you as a future teacher.
These activities won’t replace time spent in a school, but they can help you build your understanding of teaching and prepare you for your teacher training journey.
