Getting school experience
To support your application to train to teach you can visit local schools to get unpaid experience in the classroom before you start your initial teacher training (ITT).
It can help you:
- Decide if you want to train to be a teacher
- Discover which setting you’d like to teach in (primary or secondary)
- Build a relationship with a school you might want to work for later
What to expect
Your experience will either be in a school or joining classes and meeting teachers online. Placements usually last 1 or 2 days, but some can last up to 3 weeks.
During your experience, you will get to do things like:
- Observe lessons
- See how teachers manage a classroom
- Find out how specific subjects are taught
- Speak to teachers and interact with pupils
- Learn more about teacher training - including the application and interview process
Find school experience
The Department for Education has a website where you can search for and request school experience in England:
www.schoolexperience.education.gov.uk
If you are interested in training with Saffron Teaching School Hub, select Saffron Walden County High School as your school placement. We can then support you with a suitable primary or secondary school visit.
Alternatively, contact us to ask about a school placement in the Saffron Teaching School Hub areas of Braintree, Chelmsford, Epping Forest, Harlow and Uttlesford.
We strongly encourage potential candidates to take up the offer of school experience, especially if you have not had much previous school experience. It can give you lots to refer to in your interview too.
Some schools may ask you to have a DBS check before attending, others will ensure you are always accompanied during your visit to avoid this.