How I Found The Application Process For ITT - By Natalia Martyn 

So you've decided you want to become a teacher. You've searched through social media and various websites to find out you need to apply for ITT through the DFE website. Great, now what? 

Wanting to train to be a teacher is great, but there's lots of things to consider when making your application. Can you afford it? How will you manage the work/ life balance of a trainee teacher? Where will you train? Will you take a salaried route, university route or school direct?

Social media and Get into teaching websites can really help here. 
As a mature student with 2 children, I needed to know it was going to work; not just for me, but my family too. Choosing the right training provider, and schools was very important. 

I followed threads on social media, from other mature students in similar positions, read the advice, spoke to teachers in my school, and friends who had already completed their ITT. There is no such thing as too much research when it comes to making the right decision. 

I lucked out with a great adviser from Get into teaching, she really helped, listen and guide me through which routes would be most efficient for me and my family. She was able to provide information of events and webinars where I could gain more information, and even helped provide guidance for writing a good personal statement.

Personal statements are important and are part of the application process for future teaching positions. It is important to really sell yourself, training providers will be wanting to know what skills you already possess that will make you a good teacher.  

I began applying, I had one particular provider in mind, but applied to a few none-the-less. Not long after hitting apply came the interviews. A daunting process at the best of times, now on top of the usual formal interview process, I also had to plan an activity, given a topic and year group, and prepare for a written task I knew nothing about. I was quite nervous about it all, but thankfully I already knew of a few places I could look for ideas. I found a few activities and finally settled on one I felt would really show my teaching abilities. 

Interview day, I was greeted by a lovely lady, who talked me through the written task, I was given half an hour to complete it. It was fairly undemanding, they just wanted to see how well I could communicate through writing. The activity I planned went well, as did the formal interview. I felt rather good after my interview, of course, like many people, I questioned whether I could have answered things better. I was offered a place with my first choice provider, and gladly accepted. 

I knew it would offer me the balance I needed for my family, a few days travel but schools within my area, and online sessions to break up the travelling between provider led sessions.

The next stage was applying for funding/ the mathematics scholarship. Thankfully the mathematics scholarship website had a wealth of information to help both with the application and interview process, with plenty of blogs from past and present scholars to help guide me through from applying and writing another personal statement right through to interview tips. Another activity to plan for the interview, but I felt at ease having already planned activities for the ITT provider interviews. A blog I read by one of the interviewees, suggested the importance of planning for the interview, you're given interview questions in advance. It is advice I took on board and helped ease those interview nerves, to present myself well. 

There is a wealth of information out there from social media groups to informative websites, use the information and advice, read as many blogs as you can from previous applicants, best of luck.

By Natalia Martyn

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