In the early 1990s, I was seconded for a year to be one of two MFL advisory teachers in Kent and then became a senior teacher at Saint Georges School in Gravesend.
The school was a partner school in North West Kent Teacher Trainers (NWKTT), later to become Kent and Medway Training (KMT), a secondary SCITT which had been set up when a group of headteachers from the area of Dartford and Gravesend had responded to an invitation from the Teaching Training Agency (TTA) to deliver this then innovative approach to training teachers where all of the training took place in schools: extensive classroom experience in two schools, mentored by excellent teachers and underpinned by academic pedagogy. I was appointed course director in 1997.
It was an exciting and often stressful time. SCITTs were being set up across the country, encouraged and supported by inspirational headteachers like Mike Berrill from Biddenham Upper School and Jim Hudson of Two Mile Ash, and by the TTA. Like all SCITT leaders I was keen to meet with others, to learn from them and share best practice, but in those early days SCITTs were often sidelined or excluded from established channels of advice. The National SCITT Council was set up and I attended some really interesting and informative national and regional conferences in my first few years. June Wagstaff (TTA) was particularly supportive in the South East in finding ways to help us network.
Between 1997 and 2000, more and more schools became interested in becoming part of SCITTs and we were dealing with changes to QTS Standards and the rigours of Ofsted inspections. The introduction of an employment-based route through the Graduate Teacher Programme and the increasing number of SCITTs resulted in the recognition that the National the SCITT Council needed to reexamine its brief.
As I write, I can’t remember exactly how I came to be sitting in Jim’s office with a small group of other SCITT leaders including Alan Fowler, Martin Thompson and Sue Collier (from Bromley Schools Collegiate), discussing how best to support school-based training and share the experience, knowledge and excellent good practice that was taking place across the country.
This was the first meeting of the NASBTT Steering Committee, though the name NASBTT didn’t yet exist, and my hazy memory also doesn’t remember how it was chosen. During that meeting Jim asked, “Is there someone who is willing to take notes of our discussions?” And that is how I became NASBTT’s first secretary! In truth, only the secretary of the first Steering Committee, and for a relatively short time.
I remember the first two conferences very well, being pleased at the good attendance – an indication of the desire for such an organisation, the trust that many participants placed in us by agreeing to pay a membership fee, the common themes in discussion groups of mentor training, quality assurance, QTS Standards and Ofsted and how to be heard by the DfE.
Jim was the first Chair of NASBTT but stepped aside quite soon, and when Martin became Chair his one day a week secondment and his quiet persistence meant that he was able to drive the development of NASBTT forward.
KMT was expanding too – more schools, more trainees, more mentors and professional tutors to develop and manage – and meant I decided I couldn’t give to NASBTT the time it deserved. However, I’m proud to have played a small part.
I’m thinking back now to that first Steering Committee meeting in Jim’s office, where there was a Burnley Football Club shirt on the wall, indication of Jim’s passions – education and football.
Jim outlined his vision of a national organisation for school-based training providers, a vision where our voice would be heard. From little acorns…
Janet Winder was NASBTT’s first Secretary.
Thank you for this little potted history! What a fascinating read.