Train to Teach programme opens doors across the North East
Across Teesside, County Durham and Hartlepool, a local trust is opening the door to a new generation of teachers, offering a hands-on route into the classroom for those ready to change careers or start something new.
Ad Astra Academy Trust, which runs ten primary schools across the region, is inviting applications for its ‘Train to Teach’ programme beginning this September.
The initiative provides an alternative pathway into teaching, allowing participants to train on the job rather than attend university full-time. No previous classroom experience is required.
Training in the classroom from day one
Trainees are based in schools across the trust and gain daily classroom experience while developing their teaching skills in real time.
Impressively, the programme has a 100% success rate, with all trainees securing teaching positions upon completion of the ten-month course.
Successful participants graduate with a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) and Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), fully preparing them for life as newly qualified teachers.
Strong response but places still available
Helen Durnion, School Improvement Lead for Ad Astra Academy Trust and course lead, said there has already been strong interest in this year’s intake. “We’ve had a good response to our 2026/27 programme, but we still have a few places available.
“The programme offers an alternative to going to university to obtain a teaching degree. There is also the advantage that people train on the job and get first-hand experience in the classroom which is great preparation for when they become newly qualified teachers.”
Spanning schools across the North East
Trainees will be placed across all ten Ad Astra primary schools, including Ayresome and Sunnyside in Middlesbrough, Crooksbarn and Rosebrook in Stockton-on-Tees, Barnard Grove, Brougham, West Park and West View in Hartlepool, and Deaf Hill and Kelloe in County Durham.
Voices from the classroom
Current trainee Kristen Connell said: “I’ve really enjoyed the programme and looking forward to seeing all the hard work pay off as I step into my new career.”
Fellow trainee Tom Coverdale added: “The support throughout the programme has been brilliant and the classroom experience is invaluable. With my new career on the horizon, I can’t wait to put everything I have learned into practice in my new classroom in September.”
Applicants need to have a degree for the ‘Train to Teach programme. For further information or an informal chat, telephone 01429 874552 or email office@westpark.adastraschools.org.
Ad Astra Academy Trust is a Schools North East Partner Trust. If you’d like to find out more about our Partner School membership, click here.
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