Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

• application – identification of need for further support at interview, and opportunities for support in interview preparation
• interview – identification of need for further support to be considered in placement and induction planning 
• induction – personalised to the needs of the trainee teacher, with extra opportunities for bespoke induction where needed
• identification of reasonable adjustments and pre-planning with placement schools

• implementation of reasonable adjustments identified in the pre-programme stage
• weekly mentoring support designed for regular target setting, review, and implementation of strategies personalised to the needs of the trainee teacher
• early identification of the need for additional support through rigorous tracking of progress
• planned intervention with experts from the BCTSA Central Team as needed
• personalised support on development needs beyond that covered in the standard curriculum
• delivery of additional targeted training as needed 
• involvement of external agencies where appropriate
• access to Bath Spa university support for academic demands of the PGCE programme (PGCE route only)

• personalised job hunting support
• preparation for ECT
• ongoing tracking and access to BCTSA CPD and support ongoing during ECT years

_{Support for trainees in the demanding training year is at the heart of our SCITT offer.}

"The support from start to finish has been great, I have thoroughly enjoyed the training days which set me up well for the remainder of the week in school. This training is intensive but well structured, which has given me the confidence and skills to start my teacher training journey! Bishop Challoner Training School really fosters an inclusive environment and ensures these values are embedded throughout the training."

Roz, Art Trainee 2025

Programme wellbeing support 

For all trainees, we offer wellbeing support built into the programme design:

• Personal wellbeing and workload mentor check-ins in weekly mentor meetings
• Explicit discussion of wellbeing and workload strategies in weekly training sessions,led by experienced teachers
• Wellbeing bulletins to share wellbeing strategies throughout the year
• A programme design that carefully considers the course workload across the year, helping trainees balance their time and plan to manage workload effectively
• If trainees are on the PGCE programme, they will have access to the University wellbeing services offered by Bath Spa University: https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/students/student-wellbeing-services/
• Contact details for the central team so you can talk about any worries you have at any time

Additional, targeted support

At points during the year, trainees might have individual wellbeing needs which mean they need additional, targeted support. This support will always be bespoke, to help them navigate any challenges they are facing, whether as part of the programme, or with life outside of studies.

The role of trainee support team is to provide:

• Listen to you
• Help you identify sources of support, signposting you to support services
• Plan and problem solve
• Agree any actions and next steps

Our team are not trained counsellors or able to offer clinical advice: our guidance is to help signpost you to those who can provide expert services.

External signposting

There are a number of external routes mentors to signpost trainees towards:

While we can’t vouch for individual organisations, we might recommend:

• NHS Support, for example from your doctor
• Education Support, a charity for those in school with a hotline for additional support
• The TES Wellbeing Hub - Programme wellbeing support

For urgent, non-emergency support

• Call 111 (NHS) or your GP
• Talk to your pharmacist
• Samaritans
• Education Support hotline
• Call 0800 129 9999 to contact the NHS Mental Health Crisis team if you need urgent, but non-emergency help

We also try to provide more broad wellbeing opportunities, in response to the needs of the cohort each year.

We are proud that our SCITT leaders, Emily Giubertoni and Jo Baptiste, presented at the annual Bath Spa Partnership Conference about strategies to support parents into teacher training. Read more about the Conference, and the strategies they discussed here:

Bath-Spa-Partnership-Conference-Programme-2025.pdf

Bath-Spa-Conference-Parenthood-and-ITT.pdf

Are you a parent and would like to know more about starting teacher training, and making a teacher training career work for you? Contact us today for support starting your teacher training journey. 

In 2025-26, all our trainees attended the Belonging Effect DEI conference day (read more here: https://www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk/).

This was a real highlight for our trainees in 2025-26, and an important moment for us in foregrounding the important role teachers play in creating inclusive schools.

We asked our trainees for their key takeaways from the conference, and responses included:

• The DEIB conference was one of those moments that profoundly changed my thinking about myself as an educator.
• Developing the competence in showing up, standing up and speaking out to become inclusive allies.
• Inclusivity is vitally important in the classroom if you're to get the best out of your students for their development and learning.
• Creating a safe inclusive space starts with me.
• I didn’t realise that the statistics for black boys to be more likely excluded was 9 times more than any other. It has made me more aware of micro aggressions which I will look out for more.
• Diversity and exposing children to diverse cultures and backgrounds is so important- from the resources around the room, to the images you use, the language, historical figures mentioned, etc.
• Inclusivity goes beyond a checklist; it demands constant, intentional thinking and a commitment to continual development.
• As an educator, I have a responsibility to challenge assumptions, address issues as they arise, and intentionally create a classroom environment where all pupils feel respected and able to succeed.
• As my practice grows I know I will need to lean on networks such as the DEIB as a resource so very happy that they exist. And that its a bank of people devoted to promoting the best of humanity, the very thing we are here to impart to the children.
• The sheer amount of resources and variety of networks and learning that there is out there! I strongly grasped how complex the education sector is today and Thank you for such an informative conference and giving us this opportunity.
• My key takeaway is the importance of intentionally embedding Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity into everyday practice rather than treating them as standalone initiatives. Small, consistent actions—especially in decision-making, communication, and mentoring—can create meaningful and lasting change.
• Ensuring that the curriculum reflects a wide diversity of people, including examples representing all protected characteristics, so that every pupil can see themselves reflected in the subject, as well as enhancing and deepening the knowledge they are taught.
• Inclusive teaching is not about good intentions alone, but about making deliberate, everyday choices in curriculum, language and behaviour that actively create a sense of belonging for all students.
• For me, confidence in promoting DEI is important. Even though this is a sensitive topic, it does not mean we have to avoid talking about it. We can find opportunities to embed this into our lessons.

We support trainee teachers from a wide variety of global majority backgrounds to thrive and belong in their teacher training year, and to go on to sustained careers in schools locally and further afield.

The West Midlands Combined Authority is the second-most ethnically diverse area in the country (after London). We are proud that our cohort of trainee teachers reflects the diverse ethnicities of the children we serve in schools.

In 2026-27 we are excited to be introducing a bespoke induction programme for our international students, with a specific focus on providing a supportive network and induction to teaching in UK schools for teachers from international backgrounds. 

Please note - as a SCITT, we cannot sponsor visas for international applicants.

If you are a trainee teacher with SEND, we work closely with you to ensure that you are supported through the programme.

All trainees with SEND are encouraged to be open and share their particularly needs with the team: we then craft bespoke reasonable adjustment overviews to share (with your permission!) with mentors and course leaders. This ensures everyone is informed about how to ensure training is best adapted for your needs.

You can read about the accessibility of our training centre at Challoner House here: Accessibility-in-Challoner-House-2526.png

If you are completing the PGCE, Bath Spa University, they have an extensive menu of academic support for students. You can read about this here: https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/students/services-and-support-for-students/