We are the only national teacher training provider focused solely on modern languages. This makes us uniquely different from other routes into teaching and ensures you are prepared for life in the classroom, whilst being part of a wider language teaching community.

We are a ‘Good’ provider (Ofsted, 2021)

“The partnership is highly effective. Trainees leave the course very well prepared to teach languages. They leave with an excellent grounding in relevant research.”

We are delighted that our Ofsted inspection in 2021 found us to be ‘Good’.
Key findings include:

• “Leaders have high expectations of trainees.”
• “Hub leaders and mentors are language specialists and have a high level of subject expertise.”
• “Trainees are very well prepared for their newly qualified teacher year by the end of the course.”
  (Please note that the newly qualified teacher status is now the Early Career Framework that lasts for two years.)
• “…trainees talk with passion about the support that they receive from leaders.”

You can read our full Ofsted report here.

A course designed by linguists, for linguists!

Our course has been designed by experts in the teaching of modern languages, so you can be fully prepared for your new career. Our one-year full time course gives you Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), both of which are nationally and internationally recognised. The PGCE is provided by Sheffield Hallam University and includes 60 credits at level 7 (Master’s level), which are portable if you wish to complete your full Master’s at a later date.

Professionals who have supported and been actively involved in the development and delivery of our course include: James Burch, Keith Faulkner, Neil Hillman – and all of our Hub Leaders who are all linguists and classroom practitioners.

We have also run sessions with these leading experts in MFL teaching: Emma Marsden and Rachel Hawkes from NCELP (National Centre for Excellence for Language Pedagogy); Gianfranco Conti; Joe Dale; Steven Fawkes; Charlotte Ryland; Colin Christie and James Stubbs.

Great combination of theory and practice

As well as learning about the theory of teaching and, in particular, language teaching, you will gain valuable experience in the classroom. Our course is rooted in the reality of school life, with two placements in schools. This helps you decide what kind of school you want to work in, and prepares you for life as a teacher.

From day one you will be part of the school team, working alongside colleagues, learning about school life and contributing to the development of your students. You are supported by a mentor who is also a practising teacher and understands the reality of life in the classroom.

A choice of training locations across England

All of our training takes place in a collaborative and supportive network of Hubs, including a range of excellent schools giving access to a variety of educational settings from both the state and independent sector. Our partnership continues to extend to many areas of the country, enabling you to choose a setting that most suits you. Our Hub Leaders can also offer you advice on travel and accommodation in their local area.

Our academic partner

Our academic partner is Sheffield Hallam University, who provide the assessment for the PGCE qualification; they were named University of the Year for Teaching Quality by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020.

Part of the wider language and teaching communities

We are plugged in to the teaching and language teaching communities – which means you can be too! This provides you with access to a wealth of resources and expertise. Colleagues within our communities are always ready to help and support, so you never miss out on the latest research, developments and discussions. It’s a vibrant, exciting world, where your love for languages can develop into new areas as your professional career progresses.

Your training has been developed in close collaboration with modern languages experts from schools and universities and includes a series of training sessions in your local hub where we bring together all our modern languages trainees for subject specialist training in our hub lead schools. We work with the Association for Language Learning (ALL), the Independent Schools’ Modern Languages Association (ISMLA), the British Council, the Stephen Spender Trust, the Swire Foundation and the Qatar International Foundation – as well as a range of organisations supporting teacher training, independent and state schools.

Your very own support network

You only train with other linguists, providing you with your very own support network built on your love for languages. You get to meet other trainees at your local training sessions in your hub as well as central training days online or in person held at our centre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. This is a great opportunity to share your experiences of teacher training with your peers – people who really understand the rewards and challenges of language teacher training.

The support doesn’t stop when you finish the course. Our former trainees are now teachers and some are even mentoring new trainees! There is a whole network of NML SCITT alumni who are supporting one another throughout their careers.

We have added Arabic and Mandarin to our languages!

We work in collaboration with the Swire Chinese Language Foundation, The Qatar Foundation International and the British Council to offer placements in selected locations to trainees who offer Arabic or Mandarin as their main language. Please contact us to find out more.