This was an exciting but important day as it is the first time the event, attended by over 140 trainees and professionals, has been organised. The cross-phase nature was praised by trainees who valued the chance to listen to the differences between primary and secondary and share case studies of children in their schools.  

Trainees received an eco-friendly branded bag, eco-friendly pen and a redeemable book voucher on arrival. John Catt (Hachette Learning) provided a selection for exchange and also sold other titles during the day.  

The conference had a focus on SEND with keynotes from Sarah Robertson and Emily Walker (LEARN SEND Hub) and Pete Wharmby; who delivered a fantastic talk about Autism which was a memorable aspect for many, with one trainee detailing that “his shared experiences helped me to understand my SEND students more.” 

During the day there was also a panel discussion with a Q&A with fantastic involvement from a past trainee; Ben, and a very brave current trainee; Rachel.  

Nicki Shore (Director of SCITT) delivered an opening and close to the day and has said “We know that trainee teachers are a great hope and important part of the future life chances of young people. This conference was designed to share best practice in building a sense of belonging for children in schools, especially those with additional needs”.  

Additionally, trainees delivered short, pre-agreed, presentations in cross-phase groups to members of the SCITT team and school professionals involved in the course. School professionals praised trainees and described how the “presentations showed them to be working at a high level in terms of applying and refining strategies - especially considering they are only at 4 months of training”. 

Staff from the professional learning team and IT within the trust worked extremely hard across the day to set up for and manage the practicalities of the event held in the main hall at Clayton Road and were on hand to support throughout the day.  

Lincolnshire ITT have received great feedback from the day; both via evaluations and social media posts. The conference has been described as “a really valuable day with some great guest speakers” with the opportunity for “new learning and great experiences”. One professional even stated, “The future is bright!" 

The day was a tremendous success from both an organisational and learning perspective and Lincolnshire ITT would like to thank all staff involved in the set up and running of the day and to all attendees for their enthusiasm. 

Regular updates from Lincolnshire ITT are available via LinkedIn.