Cornwall SCITT's Initial Teacher Training Curriculum is ambitious, carefully designed and underpinned by a clear vision of the knowledge, skills, professional behaviours and subject expertise that trainees need to become successful, reflective and inclusive teachers. 

Developed collaboratively with our partnership schools, the curriculum is shaped by national priorities, local needs and the expertise of experienced practitioners. It ensures that trainees gain the essential foundations of effective teaching while developing the professional judgement needed to respond to the diverse needs of pupils and communities across Cornwall and beyond. 

Our curriculum is coherently sequenced so that trainees build knowledge and understanding progressively over time. Core concepts are introduced, revisited and deepened through deliberate practice, enabling trainees to connect theory with classroom application and secure increasingly sophisticated understanding of teaching and learning. 

Centre-based training and placement experiences are closely aligned to provide a seamless integration of theory and practice. Trainees are supported to apply their learning in authentic classroom contexts, reflect critically on their experiences and refine their practice through expert mentoring, coaching and feedback. 

The curriculum is underpinned by a strong evidence base. Trainees engage with influential educational research and theory, including the work of Alexander, Bennett, Bloom, Florian, Hattie, Kolb, Maslow, Rosenshine and Wiliam, alongside contemporary subject-specific scholarship and their own practitioner enquiry. This develops trainees as informed professionals who can critically evaluate evidence and make effective decisions to improve outcomes for all pupils. 

Drawing on research from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), Ofsted subject reports and reviews, BERA and school-based research, our curriculum ensures that trainees understand not only what works in education, but also why it works and for whom. Particular emphasis is placed on adaptive teaching, inclusion, curriculum thinking, assessment, behaviour and the creation of positive learning environments where all pupils can succeed. 

The curriculum is organised through seven interconnected curriculum contexts that fully incorporate and extend beyond the requirements of the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF). These contexts provide a coherent framework through which trainees develop expertise in teaching, inclusion, subject and curriculum knowledge, professional responsibility and evidence-informed practice. 

Throughout the programme, trainees are encouraged to engage critically with research, reflect on their development and continually strengthen their practice. As a result, they leave Cornwall SCITT equipped with the knowledge, confidence and professional capability to make a meaningful difference to the lives of the children and young people they teach. 

This curriculum is regularly reviewed and refined by leaders, mentors and school partners to ensure that it remains relevant, rigorous and responsive to emerging research, educational priorities and the needs of our local context. Through this commitment to continuous improvement, Cornwall SCITT provides a high-quality training experience that prepares trainees exceptionally well for the realities and responsibilities of teaching.