Train to Teach at Diamond Wood Community Academy
'A place to grow, a place to shine' underpins our strive for excellence here at Diamond Wood Community Academy. For us, this includes supporting the next generation of educators and we are committed to providing training and work experience for people who are wanting to pursue a career in education.
As a school we can offer Early Career Teachers (ECTs), Trainee Teachers and Work Experience Students
An opportunity to work in a large, successful infant school.
Experienced and dedicated mentors
Friendly, well behaved and enthusiastic children
A caring, friendly, committed team of colleagues
Supportive parents and governors
CPD opportunities
A chance to make a difference to the lives of our children
Support and Mentoring
Mrs Price who is our Deputy Head Teacher leads on student and volunteer experiences within our school. She is an experienced teacher and mentor who has over the years helped many educators to successfully gain the qualifications they were working towards. She also works closely alongside our mentors in school to develop their expertise. In addition to this, she is an ECT facilitator. In this role, she works with Early Career Teachers in the first two years of their teaching career, delivering a series of face-to-face and online sessions as part of the Early Career Teacher Programme.
Mrs Price
Partnerships
We have well developed links and partnerships with local secondary schools and colleges and are pleased to offer many work experience placements for their students. We work closely alongside GORSE SCITT and provide placements for their initial teacher trainees.
For more information about GORSE SCITT please click here.
All children have the right to a fulfilled education through high quality teaching.
It is crucial that as professionals, we support others to succeed and remain dedicated to the profession.
Diamond Wood Academy is a wonderful school, full of welcoming, friendly faces. The staff are both approachable and supportive, providing an ideal setting to train to teach. My host teacher (Miss Sowerby) and Professional Mentor (Mrs Price) are especially supportive and regularly provide me with guidance or advice to help me develop my teaching abilities, as well as being understanding of different people’s personal circumstances.
Becki Price works for Leeds Teaching School Hub as an ECT facilitator on the Early Career Framework. Her work with early career teachers across Leeds, Wakefield and Huddersfield is invaluable as she brings to life all aspects of pedagogy through her own deep subject knowledge, passion for teaching and learning and understanding of life in schools. ECTs who work with Becki cannot speak highly enough of the pastoral care she shows them and the confidence and knowledge she instils in them through their half termly meetings. Becki is a true advocate of the additional support and training that the Early Career Framework now gives to all colleagues entering the teaching profession, and she exemplifies the very best of practice in all aspects of her work.
Anne-Marie Garnett - Director of the ECF at LTSH
I first joined Diamond Wood Academy as a student teacher on my final placement and quickly realised what a friendly, supportive school it was. Throughout my placement, I was well supported and truly inspired by my class mentor Becki Price. I instantly knew that this was the place I wanted to teach. Following my placement, I continued to teach at Diamond Wood as an NQT, which again was a supportive and encouraging experience. Since then, I have completed my NPQ and become a mentor myself. I strongly believe that I would not be the teacher I am today if it wasn’t for being placed at Diamond Wood.
Jannah Sowerby - Previous University of Manchester student and now a Teacher, PE Leader and SCITT Mentor
I am passionate about being a SCITT mentor. I enjoy working with new students to support them with their teaching journey. I had a very positive experience when I was training as a teaching student and I want to ensure that all students that come into my classroom feel welcome and supported. SCITT students not only support the children in the classroom, but they also support the teachers and staff within the school with their professional development when they introduce new research methods and theory that they try to implement into the classroom. As a teacher it is always great to share good practice and I feel being a mentor for SCITT, this is equally shared with the knowledge that the students bring from their training.
Emma Robinson - SCITT Mentor - Teacher, EYFS Curriculum and Achievement Leader and Outdoor Learning Leader
Teaching through SCITT was the best choice I made in becoming a teacher and Diamond Wood Academy was the best place for me to get that valuable, hands-on experience. I was fully supported by my mentor and tutor in planning, delivery of lessons, and general day-to-day responsibilities of becoming a teacher. I was welcomed and supported fully throughout the whole programme, and I am so grateful that this was my journey into teaching. I was given full support from my mentor, year group leader, by the deputy and headteacher and Diamond Wood was the best place for me to develop as a person and as a teacher. As an NQT and an RQT, I was supported fully by all the staff members and by the senior leadership team and have challenged me to be the best version of myself. With the weekly staff meetings, TRUST networking meetings and through other training sessions I am constantly learning and evolving and I am the better teacher for it. I am so grateful to Diamond Wood as this wonderful school has allowed me to grow and shine and is allowing me to reach my full potential.
Zaid Saiyed - Kirklees and Calderdale SCITT student and now a Teacher and Geography Leader
Homegrown, by definition, means to produce and develop within a given area and that’s exactly what Diamond Wood has given my career thus far. Uniquely, I began my professional journey as a teaching assistant at Diamond Wood, where I worked alongside teachers and mentors who believed in my capabilities when at the time I didn't believe it myself. My environment challenged me to progress through the hierarchy of training steps so that I could accomplish many roles. From HLTA to SCITT trainee, to Teacher to Middle Leader and now being a mentor myself. Diamond Wood is truly a place to grow and a place to shine, a vision for every person or child who steps through our doors to fulfil their potential.
Jessica Fox - Previous SCITT student and now a Year 2 Curriculum and Achievement Leader, Maths Leader and SCITT Mentor
As an experienced teacher, who is passionate about the education and well being of children, I feel it is my responsibility to ensure that future teachers are well trained and fully supported on their teaching journey. Working with GORSE SCITT and the trainees from there is a two way process. I feel that the training in education theory and new developments helps keep our staff in school up to date and the trainees who I support in school through my role as a mentor get the best quality knowledge and support from a range of experienced teachers at Diamond Wood.
Johanna Lillie - SCITT Mentor - Teacher, Year 1 Curriculum and Achievement Leader and English Leader
When first visiting Diamond Wood during my time applying for teacher jobs, I knew it was a warm and supportive place to be. After getting the role, I was supported through my NQT year by having weekly meetings and always been given the opportunity to complete the training I have had a passion for. After completing my NQT year, I was given the chance to become the Computing leader in school and work with our school ambassadors while being supported by the senior leadership team. During this time, I have had the opportunity to network with other staff in both Kirklees and Wakefield areas. This allowed me to become confident to apply for and complete my NPQML at Leeds Beckett while still teaching. When completing my NPQML, I was able to have meetings with Becki Price to help progress through the modules and my write up of the essay. Throughout my career at Diamond Wood is has always been a supportive and encouraging environment helping me to become a more confident teacher and I couldn’t be more grateful for been able to work in this school.
Abbey Harrison - Previous NQT and RQT (before ECF) and now a Teacher and Computing Leader.
