Why partner with Best Practice Network? 

At Best Practice Network, we believe every school deserves skilled, passionate teachers who can make an impact from day one.

With schools across England facing capacity challenges, aspiring teachers often miss out on crucial hands-on classroom experience.

We're working to combat this by partnering with schools to ensure student teachers have the opportunity to develop the practical skills they need to grow into confident, capable educators.

Hosting a student teacher placement is a simple, practical way to contribute to teacher training, at no cost to your school.

Together, we can strengthen teaching talent and make a lasting difference in classrooms.

 Apply to host a student teacher 

"I would like to express how delighted we are as a school with the programme so far. I have two members of staff participating and the skills and knowledge they have gained so far is incredible."

Rebecca Lyon | Headteacher | Barkston & Syston CoE Primary School

 

What are the benefits of hosting a student teacher? 

✅ Shape the future of teaching by helping new educators enter the profession. 

✅ Receive payment up to £1,450 (for supporting a host and contrasting placement) and a mentor grant of up to £1,072 per student teacher.

✅ Gain a student teacher in your classroom four days a week at no cost to you.

✅ Our dedicated team will handle all paperwork and admin for you.

✅ You'll get tailored guidance and support from your very own placement co-ordinator.

✅ Priority access to top teaching talent in your local area.

 

 What Does Hosting a Student Teacher Placement Involve? 

We know how busy school life is, so we’ve made the placement responsibilities clear and manageable.

Your school will need to:

  • Appoint a school-based mentor (typically any teacher with at least 3 years’ experience). If your school has limited capacity, BPN can provide a mentor on your behalf – see our mentoring section for details.

  • Release student teachers from their timetable to attend regular training sessions and Intensive Training and Practice (ITaP) weeks.

  • Work alongside a dedicated BPN Personal Tutor, who partners with your mentor to guide and support each student teacher’s progress.

 The Financial Side: What Does It Cost?

Good news! There is no cost to your school to host a placement.

Student teachers will be training through the fee-funded Initial Teacher Training route, meaning they will pay their own course fees (either through student loan or self-funding).

As a placement school, your school will receive:

Placement type Payment to school Mentor grant
Main placement £1,200 Up to £1,072
Contrasting placement (6 weeks) £250 —

 What Does a Student Teacher's Schedule Look Like?

The programme is full-time (minimum of 30 hours a week) and runs across 11 months.

Student teachers spend Monday to Thursday in the classroom. They complete two placements: their main placement at a host school (School A) and a shorter contrasting placement in a different school within the same age phase (School B).


Student teachers spend Friday in training, either at online or Face-to-Face sessions. They will not be in school on this day.

In addition, there are four Intensive Training and Practice (ITAP) weeks throughout the year; these are non-negotiable training weeks where trainees must be released from their school timetable.

By the end of the programme, student teachers should be able to confidently teach up to 80% of the class timetable. 

 How will BPN Match Student Teachers To My School?

We work in close partnership with schools across the country to make sure every placement is the right fit. From the moment you express interest, your school will be assigned a dedicated placement coordinator who will take time to understand your staffing needs, school context and mentoring capacity.

Before joining your school, each of our student teachers will have: 

  • Completed a rigorous application and assessment process, including an interview and tasks
  • Undertaken suitability to teach checks and safeguarding clearance

  • Completed a subject knowledge assessment to identify strengths and areas for development

  • Where required, taken part in subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) course

To get started, fill out our interest form and a member of our team will be in touch. 

 What If We Don't Know Our Staffing Needs Yet?

No problem! You don't need to have everything confirmed to register your interest. By registering as early as possible, your school will be matched with the top teaching talent in your area. 

Once you’ve registered, a member of our placements team will get in touch to discuss your capacity and explore the best options for your school.

Register your interest here

 Mentor Training and Support

Great mentors make all the difference. That’s why we ensure that every school-based mentor has the tools and knowledge they need to guide student teachers effectively. Our bespoke mentor curriculum, grounded in the latest research, helps mentors refine their practice, build a certified professional portfolio and progress in their own careers.

School-Based Mentors

We make mentoring as manageable as possible. With scaffolded session plans for weekly 1:1s, mentors can focus on supporting their trainee without added workload.

  • Typically, an experienced teacher with at least 3 years’ teaching experience

  • Strong subject knowledge in the relevant phase

  • Capacity to provide structured support, including:

    • Regular classroom observations

    • Weekly progress meetings

    • Constructive feedback and clear development targets

✅ You will also receive a grant of up to £1,072 per mentor. 

Remote Mentoring – A Flexible Solution

To support schools in developing the next generation of skilled teachers, Best Practice Network can provide a dedicated mentor, enabling your school to host a student teacher effectively.

  • No cost to your school

  • Mentoring is delivered by BPN’s expert team

  • Classroom observations carried out by your existing teachers

  • Student teachers will continue to receive consistent, high-quality support

This flexible model removes barriers and enables every school to play a part in shaping the future of teaching.

 Register your interest

Additional Support

To make sure both student teachers and mentors are fully supported, BPN also provides:

  • A Personal Tutor
    A dedicated Personal Tutor visits your school for observations and check-ins, guiding both student teachers and mentors throughout the placement.
  • Access to wellbeing support
    At any time during their training, a  student teacher can access a dedicated Wellbeing Lead for informal guidance and support, safeguarding both the student teacher and your school environment.

 

What makes Best Practice Network different from other ITT providers?

  Best Practice Network Other ITT Providers
Admin support BPN manages all paperwork and ongoing administrative tasks Schools may have to complete more paperwork and reporting depending on the provider
Candidate vetting All prospective student teachers are vetted, including DBS, suitability and safeguarding checks, before starting Schools will typically have to conduct their own background checks and assess suitability
Funding for schools You'll receive £1,450 (for supporting a host + contrasting placement) + £1,072 mentor grant Funding arrangements vary; payments may not always be provided directly to schools
Mentors BPN can provide remote mentoring for student teachers, or schools can choose to appoint an in-house mentor Schools have to provide their own mentors, adding to the workload
Overall impact on workload

Minimal additional workload. Student teachers are supported by BPN at every stage (including access to subject experts and wellbeing support)

 Workload varies; depending on the the provider, schools will need to be more involved in training and support
Student teacher retention 90% of our student teachers go on to be employed by their host school. 100% of student teachers achieve QTS Retention and QTS outcomes vary by provider