Support future teachers in your local area

We know how busy school life is, so we’ve made the placement responsibilities clear and manageable. Here’s what’s required from your school:

• Appoint a school-based mentor (this can be any teacher with a minimum 3 years’ teaching experience) 

• If your school has limited capacity to train a mentor, we can help! Please see our mentoring section for information on our remote mentoring offer. 
• Set aside time for the  mentor to conduct weekly observations

• Ensure student teachers are released from the timetable to attend their regular training and ITaP weeks

Each student teacher also has a dedicated BPN Personal Tutor, working closely with your mentor to support their progress. 

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:

The programme is full-time (minimum of 30 hours a week) and runs for four terms. Student teachers spend 4 days a week in the classroom and complete their practical training in 11 months. This also includes placements at their host placement school (school A) and in a contrasting placement school (school B). 

Student teachers are typically based in one class for the year, giving them a stable environment to grow and thrive. They’ll:

• Teach, plan and assess across four year groups

• Be in class four days a week

• Spend Fridays in training, either online or in Face-to-Face sessions. Student Teachers 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. 

Great mentors make all the difference. That’s why we equip every school-based mentor with the tools, knowledge, and confidence they need to guide trainee 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.

Who can be a mentor?

• 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

✅ Receive a grant of up to £1,072 per mentor

Remote Mentoring – A Flexible Solution

We know capacity can be a challenge. That’s why Best Practice Network can provide remote mentoring on your behalf, so your school can still host a trainee teacher without additional strain on staff.

• No cost to your school

• Delivered by BPN’s expert mentors

• Classroom observations carried out by your teachers

• Trainees receive consistent, high-quality support

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