Promoting your ITT programme throughout the year

A timeline and checklist of suggested marketing activities to promote your initial teacher training (ITT) programme.

It’s important to focus on your marketing activities at particular points in the year. This will help you to:

  • increase the impact of your ITT programme promotion
  • tailor your activities to when prospective candidates are considering their options

We’ve created checklists to help you identify what activities you need to think about throughout the year.

Autumn to Christmas

The autumn term is crucial for planning and preparation.

Applications get off to a strong start once Apply for teacher training opens for submissions.

Checklist for the autumn term

Make sure you:

  • define your offer – for example, career packages, financial incentives, range of experience, qualifications
  • share with everyone at your school and your partner organisations why an applicant would choose to train with you – what makes your programme different from others?
  • publish your teacher training courses on the Find postgraduate teacher training courses service
  • promote your offer to applicants using your website
  • prepare for interviews, which will start this term

The Becoming a Teacher service have produced a video to help you edit your vacancies on the Find postgraduate teacher training courses service.

editing vacancies

Apply for teacher training

When Apply for teacher training opens for applications:

  • encourage potential applicants who’ve completed school experience with you, or previously expressed an interest in teaching, to apply
  • plan how you’ll make offers early to secure your first-choice applicants – for example, a planned induction, a tailored career package, or experience in a partner school
  • sign up for and attend events, including Train to Teach events (the Train to Teach presentation is available on the Train to Teach events page)
  • hold open days to recruit prospective candidates early – find out more about running or supporting a promotional event

We advertise Train to Teach events in the Teacher Recruitment Bulletin either late in the summer term or early in the autumn term. Places fill up quickly.

Read the latest newsletter or subscribe to the Teacher Recruitment Bulletin by emailing teacher.recruitmentbulletin@education.gov.uk.

Interviews

Interviews start during this term, so you should:

  • agree in advance exactly what you’re looking for and the levels you expect from applicants, such as commitment, communication and subject knowledge
  • decide where you’re willing to add value to applicants who show the most promise and potential so that you don’t lose them – for example subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) programmes
  • consider where and when you’ll hold interviews
  • schedule your recruitment year before you start interviews – give successful candidates dates of catch-ups or inductions in advance

January to Easter

Focus on converting applications to offers during the January to Easter term.

Checklist for January to Easter

Make sure you:

  • consider how you can attract more applicants
  • keep your website and social media presence up-to-date
  • continue to hold interviews – be aware of applicants’ availability, especially with career changers
  • make offers as soon as you can – final year students will appreciate having a confirmed placement as the end of their course approaches

Attract more applicants

Schools should work with their ITT provider to:

  • give presentations in universities
  • speak to local careers advisers and job centres
  • run or support a promotional event

Attend Train to Teach events to attract applicants who are likely to apply later in the cycle, such as:

  • science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) applicants
  • career changers

If you recognise an applicant’s talent and potential through a joint selection process, move them across your partners.

Easter to summer break

During the summer term recruitment can slow down or stop, but for some candidates and subjects it’s just getting started.

Checklist for Easter to summer break

Make sure you:

  • have a plan to appeal to applicants who enter the system later in the cycle, who may potentially be priority subject candidates
  • work effectively with your partners to share marketing and recruitment activities
  • submit your requests for funded SKE courses
  • review your performance in line with the measures of success you set yourself at the start of the year
  • consider if you will stay open and actively recruit over the summer

During the summer break

A final push on recruitment through the summer break could help you fill your places and secure trainees for September.

Checklist for the summer break

You should:

  • work out what resources you need to continue recruiting and interviewing over the summer break
  • host inductions with your partners to keep interested candidates and accepted trainees engaged
  • confirm your prospective trainees have passed their skills tests to make sure they’re ready to start their training with you
  • check SKE courses continue to meet your applicants’ needs – get feedback and decide how you can use this next year
  • plan your programme and marketing for next year