How will we support you?

Awareness of your physical and mental health and wellbeing runs throughout the NIoT initial teacher training programme.

1) Trainee teachers: making sure you have everything you need

Right from the very start, we aim to support you through the process of becoming a teacher – beginning with a friendly person at the end of the phone to answer any questions you might have about applying for the programme.

Trainees need to be judged “fit to teach”, which means that we’ll ask you for any relevant information about your own health. We’ll then arrange to meet you, in order to discuss any specific support requirements you might have or reasonable adjustments you might need that should be put in place to ensure you have equality of access to all parts of the programme.

2) In school: personalised support and guidance

Once on the programme, you will be given regular guidance on strategies to promote wellbeing and to safeguard against mental and physical ill-health. In school, you’ll be offered weekly one-to-one support from your mentor. You’ll be able to speak with other qualified teachers who have been through the programme ahead of you.

You’ll also have an NIoT team you can turn to for support, including your tutor, the regional welfare officer and subject leads. There will be training sessions throughout the year on how to maintain your own wellbeing, and you’ll be able to take any concerns to your tutor or Wellbeing Officer.

You’ll be able to use, at no cost, the Employee Access Programme (EAP). The EAP offers free advice from an experienced therapist or adviser, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The support it provides is wide-ranging, covering financial problems, relationship difficulties and bereavement. The EAP also provides an online portal with self-study resources and access to additional support.

Your mentor or tutor will support you throughout the year, offering help with any specific areas you may be concerned about. You will have a weekly meeting with your mentor, during which you will be able to practise teaching scenarios, developing a script to use in advance of your classroom lessons. In addition, the weekly NIoT training day will involve practice sessions with your peers. And you will have four intensive-training weeks before you embark on the programme, in which to focus on common areas of concern, such as behaviour management and questioning techniques.

3) Additional support: catering to all needs

By the end of your Initial Teacher Training, you’ll have received training, guidance and advice on how to look after your own health and wellbeing and how to ensure the health and wellbeing of the students in your care.

Optional sessions are available for anyone needing support with academic writing, referencing or research methods at master’s level. Trainees who are neurodiverse or who speak English as an additional language can also access additional support. Those who are new to the UK education system have the option of attending sessions early in the year to help them understand UK-specific terminology, from EYFS to A-levels.

As well as supporting trainees, we also look after the people who are supporting them, such as mentors, lead mentors and managing mentors. Mentors are advised on the most effective strategies for supporting their mentees’ health and wellbeing – and on the importance of looking after their own wellbeing, too.