"I can honestly say that teaching has changed my life."
Georgie, an English teacher at Ark Elvin Academy, has recently graduated from Ark Teacher Training and is now in her NQT year at her school in Wembley. "I came into teaching from a career where I really wasn't happy. The transformation to now has been incredible. I can't imagine not being a teacher anymore."
Georgie is one of the Ark Teacher Training alumni to take part in our brand new video which showcases our two-year School Direct teacher training programme.
Hear more from our trainees, past and present, in our new video. WATCH NOW.
Georgie's fellow teacher and Ark Teacher Training graduate, Chloe, joined the programme straight after graduating from university. "I wanted to go into teaching after graduating so I could start making a difference straight away. Doing Ark Teacher Training meant I'd be with the students from day one, getting those experiences and progressing from the beginning."
Chloe, like many new teachers, was worried about managing a class of 30 students, but Ark Teacher Training was there to support her every step of the way: "Ark Teacher Training is such a supportive programme. The number of people who are there to guide you and the amount of training you get helps you become a great teacher. It's put me in the best possible place I can be to start my career in teaching."
This time last year, Georgie and Chloe were in the same position as Conrad, a current trainee on the Ark Teacher Training programme, just beginning his career as a primary teacher at Ark King Solomon Academy. "I want to be a teacher so I can have an impact on the lives of children from deprived areas. Being one of the first people in my family to go to university has inspired me a lot. The children I'm working with need role models from their communities to help push them to succeed."
Conrad, along with the rest of the 2018/19 cohort, spent two weeks at the Ark Teacher Training Summer School in August, preparing to be in the classroom. Trainee maths teacher Charlotte says, "The training so far has given us tips and tricks to help us create a positive learning environment and deliver effective lessons, especially in the first few weeks. It's given me a great foundation to build on and I feel a lot more confident going into the classroom."
Inspired by our trainees? Find out more about Ark Teacher Training here.