Our Aims

SWitch is a CETT partnership co-ordinated
by Learning South West 

The SWitch has six key aims:

(1)    To create a model for the improvement of advice and guidance, recruitment, initial assessment, induction, and support of new teachers by their employers, ITT providers and others

(2)    Develop strategies across those involved in ITT, which disseminate good practice and facilitate quality improvements in the progress, assessment and review of the practical teaching skills of trainee teachers, including in their specialist teaching area and their confidence at embedding Literacy, Language and Numeracy.

(3)    Improve the capacity of teachers, assessors and teacher trainers to use diverse methods and innovatory approaches in a safe and inclusive manner, which will equip them for the increasingly diverse range of learners and contexts in the South West.

(4)    Identify, implement and evaluate the ways that new technology can support learning and the dissemination of good practice.

(5)    Ensure there is a robust and rigorous monitoring and evaluation process for all SWitch activities and ensuring that this links to the broader monitoring and evaluation processes operating within providers and the sector as a whole.

(6)    Establish SWitch as an effectively operating organisation, working towards focused and clearly-defined priorities in ITT and CPD, this is underpinned by a business development strategy which ensures its sustainability within a tapered funding mode of operation.


Visit our dedicated interactive SWitch website for more information.

Using these six key aims, members agree priorities on an annual basis.

Priorities being undertaken by project teams (or currently being commissioned) in Year 2 include work to improve practice in:

•   Initial assessment, induction and ongoing support for teacher trainees.

•   Models for using Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) within Initial Teacher Training (ITT) programmes.

•   The quality and availability of mentor support in teacher training programmes, including training for mentors.

•   Promoting the contextualisation of ITT to increase its accessibility and relevance to trainees from non-FE college contexts.

•   Promoting and trialling practical ways to provide opportunities for trainees to extend their range of teaching experience.

•   Gathering evaluation data relating to teacher training within the region, including
     -  researching baseline data regarding the trainee cohorts and the current situation of each SWitch member organisation
     -  researching the current models of mentoring in SWitch member organisations
     -  undertaking a survey of trainee satisfaction.


Priorities in Year 1 included:

•   Improving the processes and practices of initial assessment, induction and ongoing support for teacher trainees.

•   Developing effective models for using Individual Learning Plans within ITT programmes.

•   Improving the quality of mentor support in teacher training programmes.

•   Establishing and supporting networks of teachers, assessors and teacher trainers to share good practice.

•   Developing a SWitch Portal to promote ways that new technology can support both learning and the dissemination of good practice.

•   Gather evaluation data relating to ITT programmes 








around the region and use this to critically evaluate.