The quality of any organisation can very often be measured by the investment in its people. 

Within the St Thomas Catholic Academies Trust (STCAT) we believe in growing our CPD offer from within to support our staff however and wherever possible. We are ambitious for all of our staff to be able to deliver the very best experience for the children and young adults within our schools and to achieve this we provide a range of routes and opportunities.

For those interested in training to become teachers within our Trust we offer internships within the Summer term of each academic year as part of the DfE funded secondary programme, along with additional unfunded internships in Primary settings and secondary subjects currently unfunded by the DfE. As part of this programme interns get the opportunity to be interviewed for - and apply to - the next stage of their teaching career – the SCITT programme.

Train to teach with STCAT Hub – in partnership with Xavier Teach SouthEast Teaching School Hub, we offer a range of routes towards QTS for both internal and external applicants. More information is available in our Train to Teach page.

The Early Career Framework – we are proud to be a delivery partner for Xavier Teach SouthEast and TeachFirst. For the statutory two-year induction programme for early career entrants we offer individual mentoring and support, a range of seminars covering pedagogy, curriculum and the theory behind these. We gather collectively for training on a regular basis in our three geographical hubs in Luton, South Bucks and Aylesbury which also helps our ECTs build wider networks. 

As teachers progress in their careers, some may already have Specialist Leader of Education (SLE) status – these are experienced middle leaders or senior leaders who have the skills, knowledge and capacity to drive improvement across the Trust. Alternatively, there are opportunities to become Trust Leaders of Education (TLE) - these are Trust leaders who have a specific role and accountability for school improvement in an area of specific need.

We encourage our curriculum and pastoral middle leaders to follow the National Professional Programmes (NPQs) where appropriate, and we use a range of providers to facilitate these courses. Similarly, senior leaders are encouraged to pursue the NPQH and NPQEL courses.

We also offer a wide range of internally devised and delivered CPD sessions for staff in addition to the CPD programmes they receive in their own ‘home’ schools. For more information on our CPD sessions, contact Al Nicol.

In addition to working to generate a vibrant Trust CPD offer, schools in the Trust also collaborate with a wide range of other organisations as we promote the very best opportunities for learners.