Become the next generation of teachers with Melrose Learning Trust
Melrose Initial Teacher Training
Melrose Learning Trust is committed to developing and nurturing trainees and supporting teachers as they move through their career. We are dedicated to developing our own teachers from the early stages of their career within a trust that believes in ‘growing together in life in all its fullness’. We are very proud of the fact that Melrose Learning Trust benefits from having a strong team of highly experienced staff with expertise in both Initial Teacher Training and the induction of Early Career Teachers.
We work in partnership with Sunderland University to train the next generation of teachers within a school-based primary setting. Our school-based teacher training is an ideal route to gain the skills and qualifications you need to become a teacher, a one-year programme where you can make a difference from day one.
Trainee teachers are immersed in the school environment from the outset, meaning that you will ‘live and breathe’ real-life teaching from day one. Every trainee is carefully matched to a single class in a ‘host school’ where you work and train for most of the year, becoming a real and valued part of the school team. During the first half of the Spring Term, all trainees are given the opportunity to experience an alternate key stage in a different school, after which you return to your host school for the remainder of the programme.
Every trainee is linked with a trained school-based mentor who will oversee and monitor your development and act as your trainer within school for the year. As a trainee teacher you will work alongside your mentor to develop and support you in learning effective classroom strategies. Your mentor will provide you with high quality feedback and set you training targets to enable you to reflect on your learning and ensure you make progress, providing a truly personalised programme. Over the year, further responsibility and an increased percentage of teaching is gradually passed over to you as you gain in confidence and experience.
Additionally, you will have a university-based mentor who works closely with you and your school mentor. They will give further support and assess your progress towards the Foundational Concepts and finally, by the end of the course, Teachers’ Standards.
For further details regarding the course please follow the link to University of Sunderland below:
PGCE Primary Education with QTS (School Based) | The University of Sunderland
What to expect?
The majority of the autumn term is spent within your host school with weekly attendance at Sunderland University. During this term you will be supported to complete classroom-based tasks and begin to deliver lessons in accordance with your personalised targets. By the end of the Autumn term the expectation is that your teaching commitment will gradually build up to approximately 50% of the week.
The Spring term begins with an opportunity for you to experience a different school setting within Melrose Learning Trust or one of our partner schools. You will spend 5 weeks developing your classroom practice with pupils in a different key stage and learn from experienced teachers within that school. You will continue to regularly attend Sunderland University. By the end of the term, you will have returned to your host school and will begin your final teaching practice.
The Summer term sees the completion of your assessed teaching practice. At this stage, the expectation is that you will demonstrate that you can plan an appropriate sequence of work across the full range of the curriculum. You will build up to teaching 80% of the weekly timetable, including the preparation of teaching resources, engaging marking and feedback activities and fulfilling the main requirements of a classroom teacher. This will prepare you for entry into the profession as a qualified teacher.
Enrichment days are built into our core programme to further enhance your training, equipping you with a broader knowledge, skills and understanding to teach in a wide range of contexts.
To apply for Melrose Learning Trust School Based PGCE please visit the Department for Education Apply website
Primary (Q971) with Melrose Learning Trust – Find teacher training courses – GOV.UK
💙💚☀️ ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
We are delighted to share this wonderful news and extend a very warm welcome to Revd Miriam Wakefield.
It was a pleasure to meet Revd Miriam recently and show her around High Coniscliffe CE Primary School. As a Church of England school, we value the close partnership we share with our parish church and are looking forward to working together to support our children, families and the wider community.
Congratulations, Revd Miriam, on your appointment. We wish you every success as you begin this exciting new chapter and look forward to welcoming you back to school very soon.
#onebigfamily #churchschool #community #ICanDoAllThingsThe Bishop of Durham is pleased to announce that Revd Miriam Wakefield, currently Curate of St Mary and St Cuthbert Parish Church, Chester-le-Street. has been appointed as Vicar of All Saints' Church, Blackwell, Darlington and Salutation and Coniscliffe in Plurality. The Institution and Induction will be held on 16 August 2026. Please hold Miriam and the benefice in your prayers as they prepare for this new chapter 🎉🙏 ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
🥇 Gold School Games Mark – Three Years Running! 🥇
We are delighted to share that High Coniscliffe CE Primary School has once again been awarded the Gold School Games Mark for 2025/2026!
This is the third consecutive year that we have achieved this prestigious national award, recognising our commitment to providing high-quality PE, school sport and physical activity opportunities for every child.
This achievement reflects the enthusiasm, resilience and determination shown by our pupils, the dedication of our staff, and the fantastic support from our families and wider school community. Whether taking part in competitions, representing the school, leading sporting events or simply embracing an active lifestyle, our children continue to make us incredibly proud.
As a school, our vision is “I can do all things,” and this award is a wonderful reflection of our children living out that vision every day—showing perseverance, confidence and a willingness to challenge themselves to achieve their very best.
A huge thank you to everyone who has contributed to this fantastic achievement. Here’s to continuing to inspire a love of sport and physical activity for all.
Well done, Team High Coniscliffe! 💙💛🏅
#GoldSchoolGamesMark #SchoolGames #ActiveSchools #TeamHighConiscliffe #ICanDoAllThings #PrimaryPE #SchoolSport #HighConiscliffeCEPrimary #MelroseLearningTrust ... See MoreSee Less
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
A warm welcome to our new Reception children and families joining us in September 2026!
We're so pleased to be welcoming you into our school community.
Over the coming weeks, we will be sharing everything you need to know about your child starting school, including our parent information session and transition events.
We can't wait to see your little learners begin their journey with us ✨ ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
OUR NEW SCHOOL NURSERY FOR 3-4 YEAR OLDS IS OPENING IN SEPTEMBER 2026!
You can register for a place NOW.
We would love to welcome you.
PLEASE SHARE. 💙💚 ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Our Explorers had a fantastic day at the farm this week!
We started with some fun in the soft play area before heading out to meet the animals. The children loved feeding the lambs and had plenty of opportunities to gently handle some of the smaller animals. We also spent time looking after the bigger animals, and showed off our Science learning by talking about whether the animals were mammals, birds, fish, reptiles or amphibians. We also talked about their diet and whether they were carnivores, herbivores or omnivores!
Outside, the excitement continued with go‑karts and lots of energetic play. One of the highlights was hopping into the farmer’s tractor for a ride on the barrel train.
It was a wonderful day full of hands‑on learning, new experiences, and plenty of adventure. A big thank you to Big Sheep Little Farm for a fantastic day! ... See MoreSee Less
1 CommentsComment on Facebook
KS2 had a wonderful day on Tuesday, with Year 4, 5, and 6 pupils given the opportunity to work with Matthew from Go Well. The focus of the day was exploring British values and how these can support us within sport and everyday life.
We discussed the key British values: individual liberty, the rule of law, mutual respect, democracy, and tolerance. We also reflected on how we can take these values into the classroom and apply them in everything we do.
During the day, we explored a range of different sports. The first was Irish road bowling, a traditional Irish sport where players throw a heavy metal ball along a country road, aiming to complete the course in the fewest throws. It required both skill and strategy, and pupils really enjoyed learning something new.
We also looked at the Scottish Highland Games, a traditional celebration of Scottish culture that includes athletic competitions.. Pupils learned about the history of the games and some of the events involved, such as tests of strength and endurance.
It was fantastic to see everyone trying sports they had never participated in before. The pupils showed great enthusiasm, teamwork, and respect throughout the day—well done to all involved! ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Humpty Dumpty Egg Challenge 🥚
After the terrible incident involving Humpty Dumpty, it was clear that health and safety requirements had not been met and the wall was deemed unsafe. Unfortunately, Mr Dumpty fell from a great height!
Today, Year 5 and 6 were set the challenge of becoming architects to design and build Humpty Dumpty a new, more secure and stable wall. Instead of using bricks and mortar, pupils had to use spaghetti and playdough to construct their designs.
There were some fantastic creations! The big question was: who built the sturdiest wall? Which eggs crashed to the floor, and which teams were left in a scramble?
It was wonderful to see such fantastic teamwork, cooperation, and communication throughout the activity. Everyone showed creativity, resilience, and problem-solving skills.
Well done, Year 5 and Year 6! ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
🌟 Half-Term Learning Summary for our Explorers🌟
Here’s a look at what the children in the Explorers Class have been exploring and achieving across the curriculum this half term:
📘 English – Drawing Club Adventures
The children have been diving into The Clangers and The Very Hungry Caterpillar through Drawing Club. They have been:
Using their imaginations to create stories and pictures inspired by the characters
Learning about verbs and exploring verb endings to help develop exciting sentences
Beginning to use richer vocabulary and clearer sentence structure in their writing
🔢 Maths
Reception:
Exploring length and height using lots of practical measuring activities
Learning about time through daily routines and sequencing events
Investigating doubles, using objects and images to build early number fluency
Year 1:
Developing understanding of place value to 50, including counting, partitioning and number patterns
Strengthening skills in addition and subtraction, using different strategies to solve problems
🧪 Science – Animals
Children have been learning to:
Identify and classify different animal groups
Understand what makes animals similar or different
Explore herbivores, carnivores and omnivores, and what animals need to stay healthy
🕰 History – How Have Explorers Changed the World?
This term’s history learning has focused on the explorers Christopher Columbus, Dame Ellen MacArthur, Mary Kingsley and Matthew Henson. We have thought about:
How their journeys helped people learn more about the world
The ways exploration has changed travel, trade, and knowledge today
What we, as explorers, can learn from their expeditions
🙏 RE – What Do Christians Believe God Is Like?
The children have explored:
Christian beliefs about God through well-known parables
Hidden meanings and messages found in these stories
Different types of prayer and why Christians use them
We have had a busy half term, with an exciting trip to the farm and have enjoyed singing our special spring song- Spring Chicken! ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook