Training with Harris Academy

[JamThatJam]

I’m looking to train with Harris Academy but wasn’t too sure about it seeing all of the negative things said about them here- will training with them be a different experience?

I'm sure it'll be fine.

From the outside, big MATs seem to produce carbon copy teachers who are fast tracked to management, then puppeted from an executive head who never actually has to carry out any of the measures he/she is implementing CEO who may or may not be good at selling carpets

But I am completely biased against them. I'm probably wrong.

Also, on a jaded day like today, I just assume that all schools are heading this way anyway, so what's the harm in being in on it.

They seem to very switched on and up to date in terms of CPD (for my subject anyway). So many teachers I trained with told me to avoid them like the plague. I know I wouldn't have survived it, but that doesn't mean it's not a great opportunity for others.

Things that would concern me:

-Harris academies tend to have a high turnover of staff, so your mentor may not be very experienced. This can be a real issue for a trainee.

-If you're surrounded by lots of people who are stressed out/at risk of burnout, that's not a great environment to be training in.

-Would you get experience e.g. a short placement in a non-Harris school? I wouldn't want to train in just one academy chain, regardless of which one it was.

What attracts you to training with them?

Thanks for the honest responses, that’s why I was really sceptical of them.

The only thing that attracts me to them is that for both tuition fee and salaried routes, you spend 4 days a week at school and 1 day to do the PGCE stuff. I want most of my training to be school based, but I don’t have any proper work experience to do a school direct salaried or a SCITT aside from spending around. 2 1/2 years volunteering at my local primary school.

2 1/2 years volunteering will be more than enough for a SCITT, and most SCITTs follow a similar set up of a few days each week in school, and then time out to do the PGCE stuff (the one local to me starts with 3 days a week in school, building up to full time in school later in the year).

Harris really aren't the only option out there who will offer what you want, so do have a look at other options too!

Pretty sure they all do a day a week out of the classroom? So maybe don’t choose it just for that.
Agree that Harris is hot on CPD. And being a big network, with high turnover, lots of opportunity for progression.
However you will need to be emotionally resilient, exceptionally committed, and be prepared to work very long hours in term time.

I think if youre someone who has your own ideas about how to teach and don't like being forced to fit a mould you'll find it difficult. They seem very strict on the kind of teaching they expect from their staff.

I feel their treatment of staff is poor but if you go in with your eyes open and don't have any family commitments outside of work it might work for you. A friend described it as a bit like working in the City. Long hours. Intense scrutiny. Lots of drunken parties. Everyone sleeping with everyone else (most staff single and under 35).

I worked for them for a year but I was 5 years in and not a trainee. They only offer their own training and CPD, which was an issue for me as an Economist. I really need to get out of the school to keep up with my subject. They also had a bit of a cult feel and had teeny budgets. I had to buy every scrap of my own equipment from storage to pens. Having said that, the trainees I worked with were bright, enthusiastic and competent. The decent ones got headhunted or promoted quite quickly.

Thanks for the honest response. Probably going to avoid them if all of this is the case. I’ll probably try my luck applying for a salaried school direct, even if I don’t have any paid career experience!

This is really helpful as I am also considering training with them through the tuition route.

With regards to the hours, what would you say is the average during term time? Additionally how do they treat their staff poor?

OP what subject are you looking to train with them? I have also applied to UCL but waiting to hear back from them.

I’m looking to do primary in 2021, is the experience any better in their primary schools?

It doesn't really matter who you train with re hours. You'll be working every hour you've got. That's just a feature of teacher training! It does get better after the first couple of years when you have built up some resources, and the shortage of teachers means you can look for a better job or nicer school once you are trained.