The Initial Teacher Training programme is delivered by The Guernsey Institute in conjunction with Middlesex University.
It has been running since 2020, allowing a number of trainees to graduate each year as qualified teachers without having to leave the island.
‘The investment in training the next generation of teachers on-island – including no tuition fees and a significant bursary – is indicative of how important this training is for the Bailiwick,’ said Education Committee president Paul Montague, himself a former teacher.
‘I attended the graduation ceremony for the 2025 cohort and was so impressed by their professionalism and enthusiasm for entering the teaching profession in our island.’
The cohort which graduated last year included two primary and one secondary trainee, who now hold teaching positions in the island’s schools.
Among them was Charlotte Moore, who now teaches the reception class at La Houguette.
‘It was just a great opportunity to be able to do my training on-island,’ she said.
‘I’m local – Guernsey born and bred – so all my family’s here. When the ITT came up, I just thought, “this is perfect”.’
After some uncertainty about her long-standing dream of becoming a teacher, Mrs Moore experimented with some different career paths, including working as a learning support assistant and an occupational therapist, before coming to the definite conclusion that she wished to teach.
Having already re-established herself in Guernsey for some time after achieving her degree, the training programme enabled her to pursue her career passion without uprooting once more to study in the UK.
‘I wanted to be a teacher from when I was a child. It’s something I always used to do when I was playing – I’d have my teddies lined up and I’d do my register. But when I was a late teenager doing the IB, I was kind of umm-ing and ahh-ing, so I decided to do my degree in educational psychology to give me more options,’ she said.
‘Then I came back, got a little bit of experience, and it really confirmed for me that I did want to be a teacher. It just feels right to me.’
Soon thereafter, Mrs Moore enrolled in the training programme – a nine-month venture involving the study of two theory-based modules before trainees go on to apply their knowledge in the final practical module.
‘I think it’s absolutely invaluable to get that on-the-job training, which you don’t necessarily get from other teacher-training programmes,’ she said.
‘That was really valuable to me, learning things in the moment, as well as getting to learn from really experienced and knowledgeable teachers.’
A mentor of Mrs Moore’s throughout the programme was senior lecturer and programme lead Janine Donovan, who took up the role last year.
‘I’ve had this cohort from day one, and it’s just been amazing to see how they’ve all developed and, I think, really flourished,’ she said, referring to Mrs Moore and her peers in the class of 2025.
‘I love professional development.
‘I was previously a head teacher, and one of my main passions then was the professional development of my teachers, so it’s really been great to work on the programme and see our trainees grow and learn about the joys of teaching.’
Now that she has completed the programme and headed into her first official teaching position at La Houguette, Mrs Moore knows she made the right call.
‘I love it,’ she said.
‘Obviously it can be hard work at times, but I feel like it’s all worth it.
‘My favourite moments are when children just get things.
‘For example, when one of the boys in my class wrote his first sentence, it was just so lovely because it’s like, I’ve taught him that.
‘I’ve helped him do that.’
‘Above all else, I love the way that we can guide children’s learning and use their imagination – a lot of it’s child-led, and they can just come up with the best things.’
Local graduates who may have a similar passion to Mrs Moore’s are now being invited to apply for the programme before the April deadline.
In order to support the professional journeys, any permanent resident does not have to pay any tuition fees to study for their certification.
In addition, the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture provides a £19,000 bursary for the year, to allow trainees to focus fully on their development and training.
‘The success of our graduates who are now flourishing in classrooms in the island shows just how effective local teacher training can be,’ said Ms Donovan.
‘By investing in people who want to teach in Guernsey, we’re building a sustainable, skilled and confident teaching workforce for the future.’
