"The Academy I am in is amazing. Everyone has been really welcoming and they are so supportive. I feel like I have built so much confidence already and I have been given lots of tools from outstanding teachers which I can utilise in my own practice. University days are great too. We learn about a wide range of topics from people who have had first-hand experience. It is lovely socialising with other trainees and sharing school experiences with them. There are so many people I could turn to if I ever had something worrying me and it is nice to know I'm not alone!”

Kirsty Lacey - Training to teach Religious Education at the Nottingham Academy

“The Nottingham Academy has provided a fantastic environment to both work and learn, as I move along the path to Qualified Teacher Status. The support network provided from tutors and others members of staff is vast, and you never feel like you are on your own. The Academy has 'covered all bases' ensuring that each trainee receives the nurturing and development that they specifically require, as they build a career within teaching.”

Richard Bishop - Training to teach PE at the Nottingham Academy

“What struck me when I first visited the Nottingham Academy was the support for staff. I realised teacher training would be a lot easier and more fulfilling in an Academy where help is always available, and everyone has time and empathy for trainees. There is a real sense of camaraderie and purpose across the Academy, based on cooperation rather than competition, providing an ideal environment in which to train. It is very clear that the Academy really knows what it is doing. The atmosphere of professionalism and competence extends to the classroom, which makes teaching much more effective and enjoyable. I consider myself lucky to be training at the Nottingham Academy and I hope to build a career here and contribute to a venture in which I really believe.”

Steven Smith - Training to teach Modern Foreign Languages at the Nottingham Academy

"The School Direct programme has started well; the links between the Academy, Trust and University have been second to none. I feel very supported in all aspects of the course and I am looking forward to the coming 10 months immensely.”

Neil Price - Training to be a primary teacher at the Woodvale Primary Academy

"The Nottingham Girls’ Academy is a wonderful, positive and super-friendly Academy. I've never felt out of place from day one as everyone, including the girls, are so welcoming and accommodating. I can honestly say that I couldn't have chosen a better place in which to do my School Direct training programme because not only is everyone so lovely but they are also all very professional and I consider it a privilege to be able to learn from such excellent and inspiring teachers.”

Sarah Jones – Training to teach Modern Foreign Languages at the Nottingham Girls’ Academy

“The School Direct route into teaching is not one to be taken lightly. Thrust into employment and a qualification at the same time is no easy thing to come to terms with. Luckily, the Skegness Academy has managed to provide all the support you could need. The Academy is a welcoming place to work, but, more importantly, to learn. It has managed to provide the hands-on experience I wanted during my qualification. Every day I go home and feel like I have worked hard. It’s an intensely rewarding feeling. The structure of the Trust as a whole is comforting, knowing that in other Academies close by and further afield, there are people willing to support you as a member of the Greenwood Dale Foundation Trust.

Tom Wardell – Training to teach music at the Skegness Academy