Instead of competing for a small national pool of trainees, you can grow your own. Helping you secure future teachers who understand your school culture and have already proven themselves in the classroom.
Key features include:
Building the Next Generation of Teachers
Across the UK, schools are facing a critical shortage of early-career teachers. Fewer trainees entering Initial Teacher Training (ITT), rising demand, and increasing recruitment pressures mean that schools need innovative, sustainable ways to secure high-quality staff for the future.
Tradewind Recruitment’s Graduate Programme is our new, long-term workforce initiative designed to help schools and SCITTs grow their own future teachers organically, strategically, and with expert support at every stage.
Launching with selected partners from January 2026, our programme gives graduates paid, structured experience in schools ahead of applying for their ITT. This creates a stronger, more committed pipeline of trainee teachers who understand your ethos and are already embedded within your community.
What Is the Graduate Programme?
The Tradewind Graduate Programme connects partner schools with carefully sourced, degree-qualified candidates who want to begin a career in teaching. Graduates work in paid roles in your school network while preparing for ITT applications, which will be prioritised by your SCITT.
Bespoke graduate sourcing matched to school needs
Structured CPD through the National College
In-school coaching and regular check-ins
Supported ITT application process
High-potential candidates prioritised for SCITT interviews
Why Schools Are Partnering With Us
A Reliable, Sustainable Teacher Pipeline
High-Quality, Pre-Vetted Graduates
Every candidate meets ITT eligibility requirements. We recruit using a personalised, competency-based process and only introduce graduates who demonstrate strong potential for teaching.
Immediate Impact in Your School
Graduates support teaching and learning from day one through intervention work, small-group support, TA roles or cover supervision, adding immediate value while preparing for future training.
Reduced ITT Recruitment Pressure
Graduates emerging from your programme already know your systems, align with your values, have hands-on experience and understand the realities of teaching. This significantly improves ITT retention and reduces the need for external marketing and recruitment spend.
How the Programme Works
- We identify your need
- We recruit and vet graduates who meet your criteria.
- Graduates begin paid work in your schools
- Graduates receive training & support throughout
- Graduates have access to The National College CPD suite
- Regular in-school mentor or coaching for graduates
- Regular Tradewind support meetings
- Post-placement reflection and ITT application guidance
- Priority for SCITT interviews from our partner schools
What This Means for Your School or Trust
- A consistent pipeline into ITT reduces recruitment challenges and allows long-term workforce planning.
- Graduates who train in the same environment they learned in are significantly more likely to stay.
- Confidence that only the strongest join your ITT cohort.
What Graduate Participants Gain
- Paid school-based experience
- Professional development through the National College
- Mentoring from in-school staff
- Supported high-quality ITT applications
- A clear pathway into teaching with a partner SCITT