Across Norfolk, schools are feeling the pressure of teacher shortages, recruitment gaps and limited access to subject specialists — particularly in rural, coastal, and hard-to-reach communities. While long-term solutions develop slowly, there is a practical, low-commitment way schools can strengthen the teacher pipeline and directly benefit: hosting an ITT Placement 2 trainee. 

What is Placement 2 — and why does it work for schools?

Placement 2 is a short, contrasting placement required in the Spring term of every ITT programme. It gives trainees experience in a new context while keeping the workload for the host school focused and manageable. For many Norfolk settings, especially small schools, it's one of the easiest and most impactful ways to engage in teacher development. 

The top benefits for schools 

• Fresh energy and evidence-based practice
  Trainees arrive with up-to-date subject knowledge, current pedagogy and enthusiasm. Their presence naturally sparks reflection, introduces new ideas, and can reinvigorate teams — especially in schools that don't often host trainees. 
• Early access to future talent
  A placement acts as a low-risk 'dry-run', with many schools going on to hire trainees they've hosted. 
• Low mentoring load, high impact
  Because Placement 2 is short and clearly structured by the ITT provider, the mentoring commitment is limited and well supported. Schools can contribute meaningfully to teacher development without taking on the full demands of a year-long placement. 
• Raising your school's profile
  Being part of a regional ITT network signals a commitment to professional learning. It increases your visibility and strengthens connections with providers, Teaching School Hubs and future teachers.

Why small and rural schools are ideal hosts 

Small schools often offer many benefits for placement 2 experience. Trainees gain exposure to mixed-age teaching, tight-knit staff teams, diverse responsibilities and community-driven ethos. Meanwhile, the school benefits from support without overextending staff capacity. 

The hidden advantage: Mentoring as powerful CPD 

While hosting a trainee benefits the school, the biggest gains often come from mentoring itself:

• Mentoring sharpens your own teaching: explaining your practice forces you to unpick routines, articulate thinking, and reconnect with the principles behind high-quality teaching. Many mentors describe it as the most transformative CPD they've ever done. 
• It builds leadership skills fast: mentoring develops coaching skills, emotional intelligence, targeted feedback and strategic goal-setting — all essential foundations for future leadership roles.
• It keeps your practice current: trainees bring the latest research and approaches from their courses. Working with them naturally updates your own practice and challenges long-standing habits. 

How to get involved 

Norfolk ITT providers and Teaching School Hubs are actively supporting ITT providers to find spring-term placement 2 opportunities. Get in touch if you would like to host. 

Schools can expect: 

• Full training provider support. 
• Flexibility in arrangements. 
• A meaningful role in strengthening Norfolk's teacher workforce.

Take-aways 

Hosting an ITT Placement 2 trainee — and stepping into a mentoring role — is a low-risk, high-return investment. It enriches your school, develops your staff, strengthens future recruitment, and contributes to tackling Norfolk's teacher supply challenges. In short: you help grow great teachers, and your school grows too. 

To find out more about ITT providers in our region, or CPD routes into teaching for staff, click on this link.