Careers at Fairlands

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Your career at Fairlands

Jessie Mclean, our Career Pathways Leader, is responsible for coordinating and supporting all aspects of our career development and work experience programmes, with a particular focus on inspiring and guiding individuals who are taking their first steps towards a career in teaching, and supporting those at the early stages of their career in other roles.

She works closely with staff, students and trainees to provide meaningful school-based experiences that help them develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to progress within the education sector. Primarily, this includes supporting work experience placements, teaching assistants in training, and aspiring teachers as they explore their pathways into education.

But we are also proud to be a school that nurtures the next generation of teachers. We provide a rich and supportive environment for aspiring professionals at every stage of their teacher training journey — from their very first placement through to becoming confident, independent practitioners; great teachers; and future leaders in education.

To find out more, please email jessica.mclean@fairlands.herts.sch.uk for further details about the career opportunities we provide.

Work shadowing

Work shadowing at a school is an opportunity for an individual — often a student, trainee, or someone interested in a career in education — to observe and experience the day-to-day role of school staff in a real working environment.

Work experience

Work experience at schools provides students and aspiring educators with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a classroom setting, develop practical skills, and understand the day-to-day responsibilities of teaching and school life.

Students (BEd1, BEd2, BEd3, PGCE, T-Level)

We work in partnership with universities to host Bachelor of Education (BEd) students in all three years of their training:

BEd1 students are introduced to classroom life and begin developing their understanding of effective teaching and learning through observation, small group work, and supported lesson delivery.
BEd2 students build on this by taking more responsibility for planning and teaching sequences of lessons, deepening their understanding of assessment, differentiation, and behaviour management.
BEd3 students take on the role of a class teacher for extended periods, refining their practice and demonstrating readiness to achieve Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Throughout each stage, students receive regular feedback, professional mentoring, and opportunities to reflect on their progress.

In addition, we support PGCE trainees by providing high-quality school-based placements where they can apply their university learning in a real classroom setting, develop their teaching practice with the guidance of experienced mentors, and build the skills and confidence needed to achieve Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Finally, a 2nd-year T-Level student is a learner in the final year of a two-year T-Level programme, which is a technical qualification in England equivalent to three A-levels.

Support staff

At Fairlands, we know that our support staff make a real difference every single day—and we believe your career should be just as rewarding as the impact you have on our children. That’s why we offer exciting opportunities for all support staff to grow, learn, and take their next steps.

For teaching assistants, we offer clear pathways to develop your skills and progress into new roles. Opportunities include:

A full range of TA roles – these include leading interventions, supporting SEND provision, or advancing to cover whole classes as a cover supervisor or Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA).
Specialist training – Access training in areas like phonics, speech and language support, behaviour management, and safeguarding.
Professional qualifications – We support staff to gain recognised qualifications, including HLTA status and Level 3/4 Teaching Assistant diplomas.
Continuous CPD – Regular workshops, coaching, and access to external courses ensure you keep developing your expertise.

But it’s not just teaching assistants who thrive at Fairlands. Our school offers rewarding careers for a wide range of support roles, including administration and office staff, premises and site teams, and midday supervisory assistants (MSAs). Each role is essential to the smooth running of our school, and we provide tailored training and development opportunities to help you grow - whether that’s mastering school systems, gaining facilities management qualifications, or stepping into team leadership.

Early Years Educators

The Level 3 Early Years Educator (EYE) course is a professional qualification for people who want to work with young children (typically from birth to 5 years old) in early years settings such as nurseries, preschools, and reception classes.

It is a nationally recognised qualification in England and is often required for those wishing to become qualified practitioners within early years.

It is 18 months long and requires 425 OFJ (off the job) hours including home visits, team meetings, stay and play, staff meeting, parents evening, 30 mins set up daily, INSET days.

Every month practitioners complete an enrichment activity, workbook and they are observed.

Early Careers Teachers (ECTs)

Early Career Teacher is the term used in England to describe a newly qualified teacher in their first two years of teaching after gaining Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

All of our ECTs are allocated a Mentor, who is an experienced teacher:

Supports the ECT personally and professionally.
Guides them through the Early Career Framework.
Develops their classroom practice and confidence.
Encourages reflection and growth as a lifelong learner.

The mentoring is also overseen by a Professional Lead

Sit in on at least one mentor training weekly development meeting per term
Review weekly records
Conduct lesson observations and review post lesson mentor feedback
Complete a quality assurance activity

Other routes into teaching

At Fairlands, we value diverse pathways into the teaching profession and actively support aspiring educators beyond the Early Career Teacher (ECT) route. We work in partnership with local training providers to offer school-based placements for those undertaking School Direct, SCITT, or PGCE programmes, providing high-quality mentoring and classroom experience. For graduates exploring teaching as a career, we also offer internships and volunteering opportunities, giving valuable insight into school life. Our commitment is to nurture talent at every stage, ensuring that all trainees feel supported and prepared for a successful teaching career.

Becoming a great teacher

At Fairlands, becoming a great teacher means embracing the principles of our Great Teaching Framework and striving for excellence in every aspect of classroom practice. Great teaching begins with creating a learning-focused climate, where positive relationships enable all pupils to feel safe and thrive. It requires expert subject knowledge, underpinned by an understanding of cognition and learning, and the ability to model key concepts with clarity to guide pupils through a well-signposted learning journey. Great teachers set high expectations for conduct and learning behaviours, use precise questioning to uncover misconceptions, and provide ‘in the moment’ feedback that moves learning forward. They plan for challenge and depth, embed concepts into long-term memory through creative opportunities, and use accurate assessment to inform next steps. Above all, great teachers model a growth mindset, engage in lifelong learning, and inspire pupils to do the same.

To support this, we offer regular coaching and mentoring, bespoke CPD sessions aligned to the framework, and access to external training through local and national networks. Teachers benefit from peer observation opportunities, subject knowledge enhancement programmes, and collaborative planning sessions that focus on curriculum depth and pedagogy.

Your journey into leadership

At Fairlands, we are passionate about growing the next generation of exceptional leaders. We have a proven track record of helping talented teachers progress into leadership roles within our school and advance to headship and senior positions across the wider education system.

Through personalised coaching, mentoring, and access to high-quality professional development, we help you take the next step in your career. We actively support engagement in the full suite of National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) currently available:

NPQ in Leading Teaching (NPQLT)
NPQ in Leading Behaviour and Culture (NPQLBC)
NPQ in Leading Teacher Development (NPQLTD)
NPQ in Senior Leadership (NPQSL)
NPQ in Headship (NPQH)
NPQ in Executive Leadership (NPQEL)
NPQ in Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL)

Beyond our school, we encourage and enable colleagues to contribute to system leadership at a national level, including opportunities to become Specialist Leaders of Education (SLEs), work with teaching schools, and influence policy and practice. If you’re ambitious, committed, and ready to make an impact, Fairlands is the perfect place to grow.