My time at Holly Lodge as a trainee teacher has been nothing short of transformative. From the very first day, I was welcomed with warmth, kindness, and a genuine spirit of support from every member of staff. The culture within the school is one of collaboration, high expectations, and mutual respect and being part of that environment allowed me to grow not only as a teacher, but as a person.

The staff at Holly Lodge went above and beyond to ensure I always felt supported. Whether it was through daily check-ins, informal chats, or structured guidance, I always knew there was someone I could turn to. The level of care and investment shown in my development as a trainee was truly exceptional. The school community, including students, families, and colleagues, made me feel like a valued member of something bigger, and that sense of belonging made a huge difference to my confidence and motivation.

I am especially grateful for the CPD sessions led by Safia. Her sessions were a game changer for me. They weren’t just informative they were inspiring. Each one offered practical strategies, space for reflection, and powerful insights that helped me refine my teaching practice. I saw a direct impact in my lessons, in how I engaged learners, and in how I managed the classroom. Safia’s ability to bring theory into practice in such a meaningful way had a lasting impact on my development. I will carry what I learned from her into every step of my teaching journey.

Looking back, I feel incredibly thankful for the opportunity to train at Holly Lodge. It is a place that believes in people, invests in potential, and nurtures growth. I am proud to have been part of this school, and I will always carry the lessons and support I received here with me. Thank you for everything.

Training at Holly Lodge has been a great experience, from the start the professional mentor has been very welcoming and made herself available throughout. I have found the CPD sessions very useful getting the insight of an experienced teacher/mentor who shared some gems which I have implemented in my practice. My mentor has been exceptional and a pleasure to work with, I felt part of the department from the first day. Everyone is so welcoming and helpful. The students are lovely too, it’s a wonderful setting/school to work at and I’ve learnt so much. This is an experience I will never forget, Thank You!

As a trainee in the Geography department at Holly Lodge High School, I have felt incredibly valued and well supported throughout my placement. The department created a welcoming environment where I was encouraged to grow, ask questions, and develop my teaching practice. Beyond my own department, staff across the school were equally supportive and approachable, making me feel part of the wider school community.

The CPD programme has been particularly beneficial, offering a range of practical strategies for classroom management, pedagogy, and safeguarding. Weekly trainee meetings and coffee mornings provided valuable opportunities to share experiences, exchange ideas, and reflect on our progress in a relaxed and encouraging setting.

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as a trainee at Holly Lodge. The experience has helped me grow both professionally and personally, and I feel well prepared for the next step in my teaching career.  

I really enjoyed my placement at Holly Lodge. From the beginning I felt welcomed by both staff and students which made settling in much easier. Safia, as a professional mentor, was very supportive and guided me throughout the placement, providing valuable feedback and encouragement. I truly felt like a member of the team, which helped me develop my teaching skills in a positive and collaborative environment. Weekly CPD session were very beneficial as they provided guidance on different aspects of teaching such as teaching and learning tools and behaviour management. Weekly catchups and coffee mornings talking about reflections and touching base were also extremely helpful as they offered opportunities to reflect, share experiences and connect with other trainees.

I really enjoyed my placement and felt welcomed and supported from the start. I was treated as part of the team rather than just a ‘trainee’, which made a big difference to my experience. My mentor was great at helping me build my skills and was always there for support and guidance when I needed it. The placement gave me the chance to grow in confidence and feel like I was making a real contribution.

“I really appreciated the documents and ITT handbook, had all the information needed. I am glad that my first experience of placement was at a school that is so focused on progression and development, and I am confident that being at Holly Lodge has given me the advantage of planting the seed of high-quality practice and resilience as a teacher. This programme wouldn’t have been what it was without the constant support, guidance, and advice from my professional mentor. From having the weekly coffee catch up session after school every Thursday to catch ups in passing around the school, our professional mentor has always made sure to check up on us trainees and I felt like I could go to her if I had any concerns or questions.”

“The CPD Programme has been strong throughout and has allowed me to grow and develop my pedagogy and really start to find my style of teaching. The culture of the school is one of support and at no point have I felt that I have been left stranded. All members of staff are welcoming to trainees observing them and this has really allowed me to see some incredible teaching.”

“The staff at Holly Lodge High School were all prepared in the arrival, sending out welcome emails well before the beginning of placement and emailing out plans for the welcome week for Trainees. The meeting with the head and all trainees felt very much like he was involved and heartily welcomed trainees into the school – this continued as he continued to greet us whenever passing in school. The first week was well organised, with planned CPD sessions and we were talked about what we would be doing every step of the way. The professional mentor support was brilliant, with her being there to welcome us on the first day and always being there and making time for a chat whenever she could within her busy schedule. She shared her own experiences with us and made us really feel a part of the team. She was friendly and made sure that she came across as approachable and insisted that she was there to support us as much as she could through our placement.”

“Holly Lodge has been a brilliant experience for me as it has allowed me to increase my confidence as a trainee teacher. The staff are very supportive ad there is equal treatment amongst those training and those who have been in the profession for many years. From the first welcome from the head teacher I felt as though the school had a strong sense of community. This extended from the welcome to the numerous staff interactions, when walking down the corridor staff interact with each other at every opportunity which enhance this community feel. My subject mentor at Holly Lodge challenged me to work to my best potential during the first placement through regularly meeting with me and checking and monitoring all lessons alongside my professional studies booklet and giving valuable feedback and advice to improve different aspects of teaching, for example behaviour management, assessment and adaptive teaching. Alongside a subject mentor we were also given a professional studies mentor who aided us through regular check-ins alongside giving us a variety of continuous professional development (CPD) opportunities with various members of staff from early career teachers to the head teacher to expand our knowledge and experiences. My professional mentor also organised coffee afternoons where my mentor and other trainees from other universities would catch up weekly and exchange experiences. Holly Lodge has allowed me to work with a diverse range of students. The school has shown a strong sense of community and equity to support student’s needs and allow them to be successful. The school gives ample opportunities for developing their staff through CPD. Staff are educated through Teach Like A Champion, Doug Lemov. This inspires their teaching and allows teachers to try different techniques to engage and aid learners through research informed teaching, in which engages students in research informed learning.”

“The head teacher also had a welcome talk with all of the trainee teachers, which is very rare with how busy head teachers will be. The talk was very calming, warm and perfectly explained the ethics, background, and overall culture of the school, and provided a lot of support in helping us grow as teachers, and as human beings becoming a part of the beautifully diverse school life. The Professional mentor really took care of us trainees, and many CPD session were put in place periodically for us to develop and acquire the necessary skills at the right time to help us in our growth. On top of these sessions, our professional mentor also scheduled meetings for us, not only to check up on our teaching, but to check up on our wellbeing as well. In my opinion, this was a vital part of my positive experience as it let me know that the school is interested in my best interests as a person, not just how my development with subject knowledge and pedagogy is going, and this human approach made the experience a lot more enjoyable and less overwhelming.”

“The school culture is an inclusive one, and I was particularly touched by the Holly Lodge remembrance service on the 11th November. SLT had organised speakers from each prominent religion in the school to speak out about morality, memory, and humanity in the face of war. With displays from both RAF and Marine student Cadets, veterans invited into the school, and student speakers, I felt the whole student population left the service with levels of introspection and empathy I have never seen stem from an assembly before. I felt truly welcomed by my professional mentor, Safia and this fed down to department level as well, with my subject mentor always accessible for any query or worry, no matter how small. All members of staff contributing to the ITT development program were happy to liaise and generous with advice, feedback, and help, sacrificing their time and energy for us as a cohort. In seven weeks I am already a completely different teacher (and person!). I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to attend Holly Lodge for my first placement”