Schools across Nottinghamshire are continuing to invest in their staff through apprenticeships with Heart of England Training (HOET), helping employees build confidence, gain recognised qualifications and develop the skills needed to make a lasting impact in the classroom.
During a recent visit to schools across the county, education leaders highlighted the positive difference apprenticeships have made to both individual staff members and their wider school communities.
Investing in Staff Development
For Donna Quarless-McGee, Headteacher at Coppice Farm Primary School, apprenticeships are an important part of supporting and retaining talented staff.
“I like to invest in my staff and supporting them through an apprenticeship shows my commitment to them.”
Donna praised the quality and structure of apprenticeship training, explaining that it provides schools with confidence that staff are receiving high-quality professional development.
“I like the structure and framework of apprenticeships, and you know that you’re getting high calibre, in-depth, quality training. I know that at the end of the course I’ll have good quality, well qualified and well-rounded members of staff.”
The school has seen first-hand the positive impact apprenticeships have had on staff confidence and capability, with Donna adding:
“The quality of the training means that my staff feel extremely confident in their roles. I will be enrolling two more members of staff on the Early Years apprenticeship with you in September.”
Creating Opportunities for Staff to Progress
Across Nottinghamshire, schools are increasingly using apprenticeships to support staff development and create clear progression pathways.
At Crescent Primary School, Headteacher Rachel highlighted the importance of investing in employees who demonstrate a desire to develop professionally. By supporting staff through apprenticeships, schools can nurture talent from within and help valuable team members progress in their careers while strengthening the wider workforce.
This commitment to development was reflected in conversations with current learners during the visit. One Teaching Assistant apprentice spoke enthusiastically about her experience on programme, describing how much she was enjoying her studies and the support she had received throughout her apprenticeship journey. Having recently decided to progress onto a Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) qualification, she was so impressed with her experience that she specifically requested to continue learning with the same educator.
A Supportive Partnership for Schools
A recurring theme from schools was the level of support they receive throughout the apprenticeship journey.
Donna described HOET’s communication as a key strength of the partnership:
“Karina and Heather’s open and clear communication has been key. If we’ve had any queries, they have been quick to respond, making sure that we understand exactly what we need to do.”
Similarly, Jo Bean, School Business Manager at King Edwin Primary School, highlighted the accessibility and responsiveness of the HOET team.
“There’s always someone at HOET that we can contact if we need anything and they are always quick to respond.”
Jo also praised the support apprentices receive as they approach their End Point Assessment:
“The educators at HOET have been very supportive in preparing the apprentices for their End Point Assessments.”
Building Confidence and Creating Careers
At King Edwin Primary School, apprenticeships have played an important role in developing staff confidence while also helping the school grow its workforce.
“It’s been good to see the apprentices’ confidence grow. We’ve had an excellent distinction rate and most apprentices have been offered a permanent position within the school after they finish their apprenticeship.”
One learner’s journey particularly stood out to the team.
Lynsey Glover, Higher Level Teaching Assistant, shared the remarkable progress made by apprentice Summer during her programme.
“It’s been lifechanging for Summer – she was young and very quiet when she first started – very shy and wouldn’t talk to the parents – now she does it all!”
Lynsey continued:
“The apprenticeship has helped her to grow massively in confidence; we’ve just seen her interview for a post alongside much more mature candidates and she was by far the strongest.”
Preparing Apprentices for Success
St Giles SEN School has also witnessed the impact apprenticeships can have on both learners and schools.
Teaching Assistant and Apprentice Mentor Faye Smith explained how apprenticeships help ensure schools have access to skilled and knowledgeable support staff.
“The apprenticeship programme is invaluable as it ensures we are recruiting good quality TAs.”
She also highlighted how learners gain experience across different areas of the school, helping them develop a broad and varied skill set.
“During the apprenticeship programme, learners move around different cohorts to ensure the knowledge they gain is very varied and prepares them to be able to work across the whole school.”
Among the many success stories at St Giles is apprentice Bozena, whose dedication and determination left a lasting impression.
“Bozena’s first language isn’t English, yet she studied hard to pass her English alongside doing her apprenticeship. This was a fantastic achievement.”
Supporting Nottinghamshire Schools
Through apprenticeships in Teaching Assistant, Early Years and other education-focused programmes, HOET works with schools across the region to develop confident, skilled and qualified staff who can make a real difference to learners.
From improving recruitment and retention to developing future leaders within the workforce, the experiences of Coppice Farm, King Edwin and St Giles SEN School demonstrate the value apprenticeships can bring to schools of all sizes.
For Nottinghamshire schools looking to invest in their staff and strengthen their teams, apprenticeships offer a practical and proven route to professional development.
Find out more about partnering with HOET by visiting www.hoet.co.uk.
