Tag Archive for: East London

mulberry college of teaching - east london - teacher training

Case Study: Our work on increasing diversity in ITT project

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We are proud to be part of the national Increasing Diversity in Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Project, a four-year initiative funded by Mission 44 in partnership with the Chartered College of Teaching, Being Luminary and the Chiltern Learning Trust. The project focuses on dismantling systemic barriers faced by Beginning Teachers from Global Majority Heritage backgrounds, from application through to qualification.

Through this partnership, our team has benefitted from the Chartered College of Teaching’s new course, 1:1 coaching from an experienced DEI specialist, and high-quality small group CPD. These opportunities have strengthened our practice and deepened our understanding of how to create truly equitable teacher training experiences.



How this project has strengthened our teacher training provision

 

1. Embedding an EDI lens into mentoring

 

We enhanced our mentoring offer by introducing mentors to the Chartered College of Teaching’s Impact article “Mentoring with an equity, diversity and inclusion lens.” This research reinforces the strengths of our strong mentoring culture, where mentors already know their Beginning Teachers (BTs) exceptionally well and respond rapidly to emerging needs.

 

By combining relational knowledge with a research-informed EDI lens, mentors can anticipate barriers more effectively, adapt support, and ask the questions that matter. This approach is reflected in our recent Ofsted feedback:

“Staff across the partnership have a profound understanding of trainees’ needs and how to support them. This ensures trainees thrive across all areas of their programme.”

“Leaders are highly skilled, precise and creative in how they reduce or remove any barriers trainees face.”

 

2. Reviewing recruitment and onboarding

 

Our participation in the project prompted a full review of how we attract, welcome and support applicants into teacher training. A key action has been gathering more representative testimonies from our diverse BTs, ensuring prospective applicants can see themselves reflected in our community. These stories play a powerful role in challenging assumptions about who “belongs” in teaching.

 

We also strengthened the application and interview experience, ensuring it is accessible, supportive and responsive to individual needs. Ofsted recognised this work:

 

“They take a highly nuanced approach through applications, interviews and during the course, to identify any area of need.”

“Leaders work proactively with local groups to address barriers potential trainees from diverse backgrounds might have, and they support them to access a career in teaching that they never thought possible.”

 

This demonstrates our commitment to reducing barriers at the very start of the teacher training journey.

 

 To find out more about our approach to recruiting and retaining a diverse cohort

See here

 

3. Strengthening professional identity, anti-racist practice and inclusive culture

 

We want our BTs to leave us not only as excellent practitioners, but as confident, principled professionals who can thrive in – and contribute to – inclusive school communities. To support this, we have expanded our professional studies programme to include:

 

  • Anti-racist allyship
  • Recognising and responding to discriminatory behaviours
  • Developing a values-aligned professional identity
  • Opportunities to connect with affinity groups that foster belonging and reflection

 


These elements help BTs support pupils and colleagues, model inclusive professional behaviours, and understand who they are becoming as teachers.


We monitor BTs’ sense of belonging closely through evaluation, reflection and pastoral support. Ofsted highlighted this culture, noting:

“Leaders create a consistently positive and nurturing culture where trainees feel extremely welcome and highly valued.”


They also recognised how well prepared our trainees are for the profession:

 

“Trainees are consistently prepared extremely well for the realities of teaching.”


Mulberry College of Teaching - diversity in teacher training

Our ongoing commitment to inclusive teacher training

 

Our work with the Increasing Diversity in ITT Project reflects a long-term commitment to representation, inclusion and justice in the teaching profession, and we are not complacent about our position. As Ofsted noted: “Inclusion is central to the culture and ethos of the provider.”

 

We remain dedicated to:

  • Widening access to teacher training in our local communities
  • Embedding inclusive and anti-racist practice across our provision
  • Ensuring every Beginning Teacher feels known, supported and valued
  • Strengthening professional identity and collegial responsibility
  • Helping shape a teaching workforce that reflects and serves East London

 

This work sits at the heart of our mission: ensuring pupils are taught by teachers who bring diverse perspectives, rich experience and an unwavering belief in educational equity.

 

Find out more about training to teach with MCoT

 

If you are considering training to teach, or are an ITT provider or school leader committed to diversifying the teaching profession, we would be delighted to connect.

 

Get in touch with MCoT to learn more about teacher training and how a place-based, values-driven model like ours supports a more representative, thriving teacher workforce.

 

info@mulberrycollegeofteaching.org

020 7791 7202

 

Follow us on LinkedIn


Read the Ofsted report here

teacher-training-in-east-london

Case Study: How MCoT is breaking down barriers in teacher training to recruit and retain global majority teachers

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At Mulberry College of Teaching (MCoT), a school-based teacher training provider our purpose is clear: to grow excellent teachers from East London, for East London.

We believe that the teaching workforce should reflect the communities it serves, and we take seriously our responsibility to create the conditions in which global majority trainees can enter, flourish and remain in the profession.

Our model is built on partnership, people and place – values that shape every interaction, decision and support structure we put in place for our trainees.

Teacher training in East London: A place-based strategy that works


MCoT recruits directly from the communities we serve. Most trainees live locally and train in contexts they know, trust and understand. This place-based approach to teacher training in East London not only removes barriers such as travel and relocation, but also nurtures belonging from the very beginning.

That sense of belonging is repeatedly recognised by trainees:

“MCoT has really opened my eyes to the world of teaching. It has given me the confidence to develop as a transformative teacher and has given me the chance to make a life-long dream a reality.” (MCoT trainee)



And this lived experience is echoed externally. In 2026, Ofsted described MCoT as:

 

“A genuine collegiate culture where trainees feel a firm sense of belonging… They recognise the extraordinary lengths that leaders go to understand their individual needs, putting in place pastoral support to ensure they thrive, regardless of any potential barriers they face.”



Expanding access to teacher training through partnerships


Our strong university partnerships help us reach graduates who may not have previously seen teaching as a relevant or accessible career pathway. Through taster days, workshops and visible role modelling, we help candidates imagine themselves – as they are – as future educators.


Developing teachers from within local school communities


Our partner schools play a pivotal role in identifying potential trainees – former pupils, support staff, teaching assistants, or those with less traditional academic routes.

We focus on strengths, potential and aspiration, rather than ticking conventional boxes.

Through coaching, subject knowledge conversations, welcoming interviews and personalised support, we help applicants step confidently into the profession – often fulfilling ambitions they once thought out of reach.

Ofsted recognised this in their 2026 judgement, rating MCoT exceptional for Inclusion:

 

“Inclusion is central to the culture and ethos of the provider… Leaders work proactively with local groups to address barriers potential trainees from diverse backgrounds might have, and they support them to access a career in teaching that they never thought possible.”



Supporting trainee teachers: Belonging, care and community


We believe retention begins at recruitment. From early financial guidance to regular check-ins between offer and course start, we ensure trainees feel welcomed, supported and known throughout their teacher training experience.

This has a tangible impact on wellbeing and professional identity:


“I love being part of MCoT. The supportive, structured environment and smaller group size make it easy to connect with other BTs and learn collaboratively.”
 (MCoT trainee)



Our pastoral model is one of our greatest strengths – and again highlighted by Ofsted in 2026, when MCoT was rated exceptional for Professional Behaviours, Personal Development and Wellbeing:


“The pastoral support in place for trainees is remarkable. Leaders have an exemplary depth of understanding of the trainees and their contexts.”


MCoT at a local East London sixth from careers fair - talking about teacher training.

MCoT at a local sixth form careers fair.

 

Find out more about training to teach with MCoT


If you are considering training to teach, or are an ITT provider or school leader committed to diversifying the teaching profession, we would be delighted to connect.


Get in touch with MCoT to learn more about teacher training in East London and how a place-based, values-driven model like ours can support a more representative, thriving teacher workforce.


info@mulberrycollegeofteaching.org

020 7791 7202


Follow us on LinkedIn
Read the full Ofsted report here.



Safa working at a table with a notebook and pen facing a colleague

Q&A: Safa on training to teach with Mulberry College of Teaching and finding her feet as an English teacher in East London

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Safa trained with Mulberry College of Teaching (MCoT) and is now an Early Career Teacher (ECT) of English at Mulberry Academy Shoreditch. She spoke to us about what the journey has really been like: the support, the challenges, the surprises and the moments that remind her why she chose teaching.


Q: Safa, how did your teaching journey begin?

 

I trained with Mulberry College of Teaching in Tower Hamlets. It’s been a big learning curve, but in a good way. From the start of my training year, I felt like I was being eased in rather than pushed in. I was in classrooms early on, trying things out alongside experienced teachers and then having the space to reflect and refine. That mix worked really well for me.



Q: What kind of support have you had as an Early Career Teacher (ECT)?

 

The support in my ECT year has been steady and genuinely helpful. I have weekly meetings with my mentor, and they’re not just something to get through, they’re proper conversations where we look at lessons, talk through challenges, plan ahead and share ideas. I’ve never felt like I’ve been left to manage things on my own or pushed in before I was ready.

The department has been just as supportive. Marking English essays, for example, can feel daunting at first, but working through the process together as a team made it feel manageable rather than overwhelming. There’s always someone willing to offer guidance, share resources or give a second opinion, which makes a huge difference when you’re still finding your feet.


Q: What do you enjoy most about teaching English?

 

Honestly? The variety. Every day feels different. One lesson might turn into a lively Shakespeare debate; another will be us unpacking a modern poem or running a creative writing activity. Students surprise you constantly.

Watching students grow in confidence, whether that’s through their writing or when they speak up in class, is one of the best things about this job.


Q: You mentioned that form time is important to you. Why is that?

 

Form time is my favourite part of the day. It’s a quieter moment where you really see your students, not just learners in your subject. We chat about what they’re enjoying, what they’re finding tricky, or even something small from their day. Those conversations build trust. It sets the tone for everything else.

 

Q: What does wider school life look like for you?

 

Busy! But in a really positive way. We’ve had book-themed events, reading challenges, school productions (Christmas ones are always the highlight), and loads of creative activities. It keeps the year interesting and gives everyone things to look forward to.

 

Q: How have you found teaching in Tower Hamlets?

 

There’s a real sense of belonging here. Tower Hamlets is vibrant, diverse and full of life. It feels like a privilege to teach in a community like this. There’s warmth everywhere,  from families, students, staff and that makes a difference to your day.

It’s also reassuring to know that English teachers are always needed. Strong communication and writing skills open doors for students, and it feels meaningful to contribute to that.



Q: What helps you maintain a healthy work–life balance?

 

Routine has made the biggest difference. Once I figured out how to use my time during the school day (especially my non-contact periods), everything became much more manageable. I plan, mark and prepare while I’m in school, which means my evenings and weekends are my own. Being able to properly switch off makes me a better teacher.

Having a slightly reduced timetable as an ECT has helped too. It’s given me the breathing space to stay organised and keep on top of things without feeling overwhelmed. I don’t take work home, and that’s been a game-changer for my wellbeing. Everyone’s routine looks a bit different, but finding the one that works for you is key.


Q: How would you describe the culture at Mulberry Academy Shoreditch?

 

It’s a very welcoming place. Staff look out for one another. The English department is especially lovely; lots of shared resources, shared ideas and honestly, lots of laughs too.

We even have Wellbeing Week, which includes free food, coffee, ice-cream vans and massages. It sounds small, but those gestures make you feel appreciated. There’s a genuine effort to create a culture where people can do well and feel cared for.



Q: Looking back, how has MCoT shaped your early career?

 

MCoT set me up well. The combination of working in real classrooms, having expert mentors and being part of the same family of schools throughout my training meant I stepped into my first teaching job knowing what to expect. That familiarity made a big difference.

Most of all, MCoT helped me take something I loved and turn it into a job where I get to share that enthusiasm every single day.

 

Q: Finally, what would you say to someone thinking about training to teach English with MCoT?

 

If you’re passionate about your subject and you want to learn in a supportive, grounded environment, MCoT is a great place to start. You will become part of a school community that will know your voice, your story, and you will be able to make a real difference to the pupils in front of you.