Newham-based SCITT in East London Schools (SCITTELS) has been recognised with the IDEA Award at the NASBTT Awards 2026 for embedding Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility throughout its recruitment, training and support for trainee teachers.
The award, sponsored by IRIS Connect, recognises an Initial Teacher Training (ITT) provider or partnership that has demonstrated a strong and sustained commitment to these principles within its provision.
The winner was announced at BMA House in London on 5th November as the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT) celebrated individuals and organisations making an exceptional contribution to teacher education and training.
Judges praised SCITTELS’ whole-provider approach, highlighting its embedded inclusive practice, outcomes for specific trainee groups, focus on anti-racism in recruitment and graduated approach to support.
Guided by its vision of developing “local teachers for local schools”, SCITTELS seeks to develop a teaching workforce that reflects and understands the culturally, linguistically and socioeconomically diverse communities it serves.
Its approach begins during selection, when candidates prepare a presentation based on a children’s picture book, explaining how they would use it to teach diversity, inclusion or anti-racism. This establishes expectations for inclusive teaching while giving applicants an opportunity to draw on their own experiences and perspectives.
Once training begins, support is tailored to individual needs. Lead mentors offer regular meetings, bookable appointments and proactive check-ins, while progress reviews help identify emerging concerns.
Reasonable adjustments are reviewed as trainees move through different stages of training and school placements. Trainees can choose whether details of a medical condition are shared with their placement school or whether the school is informed only of the support and adjustments required.
A graduated support process combines early identification through Progress Alerts with more intensive Enhanced Coaching where needed. Individual responses can include occupational health advice, placement adaptations, additional time or, where appropriate, deferral, helping trainees overcome barriers while maintaining high expectations.
Inclusion also runs throughout the training curriculum. Anti-racism, diversity, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), adaptive teaching and barriers to participation are addressed through subject training, behaviour, assessment, planning and professional practice.
During every Intensive Training and Practice (ITAP) block, trainees visit a specialist SEND setting, observe expert practice and consider how the approaches they see can support pupils in mainstream classrooms. Repeated opportunities to explore relationships, questioning, scaffolding and explanations help trainees develop practical strategies for inclusive teaching.
Mentors receive training and guidance on both the curriculum and trainees’ individual needs. Regular communication and quality assurance help make inclusion a shared responsibility across SCITTELS and its placement schools.
Trainee and mentor feedback has also informed changes to session lengths, workload, the timing of resource release, pastoral processes, curriculum content and support.
SCITTELS reports that trainees from diverse backgrounds, including those with SEND and other barriers to participation, successfully complete the programme and progress into teaching. Partner schools value the inclusive expertise trainees develop and regularly recruit them.
External evaluation has recognised this approach. In 2024, Ofsted found that inclusion, diversity and anti-racism “permeate all aspects” of SCITTELS’ work. In 2026, its Inclusion provision was judged Exceptional.
Raz Rahman, Director of SCITTELS, commented:
“We are incredibly proud and honoured to receive the NASBTT IDEA Award. At SCITTELS, inclusion has never been something we simply teach or a box we tick; it is at the heart of who we are and everything we do. We believe that every trainee teacher, regardless of their background, experiences or individual needs, deserves the opportunity to thrive and become an excellent teacher.
“This award is a wonderful recognition of the commitment of our dedicated team, partner schools, mentors and trainees, who work together to turn our values into meaningful practice every day.
“Our ambition has always been to develop teachers who not only understand inclusion but live and breathe it in their classrooms, ensuring that every child feels valued, represented and able to succeed. We hope our work demonstrates that inclusion is not an additional responsibility in teacher education; it is fundamental to excellent teaching.”
Emma Hollis, CEO of NASBTT, added:
“In recent years, the sector has faced significant challenge and change, with providers continually adapting to reforms, policy shifts and increasing pressures while remaining committed to delivering high-quality teacher training.
“The NASBTT Awards provide an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the individuals, teams and organisations who work tirelessly, often behind the scenes, to support children and young people through the training and development of excellent teachers. We were delighted to receive over 70 submissions, and it has been an absolute joy to see colleagues championing the organisations and individuals who make such a difference to their trainees, schools and communities.
“My congratulations go to each of our winners and also those who were shortlisted, and my sincere thanks to everyone who submitted entries. We thoroughly enjoyed giving that work the celebration it deserves at the awards evening.”
The NASBTT Awards 2026, sponsored by Mosaic, recognised achievement across seven categories. Entries were independently judged by experienced professionals from the ITT sector and wider education community. The ceremony followed the NASBTT Annual Conference 2026.
