The Integrated Teacher Training Scheme (ITTS) has now had six ringers complete the course and become accredited.

Five have come through the route of attending the course as New Teachers and one through the route of attending the course as a Mentor.  Of interest Rebecca Utting from Ross-on- Wye, who became accredited via the Mentor’s route, taught Aled Jones (22yrs) who is one of the five who became accredited through the New Teacher route. Aled was first taught to ring ten years ago. Having recently returned home from University, Aled has recently been made tower captain at Bassaleg, his home tower in the L&MDACBR.

It was two of the newly accredited teachers Geraint Thomas (26yrs) and Katie Dacey (20 yrs) who started the whole ball rolling two and a half years ago by approaching Pip Penney to ask her if she would teach them to teach new learners.  Pip was delighted to take up the challenge but soon realised that there was very little published up-to-date information on the subject. She decided to create the booklet, now published under the title of “Teaching Tips”, which is used to accompany the course. Having worked with Geraint and Katie whilst they taught their new learners, Pip was struck by the thought that they would require on-going support with their teaching.  She decided to continue to work with them and thus the mentoring system was born. Later the same year, the Ringing Foundation published a brief to develop a structured teacher training scheme based on up to date teaching methods and research based theory, Pip responded to this brief and the RF started to back the ITTS scheme.

Kate Stanley (20yrs) and Maddie Stanley (18yrs) were already qualified sailing instructors before starting the ITTS course. They understood the principles of teaching and coaching readily, and saw the parallels with teaching bell handling. Currently Kate and Maddie are away at University.

Although only Aled is currently running a tower the other newly accredited teachers are competent and confident with their teaching. Between them, they have taught handling to new learners for six local towers and last year tutored the “bell control” course on the Monmouth Branch ringing course in February 2011.

An additional 7 ringers have completed their assessment targets for Module One of the course and thirty six have been online to successfully complete the multiple choice theory test for the Module One but have not yet completed the practical work required. Some of these teachers are planning to attend the second module of the course shortly, then complete the practical tasks and on line theory test for this and join the ranks of accredited teachers.