Cumbria Education Trust is celebrating the successful completion of its 2026 Internship Programme following three fantastic weeks of learning, development and hands-on experience in schools.
This year, two CET interns immersed themselves in school life as they explored a potential future career in education. Throughout the programme, they supported pupils in lessons, observed excellent classroom practice and gained valuable experience working alongside teachers and school staff.
The internship gave both participants the opportunity to build their confidence, develop their understanding of the teaching profession and experience the rewards and responsibilities that come with working in education.
Experiencing life in the classroom
William Howard School hosted the interns for the main part of their placement, with the Maths and Modern Foreign Languages departments providing a warm welcome, expert guidance and outstanding support.
The interns were able to observe a wide range of lessons, work directly with pupils and gradually take on greater responsibility within the classroom. This included supporting learning, speaking with experienced teachers and teaching parts of lessons themselves.
The programme also included contrasting placement days at Workington Academy, Longtown Primary School and Castle Carrock School.
These visits gave the interns valuable experience across different educational settings and phases. They were able to see how schools adapt their approaches to meet the needs of their pupils and gain a broader understanding of the different routes and opportunities available within teaching.
Growing in confidence
Reflecting on her experience, CET intern Antonia said:
“Thank you so much for having me for the internship. It has been a brilliant opportunity! The highlights for me were getting to teach parts of lessons and proving to myself that I can do it.
“The support from the staff was amazing. I always felt like I had someone to talk to and ask questions about teacher training. The teachers made me feel very welcome and encouraged me to observe even more lessons.
“By the end of the internship, I felt so much more confident supporting students in the classroom. It was also really valuable to experience two other schools during my placement, giving me a different perspective on teaching and how different schools do things differently.”
Inspiring the next generation of teachers
The CET Internship Programme provides aspiring teachers with a meaningful insight into the profession before they decide whether teacher training is the right next step for them.
By spending time in schools, interns can develop practical classroom experience, ask questions and learn directly from experienced teachers and mentors.
A huge congratulations to both of our 2026 interns on completing the programme.
We would also like to thank William Howard School, particularly the Maths and Modern Foreign Languages departments, for hosting the interns and supporting them throughout the three-week placement.
Our thanks also go to Workington Academy, Longtown Primary School and Castle Carrock School for providing contrasting placement opportunities and helping the interns experience teaching across a range of settings.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this year’s programme such a positive and rewarding experience.
We wish our interns every success as they continue their journeys into teaching and look forward to seeing the difference they will make in the future.