Teachers are being encouraged to consider a career in schools in East Cambridgeshire and Fenland as part of a new recruitment drive.

Ely Standard: Elle Lewis Smedley is training to be a teacher in FenlandElle Lewis Smedley is training to be a teacher in Fenland (Image: Archant)

Cambridgeshire County Council, supported by funding from the Department for Education through the Opportunity Area Programme, is launching a number of projects in the area to attract more high quality teachers.

Two information events are taking place for people interested in working in nursery, primary, secondary and special schools in Fenland and East Cambridgeshire.

The events are:

• Thursday February 1 from 5.30-7.30pm at St Peter’s Primary in Wisbech.

• Thursday February 8 from 5.30-7.30pm at Littleport Academy.

People thinking of training to become a teacher, those who have taught in the past and had a career break or those who are training now and looking for their first teaching post are invited to come along and talk to schools and training providers about the opportunities available.

There will be information about the different ways to apply, train, the associated costs and time commitments and the opportunity to speak to recently qualified teachers about their training and teaching experiences.

Councillor Simon Bywater, chairman of the children and young people committee at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “We are really keen to recruit more high quality teachers across the county but particularly in schools in Fenland and East Cambridgeshire where we have a higher number of vacancies.

“Whatever stage of your career you are in, you will find Cambridgeshire is an excellent place to grow and thrive, enabling you to deliver the very best education for our children.”

The teacher internship programme, which began in September 2016, is one of the county’s initiatives that continues to be very successful. Launched as a way to provide paid ‘on the job’ training to prospective teachers, there are now eight second year and eleven first year interns across the county, with five in Fenland schools.

The internship has attracted people from varying backgrounds including Elle Lewis-Smedley, a recent biomedical sciences graduate, Claire Stratton who gained her degree with the Open University while working as a teaching assistant for 10 years and Andy Murray, who was in the RAF for 30 years before embarking on his career change.

• For details and to book your place visit www.teachincambs.org.uk.