South Farnham

What South Farnham does

South Farnham SCITT (legal name Surrey South Farnham SCITT) is a School-Centred Initial Teacher Training provider established in 2004 and operating as part of the South Farnham Educational Trust (SFET). The organisation delivers one-year, school-based Initial Teacher Training programmes across primary (ages 3–11) and secondary (ages 11–18, 19+ subjects including English, Maths, Sciences, Languages, Computing, Geography, History, and the arts), with trainees placed in two contrasting partnership schools from an extensive network across Surrey, Hampshire, and southeast England. Programmes culminate in Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) with an optional PGCE awarded through a partnership with the University of Brighton (ranked 2nd in the UK for Education in the Guardian University Guide 2025). In September 2024, South Farnham SCITT merged with George Abbot SCITT, unifying two Ofsted Outstanding institutions under the South Farnham SCITT brand; the provider holds an Ofsted Outstanding rating from July 2023.

The business operates a hybrid revenue model combining (a) tuition fee loans of up to £9,535 per trainee administered via Student Finance England, (b) subject-specific government bursaries paid to trainees (up to £29,000 tax-free for Chemistry, Computing, Maths, Physics; up to £31,000 scholarships from professional bodies such as the Royal Society of Chemistry, BCS, Institute of Mathematics, Institute of Physics, and British Council), (c) a one-time £3,000 fee for the Assessment Only QTS route for experienced unqualified teachers, (d) paid summer internships at £1,275 for STEM and language undergraduates, and (e) school subscription income via the SFET Teaching School Hub which delivers Early Career Framework and Appropriate Body services to over 850 Early Career Teachers across Hampshire and Surrey. Additional revenue streams include salaried Apprenticeship routes and National Professional Qualifications delivered in partnership with STSN and Teach First. There is no proprietary technology stack — the organisation runs on standard educational CMS infrastructure and human-led delivery, with no AI/ML capability disclosed.

The provider sells primarily through the DfE Apply website, supplemented by direct applications for the Assessment Only route, school experience referrals via the Get into Teaching programme, and partnership school referrals. Geographic cohorts (Farnham, Guildford, Basingstoke, and other southeast locations) minimise trainee travel and embed the provider within local education communities. Alumni outcomes include progression to deputy head and head of school positions within the partnership network, supporting recruitment flywheel and brand reputation in a regulated market where Ofsted grade is the primary gatekeeper of DfE funding eligibility.

Name

South Farnham

Legal name

Surrey South Farnham SCITT

Website

https://ssfscitt.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

South Farnham SCITT is a UK-based Ofsted Outstanding Initial Teacher Training provider delivering school-based primary and secondary teacher training across Surrey and Hampshire, serving graduates and career changers seeking Qualified Teacher Status.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Initial Teacher Training

NAICS

Educational Services (61), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Assessment, Observation & Documentation Training (Portfolios, DRDP/CLASS/ECERS) (EDACAIAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Career & Technical Education (CTE) Centers & Programs (EDAJAAAJ)

Keywords

• Teacher training programmes
• Initial teacher training
• Primary teacher training
• Secondary teacher training
• Postgraduate teacher education

Headquarters

HQ city

Farnham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fee Training Programmes: Trainees pay tuition fees through government loans (up to £9,535) to fund their one-year teacher training programmes. Revenue received from Student Finance England for trainee tuition.
2. Teacher Training Bursaries: Government-funded bursaries paid to trainees in 10 instalments across subjects including Chemistry, Computing, Maths, Physics (£29,000), Languages, Design and Technology (£20,000), Biology, Geography (£5,000). SCITT programme benefits from this funding mechanism.
3. Assessment Only Route: One-time assessment fee of £3,000 for experienced unqualified teachers to obtain Qualified Teacher Status through portfolio-based assessment. Fee covers introduction meeting, interview visit, interim visit, final assessment visit, and associated support.
4. Paid Teaching Internships: Government-funded summer internship programme providing £1,275 (equivalent to £425 per week) to STEM and language undergraduate students for 3-week teaching experience placements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Surrey South Farnham SCITT is a School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) provider delivering one-year Primary (ages 3–11) and Secondary (ages 11–18) teacher training programmes with two contrasting school placements, weekly professional studies, and an optional PGCE qualification via University of Brighton. Additional pathways include an Assessment Only route to QTS for experienced teachers, salaried apprenticeship routes, paid summer internships for STEM/language undergraduates, and ECT/NPQ leadership development through the SFET Teaching School Hub.

Product overview

South Farnham SCITT is an Initial Teacher Training provider offering a unified portfolio of school-based teacher training programmes. The core offerings are Primary and Secondary one-year training programmes, both available as full-time or part-time options. These can be enhanced with a PGCE qualification through University of Brighton partnership. Additional pathways include Assessment Only (for experienced teachers seeking QTS), Apprenticeship/Salaried routes, Paid Internships, and ECT support services. The organization also provides NPQ leadership qualifications through Teaching School Hub partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Primary Teacher Training Programme One-year school-based Initial Teacher Training programme preparing graduates and career changers to teach at primary level (ages 3–11). Trainees are placed in two contrasting schools from the partnership network, gain hands-on experience from day one, and attend weekly professional studies. Successful completion awards Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) with an optional PGCE add-on.
• Secondary Teacher Training Programme One-year school-based Initial Teacher Training programme preparing graduates and career changers to teach across 19+ secondary subjects (including English, Maths, Science subjects, Languages, History, Geography, Computing, Art, Drama, PE, Music, RE, Design and Technology) at ages 11–16 or 14–19. Successful completion awards Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) with an optional PGCE add-on.
• PGCE Programme Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) qualification delivered in partnership with the University of Brighton as the accrediting university, providing academic postgraduate certification alongside the school-based QTS training.
• Assessment Only Route to QTS Work-based assessment pathway for experienced graduate teachers (including overseas-trained, FE sector, and independent school teachers) to gain Qualified Teacher Status through portfolio-based assessment over a maximum 12-week period, without attending a formal training programme. Total fee £3,000 covers an introduction meeting, interview visit, interim visit, and final assessment visit.
• Apprenticeship & Salaried Trainee Programme Employment-based postgraduate teaching apprenticeship route where trainees are employed in schools while gaining their teaching qualification, combining salary with structured teacher training.
• Paid Teaching Internships Three-week government-funded summer internship programme for STEM and language undergraduate/master's students providing hands-on teaching experience in schools, with £1,275 total funding (equivalent to £425 per week). Successful completion guarantees an interview for the SCITT training programme.
• Part-time Training Options Part-time tuition fee programmes available in both primary and secondary, operating over five terms at three days per week, beginning September and completing at Easter of the second year. Designed for trainees who cannot commit to full-time study.
• Early Career Teacher (ECT) Support Statutory induction programme combining structured development, support, and professional dialogue underpinned by the Early Career Framework, with monitoring and assessment against Teachers' Standards. Delivered through the SFET Teaching School Hub serving over 850 ECTs across Hampshire and Surrey.
• National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) Leadership qualifications delivered in partnership with STSN and Teach First, supporting teachers progressing from middle leadership through to executive headship.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50,000 children currently taught by SCITT-trained teachers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of BrightoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025New PGCE partnership announced September 2025. University of Brighton is the accrediting university for SCITT's PGCE qualification. Ranked 2nd in UK for Education (Guardian University Guide 2025). This collaboration marks an exciting new chapter providing postgraduate teacher training with university expertise.
• University of RoehamptoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity delivers core English training for all trainees as part of the professional studies programme. Long-standing partnership providing academic expertise.
• Kingston UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university for additional PGCE qualification. Provides academic accreditation alongside the SCITT's school-based QTS training.
• George Abbot SCITTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeptember 2024 marked the official union of South Farnham SCITT and George Abbot SCITT. Both Ofsted Outstanding institutions with over 20 years experience each, now delivering primary and secondary teacher training in local cohorts around the southeast under South Farnham SCITT name.
• SFET Teaching School HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSFET (South Farnham Educational Trust) Teaching School Hub offers Early Career Framework (ECF) and Appropriate Body service to over 850 ECTs in schools across Hampshire and Surrey. Provides career-long training from ECT through to Executive Headship.
• Partnership Schools NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExtensive network of primary and secondary partnership schools across Surrey, Hampshire, and southeast England. Schools host trainee placements, provide mentors, and recruit from the programme. Trainees placed in two schools from across the partnership.
• Royal Society of ChemistryminorOthersProvides chemistry teacher training scholarships (£31,000) for SCITT chemistry trainees with 2:1 or higher degree. Sets own eligibility criteria and deadlines.
• BCS The Chartered Institute for ITminorOthersProvides computing teacher training scholarships (£31,000) for SCITT computing trainees with relevant qualifications. Part of professional body network supporting teacher training.
• Institute of Mathematics and its ApplicationsminorOthersMaths scholarship body supporting SCITT maths trainees through teacher training scholarships. Sets eligibility criteria and application deadlines.
• Institute of PhysicsminorOthersProvides physics teacher training scholarships (£31,000) for SCITT physics trainees. Supports subject-specific professional development.
• British CouncilminorOthersProvides languages scholarships (£22,000) for French, German, and Spanish teacher training through SCITT. Supports international languages education.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Teach First: Large UK alternative provider running a national teacher training programme focused on low-income areas. Competes with South Farnham SCITT for graduate and career-changer applicants, but operates nationally rather than regionally, with a salaried model rather than tuition-fee funded.
• Ark Teacher Training: UK school-based teacher training provider operating across multiple regions and tied to the Ark academy network. Directly comparable to South Farnham SCITT in delivery model (school-centred, salaried and tuition-fee routes) but at larger national scale with employer-led branding.

Direct peers

• Teach SouthEast: Regional SCITT offering school-based initial teacher training across southeast England. Closest geographic and structural peer to South Farnham SCITT — both are Ofsted-rated school-centred providers serving similar schools and candidates across the same southeast catchment.
• University of Brighton (PGCE): Accrediting university partner for South Farnham SCITT's PGCE pathway, and also a competing university-led PGCE provider. Directly comparable offering (PGCE + QTS) for the same trainee pool, with overlapping recruitment channels and DfE application routes.
• Kingston University (PGCE): Existing PGCE partner university for South Farnham SCITT and a standalone PGCE provider in the same London/south geography. Competes for the same secondary subject applicants, particularly in core STEM and English subjects.
• University of Roehampton (PGCE): Strategic partner delivering core English training for South Farnham SCITT trainees, while also running its own PGCE programmes. Closely comparable in offering (PGCE + QTS) and in recruiting similar primary and secondary candidates in the London/south catchment.

Emerging players

• Surrey South Farnham Teaching School Hub (SFET TSH): Sister organisation under South Farnham Educational Trust delivering ECF and Appropriate Body services to 850+ ECTs. Operates in adjacent teacher development lifecycle stage (post-ITT) and shares governance, geography and partnership network with South Farnham SCITT.

Others

• Teach First NPQ Programmes: National NPQ delivery partner co-branded with South Farnham SFET Teaching School Hub. Comparable in product (leadership qualifications for teachers), enabling an assessment of how the SCITT's NPQ stack performs against a national incumbent.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ssfSCITT
• Facebookfacebook.com/ssfSCITT
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/surrey-south-farnham-scitt

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about South Farnham