SIX Salisbury schools have joined forces to train primary teachers locally in response to a shortage of quality candidates.

The Salisbury Primary Teaching Alliance includes Winterslow Primary, Downton Primary, Harnham Junior, Exeter House, Wyndham Park Infants’ and St Mark’s Junior.

Successful graduates interested in working in Salisbury schools for 2017/18 will spend a year completing teaching practices in up to three of the schools while studying at the University of Winchester to gain their PGCE qualification.

This collaboration is called Schools Direct, something the Department for Education is keen to promote for future teacher training.

St Mark’s Junior School headteacher Gareth Flemington said: “Contributing to the training and retaining of the next generation of primary teachers is a passion we all share.

“Spotting talent and ‘growing your own’ has become a necessary approach to fill the widening recruitment gap. We all wanted to shape and influence how teachers are trained and helped to find their first job. We felt the time was right to expand the opportunities, particularly for local people, and complement what is already offered.”

Greentrees Primary School has been offering Schools Direct placements for several years, and many of these trainees are now living and teaching locally.

The alliance is hosting a launch event to provide more information on November 2 at St Mark’s School hall from 6pm to 8pm.

It comes after nine secondary schools – Bishop Wordsworth’s, South Wilts, Stonehenge, Avon Valley College, Trafalgar, Pewsey Vale, St Joseph’s, St Edmund’s and Wyvern College – joined forces to offer similar training last year.