Beyond checklists and good intentions: How the Increasing Diversity in ITT Project is driving genuine, systematic change at KMT

For three decades, KMT has stood as one of the most established SCITT providers in the South East, with a partnership representing over half of all schools in Kent. Our mission is vast, with a pupil reach that, as defined by Mission 44, exceeds 187,600. We are proud to be a widening participation provider, and we have seen successes in diversifying our cohorts:

• Career Changers: 71% of our cohort is over 25, significantly above the national figure of 53%.
• SEND: 30.5% declared a health condition or disability after onboarding, compared to 19% nationally.

However, the persistent, systemic challenge of ethnic diversity in the teaching workforce has become a personal focus. Nationally, 38% of pupils are from a minority ethnic background, while only 11.4% of teachers are. Within Kent, the gap is stark: only 4.6% of teachers identify as Black & Minority Ethnic, dropping to 1.2% at the Headteacher level. This is an uncomfortable truth, especially when areas like Dartford (44%) and Gravesham (37%) have high proportions of children from global majority backgrounds.

A powerful commitment to change

As the Head of KMT and the project lead, I fundamentally believe that a teaching workforce reflecting the communities it serves is non-negotiable for an equitable education system. This belief led us to join the Increasing Diversity in Initial Teacher Training (ITT) project, a vital collaborative initiative with the Chartered College of Teaching, Chiltern Learning Trust, and Being Luminary, backed by funding from Mission 44.

My personal feeling is that breaking down barriers and impacting systematic change can’t be done through empty words, strategies, or checklists. It has to be through proactive, genuine, and often uncomfortable changes, driven by deep self-reflection.

The first stage of this project was the most powerful: internal reflection and creating a foundation for change. The dedicated challenge and support from our expert coach, Harroop Sandhu, forced us to look inward. We engaged our entire team – from leadership to administration – in training, creating brave spaces to acknowledge bias, ask difficult questions, and confront our own institutional inertia. This process gave me, and the wider team, the confidence to confront the uncomfortable truths about the historical and current barriers to ITT for our global majority applicants, and to accept my deep responsibility as the leader of such a large SCITT to do something authentic about it.

Unlearning and tangible initiatives

This project has genuinely changed me, and it has changed the questions I ask myself and my team every day. As one of the largest SCITTs in this region, everyone at KMT recognises our shared responsibility to use our influence to drive meaningful change. The challenge and coaching Harroop provided supported us in developing several key initiatives:

• Inclusive recruitment and selection: All interviews are conducted by our central team, who have completed unconscious bias training. We offer tailored, pre-interview ‘Insight Sessions’ to give bespoke guidance based on an applicant’s unique circumstances, such as navigating overseas qualifications or visa restrictions. This ensures every candidate has an equal chance.
• Responsive training programmes: We are training all future educators to be inclusive leaders. Crucially, we train our trainees to confidently discuss race and racism and actively address discrimination in the classroom. Our curriculum is responsive to emerging themes; for instance, Harroop developed a guide to support educators in discussing flags, identity, and belonging, which we adapted into a podcast for our trainees with supporting discussion materials for face-to-face sessions.

The power of psychological safety

The project has been transformative for our internal culture. The shift in focus and the tangible changes in practice are already yielding positive benefits for our team culture and current cohort retention. The impact is seen not just in numbers, but in the psychological safety we have built. Our most recent trainee evaluation survey highlights this profound shift in belonging:

“I feel heard, that is the most important thing for me.”

“Knowing that my concerns are taken seriously and resolved promptly reinforces the idea that inclusion is not only about classroom practice but also about fostering strong professional relationships and psychological safety.”

“I have access to the multifaith room where I have been asked multiple times if it has everything I need. This is not something I have had in previous work places and I feel so supported by the school.”

This work is ongoing, and my commitment is unwavering. The early commitment from our team and the positive feedback from our trainees show that increasing diversity is not just about a metric – it’s about creating an equitable, inclusive profession for all, built on real action, not just good intentions.

Polly Butterfield-Tracey FCCT, SCITT Director of KMT and Deputy Director of The Leigh Institute

First published on the Chartered College of Teaching website, HERE.