Colegios Británicos
Colegios Británicos is a family-owned group of British schools in Spain, comprising three schools across the region. Chloe Crellen is Headteacher of the Primary and Infant School in Gandia, which serves more than 200 pupils and forms part of a wider educational community that includes secondary provision and an expanding sixth form.
She explains how partnering with Tes Institute has helped the school create a sustainable pathway for teacher development and support staff in achieving qualified teacher status (QTS).
Why did you choose Tes Institute?
As a primary school, we wanted a teacher training programme that was rigorous, high quality and aligned with the standards we expect from our staff.
We have several members of staff who joined us as teaching assistants after moving to Spain but still wanted to pursue a career in teaching. We wanted to offer them a credible pathway into the profession and knew from previous experience that Tes Institute provided both flexibility and strong academic foundations.
We also felt the curriculum aligned closely with our own educational approach. iQTS allowed us to train staff in a way that reflected our school's values and expectations, while still providing a robust route to UK qualified teacher status.
What did your school hope to achieve by offering iQTS with Tes Institute?
Our main goal was to establish a sustainable framework for staff development and create a clear pathway for growing our own talent within the school.
By offering a route to qualified teacher status, we could upskill existing staff, provide meaningful career progression opportunities and ensure our team had access to high-quality professional training. It’s about investing in people who were already part of our community and helping them take the next step in their careers.
How has Tes Institute supported your school to achieve your goals?
I was both the headteacher and mentor throughout the process, so naturally I was a little nervous about how manageable the workload would be.
In reality, the experience was incredibly seamless. The curriculum was well structured, the assessment benchmarks were clear and everything was easy to access. Although the programme is delivered online, it never felt distant.
The support from the Tes Institute team was exceptional. Whenever we had questions, someone was always available to help. The support team were highly responsive, and the pathway tutors provided excellent guidance throughout. The level of support made a significant difference and gave us confidence at every stage of the programme.
How have you found working with Tes Institute?
Our experience has been excellent from start to finish.
The team has been highly professional, responsive and collaborative throughout the process. Communication has always been clear, which is particularly important when working virtually.
What stood out most was how supported we felt. Despite being delivered remotely, the programme maintained a strong sense of connection and partnership, making it easy for both mentors and trainees to stay engaged and on track.
What has your experience as a mentor been like?
My role as a mentor was to guide the trainee's day-to-day development and help bridge the gap between educational theory and classroom practice.
We met regularly each week, carried out observations and discussed how the concepts being explored through the programme translated into the realities of a primary classroom.
It was a fantastic professional experience. The regular meetings strengthened our working relationship and gave us dedicated time to reflect on teaching practice together. It also helped me develop as a leader, encouraging me to spend more time supporting and checking in with colleagues. That mentoring relationship became one of the most valuable aspects of the programme.
What has the impact of the course been on your school and staff?
The impact has been extremely positive.
The programme has supported professional growth across the school and demonstrated that staff can continue pursuing their career ambitions, even if they have moved overseas. As a school, we want to help people achieve their goals, and iQTS has given us a practical way to do that.
The programme has also generated interest from other members of staff, with another colleague already exploring the possibility of joining in the future.
There have been wider benefits too. Through the mentor training, I became a qualified mentor myself, which contributed to my own professional development. The programme also encouraged greater collaboration among staff through peer observations, shared learning and the exchange of new ideas, creating a culture of continuous improvement across the school.
What would you tell another school that is thinking about working with Tes Institute?
I would absolutely recommend it.
The framework is well designed, the support is excellent and the quality of training is extremely high. My advice would be to ensure that both mentors and trainees have protected time to fully engage with the programme.
When schools invest in that support structure and allow strong mentoring relationships to develop, the outcomes are incredibly positive for both the individual and the wider school community.
How would you sum up your experience with Tes Institute in a sentence?
Tes Institute provided a seamless, high-quality training experience that enabled us to deliver rigorous teacher development directly within our school.
Develop your teaching staff
Great schools need great teachers. Find out how Tes Institute supports international schools with accredited teacher training and professional development.