A partnership between a Norfolk academy chain, two private schools and a leading state school has announced the creation of a new centre to train teachers in the county.

The Norfolk Teacher Training Centre, which is due to open in September 2014, will see trainees sent out to schools for the majority of their year-long course, with one day a week at the centre's base at St Andrew's House, City College's higher education building the centre of Norwich.

It is being led by the Transforming Education in Norfolk (TEN) Group, which has four academies, City College and the embryonic University Technical College, and will also draw on expertise from Norwich School, Norwich High School and Wymondham College.

It is part of the government's School Direct teacher training initiative, which sees trainee teachers spend more time working directly in the classroom than the more traditional Post-Graduate Certificate in Education courses, offered by universities including the University of East Anglia.

Dick Palmer, group chief executive of the TEN Group, said: 'Excellence in education and raising standards, which of course has been very much in focus here in Norfolk, starts with the recruitment of well-trained and highly capable teachers into the profession.

'The Norfolk Teacher Training Centre is a really important development that will enable TEN Group and our partners to draw on our considerable collective experience and expertise to develop the next generation of talented teachers.

'Our approach, giving trainee teachers the maximum possible classroom experience, supported by further development opportunities in the centre, is all about high quality training on the job and utilising our existing know-how to prepare high calibre teachers who are ready to excel in the classroom.'

There will be 20 places available in 2014-15, increasing to 26-30 places in 2015-16 and a further increased planned for the following year.

Paul McCann, currently assistant principal at Wayland Academy, one of the TEN Group's academies, has been appointed as head of the Norfolk Teacher Training Centre.

The Norfolk Teacher Training Centre will initially offer secondary teacher training in English, maths, biology, chemistry, physics, design and technology, computer science, PE, drama, art and music, history, geography and RE.

Applications are already being accepted for the one-year full-time course, which will allow graduates to gain qualified teacher status.

Applicants must be a graduate and able to demonstrate a track record of interest in the field in which they want to teach. See http://norfolkttc.org.uk

Is classroom experience the best way to train new teachers? Contact martin.george@archant.co.uk