This article summarises the findings of a small-scale study of the perceptions and progress of minority ethnic trainees on a one-year Postgraduate Certificate in Education primary initial teacher training course between 2001 and 2003. It also accounts for the reasons behind the trainees' experiences and their erratic and sometimes surprisingly low successful completion rates. The higher education institution in the UK where the research was carried out is not only one of the largest providers of initial teacher training in Europe, but is esteemed for its focus on Equal Opportunities in class, gender, disability and race. This feature is embedded in policy documentation and courses. Yet recent statistics have revealed a disturbing trend in the retention rates of minority ethnic trainees on its primary ITT courses. A lower percentage of these trainees succeed in completing their courses than of their peers in the majority ethnic group. Tutors set out to track and research the experiences of these trainees on the primary courses to identify any features of the courses that might be contributing to the results.