• Increase the supply of appropriately trained, suitably qualified and inspirational teachers in Worcestershire secondary schools
• Exploit the potential of school led training with strong mentor and expert colleague support, linked to in-depth knowledge of relevant core framework and exceptionally well-developed practical teaching experiences across the key stages.
• Provide access to outstanding quality training and professional development for potential teachers
• Enable trainees to achieve recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status and the opportunity to gain the award of Post Graduate Certificate in Education at Masters level.

Participants who complete successfully all the requisite components of this programme will demonstrate:

• Outstanding professional attributes, knowledge and understanding and professional skills in teaching.
• Secure and detailed subject knowledge of the Curriculum, other national guidance documents and engage in critical debate about current educational issues, research and practice
• Professional reflexivity in their approach to learning
• Personal capacity to acquire, review and extend as needed, their subject knowledge and professional knowledge and skills to secure learning for all pupils
• High expectations, respect and commitment for the learners in their care working with school policy and practices providing a critical analysis of frameworks for the classroom management and justify strategies for provision in the appropriate phase of education
• Effective use of IT as a teaching and learning tool
• Well developed ability to critically analyse, reflect and evaluate theory/policy linked to practice to implement improvements and engage effectively in professional debate and use the outcomes to develop as an autonomous professional
• Ability to motivate, inspire and challenge learners
• Evaluate critically the principles of monitoring and assessment and apply them effectively within the learning and teaching context to support individual learning
• Initiative to take personal responsibility for their own professional development by synthesising practice and theory to enhance own practice.

The course focuses, during the early stages, on the acquisition of a repertoire of basic classroom management competencies to develop the confidence of trainees to work with pupils inside and outside the classroom. There is progressive introduction both to theoretical ideas that underpin professional practice and to the various dimensions of the professional debate. Trainees receive extended and focused support and tuition in their specialised subject.

Throughout, our curriculum has a particular focus on:

• High expectations
• Managing behaviour
• How children learn
• Classroom practice
• Adaptive teaching
• Subject and curriculum
• Assessment
• Professional behaviours

These sessions provide the knowledge base for trainees and address ethical issues. Theory based studies include the following: lectures, discussions, activities, seminars, discussions with professionals, assignments and tasks to ensure the link between theory, subject knowledge and/or pedagogy and school based study. Assignments require trainees to undertake subject related reading. Some of these sessions take place in schools to enable trainees to work with the pupils. One example is at our special school, where theory is linked immediately to working with the pupils.

School based study

This method of teaching and learning enables trainees to test their knowledge and skills within the school setting. These skills are developed throughout the course by the following: observations of good practice, school training, teaching, observations and feedback from school based expert colleagues and professional tutors, school based tasks and discussions with professional colleagues.

Trainees are actively encouraged to undertake personal study. Skills addressed include self-evaluations, working within a group and autonomy. Trainees write a Reflective Journal to develop those skills of critical reflection an attribute towards the making of an outstanding teacher. Trainees develop their own knowledge through reading and research for assignments.

By the effective combination of learning, practice and reflection, it is our aim that, by the end of the course, trainees become proficient and reflective classroom practitioners. They will have the confidence to start their teaching careers with a firm foundation for future development.

An introduction to issues relating to Child Development the National Curriculum, including planning teaching strategies, assessment for learning and cross-curriculum themes and dimensions.

Aspects of the broader educational debate including Child Protection and Principles of Safeguarding, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, Behaviour Management, Inclusion, Systematic Synthetic Phonics and English as an Additional Language.

To be awarded Qualified Teacher Status you will be required to provide evidence that you have met the Teachers’ Standards. The standards are grouped in nine sections:

• A teacher must set high expectations which inspire, motivate and challenge pupils
• A teacher must promote good progress and outcomes by pupils
• A teacher must demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge
• A teacher must plan and teach well structured lessons
• A teacher must adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils
• A teacher must make accurate and productive use of assessment
• A teacher must manage behaviour effectively to ensure a good and safe learning environment
• A teacher must fulfil wider professional responsibilities

You will have formative assessments throughout the course following our curriculum. At the conclusion of the course you will be summativly assessed against the Teachers’ Standards. For the PGCE, Trainees need to pass three written assignments. There is a fantastic University library facility with the use of academic journals. There is a  a weekly individual tutorial with the class mentor to discuss the classroom practices and to reflect on your weekly progress.

• Through observation of lessons during school practices in mainstream and special schools
• Through examination of the trainee’s personal development portfolio, lesson plans and teaching files on the portal
• Through written assignments or assessment tasks
• There is a formal review of the trainee’s process at the end of each of the first two terms
• Trainees will receive early warning if their performance is likely to be judged ‘requires improvement’
• The final assessment towards the award of QTS takes place in the third term and takes into account the evidence provided by the previous reviews

The answer is No.

Trainees will spend a considerable amount of time in the early weeks on structured observation. There will be a phased introduction to small group teaching, part lesson teaching and full lesson teaching, all under the direct supervision of a trained and experienced mentor. There are several aspects that make the course offered different from most other courses:

• Head teachers are responsible for the course, its management and organisation
• It is designed and delivered by schools working in collaboration with experienced teacher trainers
• There is practical classroom experience throughout the course

Trainees spend time in lectures and then a week or two later apply that theory learnt into practice in a school, where they are involved in the day to day routine. This includes staff duties, staff meetings, parent evenings and school in-service programmes. Expectations of trainees are those applied to the teachers working in the school where the trainee is based.

Trainees are allocated trained and experienced mentors who are responsible for helping them to develop their classroom management skills and also to monitor and support their overall professional development.

On the successful completion of the three PCGE assignments  trainees are awarded a Post Graduate Certificate in Education.