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Course summary

This PGCE course prepares you to teach children in either the 3 to 7 age range or 5-11 age phase. It is a very practical course with around two thirds of the time spent on placement in schools or Early Years settings, and around one third spent engaging in partnership training with the university. This route provides you with the skills to teach your chosen age range, integrating theory and practice and combining study at either postgraduate or professional level alongside practical training to enable you to meet the Teachers’ Standards by the end of the course. Our ITE Curriculum is underpinned by the Initial Teacher Training Core Content Framework to ensure you are well prepared to teach during your placements and to prepare you for your future career in the classroom.

This full-time, one-year course includes time spent on placement in schools or Early Years settings, and sessions at the university with a strong focus on integrating theory and practice. At least 120 days will be based in a placement school or setting. Placements are carefully structured to ensure the gradual development of your confidence as an effective teacher through building up experiences working with university-based mentors and school/setting-based mentors. It is an integrated academic and professional preparation for teaching, combining study at either postgraduate or professional level with practical training to meet the Teachers’ Standards by the end of the course. The goal is that you should become a reflective practitioner – a teacher who thinks about their experiences and learns from them in order to improve their practice.

The focus of this course is on teaching and learning to support children, and on the importance of your professional role. You will carry out a series of study tasks which link theory to practice and provide a focus for reflection. You will be supported in your learning by university tutors, school/setting-based mentors and your peers. Practical teaching is introduced gradually, allowing you to build confidence and skills in a structured way.

There is a strong emphasis on linking theory and practice, with the academic modules supporting you in developing your practice. All placements form an integral part of the course, leading to a recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) by the end of your training. At Bishop Grosseteste University, our PGCE programme is underpinned by an ambitious curriculum, carefully

sequenced to provide you with the knowledge and skills for you to be successful in your training. There are also opportunities for enrichment experiences to develop your breadth of experience in different schools and settings.

Assessment

We offer a mix of lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical workshops, independent study and school/setting-based training. Assessments include written assignments that support your analysis and reflection of theory and practice.