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Taught Strands

The PGCE Primary covers the following three taught strands:

Professional Studies Strand

• The Professional Strand of the PGCE course provides generic foundations for you as a future Primary teacher. It will support your development as a skilful practitioner by helping you to understand and engage with the complexities of teaching. You will cover a range of important elements including planning, teaching, learning, assessment and classroom management, according to the Teachers’ Standards. The sessions are designed to help you develop pedagogical understanding through critical discussion and reflection on classroom action. You will also develop an understanding of the role of teachers and their wider professional responsibilities.

Curriculum Strand

• Whilst there is an emphasis on teaching Maths and English, PGCE Primary teaching sessions cover the full range of the Primary National Curriculum and the equivalent strands of the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum Guidance. Sessions may focus on a single subject area or involve cross-curricular or thematic approaches currently adopted in many schools. Some curriculum work will take place through Focus Days in schools.

Specialist Studies Strand

An engagement with research is an important element of developing as a critically reflective classroom practitioner; the sessions in this strand will introduce you to a range of theoretical ideas about learning and teaching and their implications for practice. This strand is also designed to help you develop skills related to professional inquiry and will show you how to carry out small scale studies in your placement classrooms which can then be written up for your two assignments. A significant element of the strand is undertaking a specialist study which includes taught sessions at the University combined with a small project in the spring term school placement. During the autumn term you will select your area for specialist study from options which may include:

• English

• Inclusion

• Mathematics

• Science

• Early years

School Placements

• During the PGCE, you will be placed in three contrasting Partnership schools. We are proud to work with over 200 primary schools in the state and independent sectors, and in city, suburban and rural settings, as well as special schools.

• Primary students (specialising in the 5-11 age range) are placed in a range of KS1 and KS2 classes, and Lower Primary students (specialising in the 3-7 age range) work in Key Stage 1 and Foundation Stage settings. In addition to the three block teaching placements you will also visit different schools as part of a series of 'focus days', studying specific subject and professional topics in an intensive school-based context.

• The school-based time is a vitally important element of the course. You will have the opportunity to observe skilled class teachers working and to discuss the things that underpin day-to-day classroom activities, as well as work alongside experienced teacher-mentors who will support your learning about classroom practice.

Teaching Experience 1

• This is a six-week paired placement with two students working together in one class. This gives you the opportunity to work with a partner to develop classroom skills in a supportive environment. You will focus on developing observation skills to support your understanding of teaching and learning and to put your learning into practice. During this Autumn Term placement you and your partner will work towards taking an increased responsibility for teaching the class.

Teaching Experience 2

• This takes place in the Spring Term and lasts for six weeks. The amount of time spent teaching the class increases over the placement until you have responsibility for up to 80% of the timetable.

Teaching Experience 3

• This is an eight-week placement in the Summer Term with students working towards taking responsibility for 80% of the teaching timetable.

• Throughout each of these placements you will be encouraged to participate fully in the life of the school and to take full advantage of the tasks and activities designed by your tutors to support your development. It is expected that through your three placements you will gain experience across the age range that you are training to teach.

Your placement schools will be decided by your personal tutor following discussions about your professional development needs.