Primary Education Progression Route PEPR

1. Primary Education Progression RoutePEPR FAQs

2. Entry Requirements • Experience working with children in an educational setting • Maths, English and science GCSE grade C or equivalent • 240 HE credits in a relevant area • To be working with children in an educational setting • To have the support of a senior manager in the setting where you work

3. Duration and Start Dates • This is a two year part-time programme • Taught days are one day a week during term time • Currently Wednesdays at Chatham • Start dates are April at Chatham

4. Professional Placement • You will spend blocks of time on professional placement • These will be full-time and between 4 and 8 weeks in duration • Some of this professional placement may be in the setting where you work • Some time MUST be in a different setting

5. What qualification will I have at the end of the programme? • This programme gives you 120 Level 3 credits • Therefore, when added to your starting HE credits, you will have an honours degree in Primary Education and also recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) • You will also still have your Foundation Degree or other starting qualification

6. What does recommendation for QTS mean? • All teacher training results in recommendation for QTS as you must teach for a full year (or equivalent if part-time) as a Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) before QTS is confirmed by the General Teaching Council (GTC) • Confirmation of QTS is managed by your employing school

7. What age range will I be qualified to teach? • You can choose to train for the 3-7 age range (Foundation Stage and Key Stage One) • Or the 5-11 age range (Key Stages One and Two) • Your professional placements will be in the key stages for which you wish to train.

8. I haven’t got Maths or Science GCSE can I still join the programme? • The TDA require that you have GCSEs grade C or equivalent in maths, science and English. • We offer an ‘equivalency test’ in Maths, Science and English which is recognised by the TDA for teaching

9. When can I sit the equivalency test? • Once you have been interviewed and accepted onto the programme you will be offered a place conditional on the equivalency test. • Admissions will then arrange for you to sit the test at the Canterbury Campus before the programme begins. • A small fee is payable for administering the test. • You should indicate on your application form if you wish to sit any of the equivalency tests

10. What are the money issues? • Fees are payable and will be approximately £650 per academic year. These can be paid monthly by direct debit. • LEA grants which cover the cost of fees are available which are assessed on household income. • Whilst you are undertaking full-time professional placement your school may not pay you as you will not be able to fulfil your usual role. • You should discuss this with the head teacher before starting the programme.

11. I currently work in a mainstream secondary school – can I join this programme? • Yes – but all your placement time must be spent in primary schools • QTS, when granted, is not age specific – but the training programme you will undertake is geared towards teaching Foundation Stage and Key Stages 1 and 2 • Some secondary schools may consider employing you to work with SEN children in Key Stage 3 if you have primary training.

12. Can I do professional placement in my own school? • Probably – but how much and at what point in the programme depends on the kind of school you are in, your previous and current experience and how well you do on your first professional placement. • You can undertake the first and final placements in a different school OR the placements in the second year of the programme

13. How much time do I have to spend on professional placement? • The maximum amount of time is 24 weeks spread out over two years. • You can use APEL (accreditation of prior experience and learning) to reduce this to 16 weeks over two years. • Some time must be spent in a second school setting – a maximum of 12 weeks in the second year of the programme. • If you have lots of experience working in other schools you may use APEL to reduce the amount of time in a second school.

14. Accreditation of Prior Experience and Learning (APEL) • It is possible to reduce the amount of time required on professional placement and also to reduce the amount of time required in a second setting. • An application for APEL to allow this is made after a successful first placement • This claim will be based on previous experience in a teaching role and/or in other primary school settings

15. Professional Practice • There are different models for the pattern of placements. • Either • Term 1 – 4 week block school A • Term 3 – 4- 8 week block school A (can be taken as a 6 week block and 10 ‘serial’ days) • Term 5 – 8 days - 4 week block school B (research focus) • Term 6 – 6 - 8 week block school B School A could be the setting where you work if it is a mainstream primary school which caters for the age range you wish to train to teach. Or….

16. Professional Placement • Term 1 – 4 week block school B • Term 3 – 4 - 8 week block school A (can be taken as a 6 week block and 10 ‘serial’ days) • Term 5 – 8 days - 4 week block school A (research focus) • Term 6 – 6 - 8 week block school B/C School A could be the setting where you work if you are teaching the Primary National Curriculum to the children with whom you work. This is the route for any students in Independent or Special Schools • An application for APEL to allow a reduction time spent in school is made after a successful first placement

17. Accreditation of Previous Experience and Learning (APEL) • The minimum time on placement following a claim for APEL is: • Term 1 – 4 weeks • Term 3 – 4 weeks • Term 5 – 8 days • Term 6 – 6 weeks

18. Placement Abroad • It may be possible to spend a week abroad as part of your placement in Term 5. • This would form the basis of your research project. • We have links with France, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Spain and elsewhere in the EU on a funded basis • There are also links with the US and elsewhere which can be self-funded

19. I work in an independent/special school. Can I undertake placement in my own school? • Yes, but only if: • The school follows the National Curriculum • The school caters for the appropriate Key Stage. • You have a successful first placement (which MUST be in an LEA primary school) • The final placement in the last term of the programme must also be in an LEA primary school. (6-8 weeks in length)

20. The next slide gives an example of how professional placement may be tailored to meet individual needs through the APEL process.

21. Jenny works in a Special School • Jenny undertakes her first 4 week placement in a Reception class in a mainstream school. • She does well on this placement and claims APEL. • She then spends the next 4 weeks of placement (reduced from 8 weeks) in her own school (teaching a KS1 curriculum to KS3 and 4 children) as well as a further research-based 8 days (reduced from 4 weeks) • Her final placement (reduced to 6 weeks from 8) is back in the mainstream school in which she did her first placement – this time in her preferred Key Stage: Key Stage 1.

22. Finding a school… • Our Partnership Office will find a suitable school for any placement time you need to do in a school other than your own • We take into account travel time and any family or other commitments • You will be asked to suggest some possible schools which the Partnership Office will contact on your behalf • It may be possible to swap schools with another student on the programme.

23. How much teaching do I have to do when I am on placement? • You will start by observing the teacher and working with small groups. • By the end of the first placement you will be planning independently and teaching for about 50% of the time • For subsequent placements you will build up to an 80% timetable.

24. Do I have to do all the planning by myself? • There is a gradual build up to independent planning and this is supported by taught sessions at the university. • You will start by using the teacher’s plans then move on to planning with the teacher and finally plan by yourself. • In your final placement you will be doing almost all the planning by yourself.

25. What support will I get on placement? • You will have a teacher in the school who acts as your mentor. He or she will support you with weekly meetings and by observing you teach. • You will be assigned a link tutor, who is a university tutor, who will visit you during your school placement and observe your teaching.

26. How is Professional placement assessed? • Through the school experience file, which contains a record of your placement, lesson plans, assessment records etc. • Through observations of your teaching by school mentors and link tutors • The mentor fills in a final report which tracks your progress against the standards. • You need to demonstrate that you have met all the standards by the end of the final placement.

27. I am a TA in the school – what will happen when I am on professional placement? • You will have to be released from your usual role for the duration of the professional placement. • You need to be sure that Head Teachers are clear how this will be managed – it is the school’s responsibility.

28. I am working as an unqualified teacher. Will that cause any problems? • Not necessarily – you will need to undertake some professional placement in another school and some in a different class from that in which you normally teach. Your Head Teacher will need to be clear that they can facilitate this. • You can claim APEL to reduce the amount of time spent on professional placement and the amount of time spent in another school

29. Skills Tests • In order to gain qualified teacher status you need to pass skills tests in maths, English and ICT • You will be able to undertake these tests at any point in the programme and can sit them more than once if you are unsuccessful at first

30. Taught sessions • There are two taught courses: Professional Studies and The Curriculum • The Professional Studies course will develop your understanding of children’s learning and development and how this links to effective classroom practice • Sessions include: assessment, planning, behaviour for learning, inclusion, Every Child Matters, creativity and using the outside environment

31. Taught sessions • The Curriculum course includes input on core and foundation subjects with an emphasis on creative and cross-curricular learning and teaching

32. Assignments Assignments are as follows: • An essay reflecting on the cross-curricular teaching undertaken on the first professional placement • An essay reflecting on behaviour management strategies used in schools • A timed essay related to assessment for learning • A presentation and essay about teaching in one foundation subject • A research assignment – based on an investigation undertaken on placement • A presentation about your learning and development in an aspect of a core subject.

33. Award of Credit • 40 credits are awarded for each of the Professional Studies and Curriculum Courses • 40 credits are awarded on successful completion of professional placement • An average of your grades on the Professional Studies and Curriculum courses gives your final degree classification.

34. Any other questions? • Contact me on: • rebecca.austin@canterbury.ac.uk • 01227 782128 • Rebecca Austin • Programme Director