Please note
Awarding Institution
Final Award
Teaching Institution
School
Department
Subject Benchmark Statement
Date of Programme Specification Approval
Version Number
Educational Aims of the Course
Course Offering(s)
Full Time
Full Time - September
Learning Outcomes
Course Structure
Honours Level
Masters Level
Teaching, Learning and Assessment
Support for Students and their Learning
- The course begins with an induction programme, which includes an overview of the course; an introduction to study skills; an introduction to academic writing skills, and expectations regarding academic conduct; an introduction to the University VLE, a guide to Computing and Library Services and an introduction to Student Services. It will also include an explanation of the electronic portfolio (PDP), an introduction to the modules, staffing, facilities and resources. Trainees will also be introduced to the Teacher Unions, professional expectations and Safeguarding.
- Trainees will be provided with a Course Handbook containing information about University facilities, course organisation, assessment regulations, and advice on the presentation of assignments.
- Trainees will be allocated a Personal Academic Tutor who will offer pastoral support, and academic counselling and guidance, maintain an overview of academic progress, maintain an overview of issues which may lead to a claim for extenuating circumstances, coordinate the preparation of references, and refer the trainee to other University support mechanisms as appropriate.
- Module tutors provide academic advice and support to trainees on issues relating to the modules that they teach. Trainees will also be able to access advice from the Library and module tutors on correct forms of referencing using the University preferred system.
- Throughout the course, trainees will have access to email and 1-1 tutorial support from both module tutors and Personal Academic Tutors.
- Clear guidelines for the planning and presentation of assessed work including planning frameworks, writing frames, recommended reading and clear criteria for assessment are provided for all assignments in module handbooks.
- Reasonable adjustments are made to course assessment processes to enable trainees with additional needs to have equality of opportunity in line with the Equality Act, 2010. Depending on the nature of the disability, these may include for example, the submission of a full draft for all module assignments and regular individual tutorials to support the trainee through each module assignment.
Supporting trainees during school led training
Trainees will be supported in schools by a Subject Mentor and Professional Mentor. These in turn are supported by the University course team and for School Direct trainees, the School Direct Lead Tutor.
Professional Mentor
The Professional Mentor has overall responsibility for organising and managing the placement. They will provide an induction to the school, support Subject Mentors in their coaching and mentoring role, monitor the trainees’ experience in the school, provide pastoral and professional support to the trainee and liaise with the University tutor and School Direct Programme Manager to monitor and support the trainees’ progress.
Subject Mentor
The Subject Mentor supports the trainee on a day to day basis, will support them as a beginning teacher, observe them weekly and provide feedback, identify targets for further development and keep the Professional Mentor informed of the trainee’s progress throughout the teaching placement.
The E-Portfolio (PDP)
The e-portfolio provides trainees with a means of recording and reflecting on their personal and professional development. The portfolio contains evidence of their progress towards meeting the Teachers’ Standards, records of the weekly mentor meeting, observations of their teaching, feedback from assignments, their developmental targets and progress reviews. The portfolio will be monitored by their Subject Mentor and the Personal Academic tutor.
Criteria for Admission
The entry requirements for all initial teacher training programmes have statutory force under The Education (School Teachers’ Qualifications) (England) Regulations 2003, and are outlined in the current Initial Teacher Training Criteria.
C1.1 All entrants have achieved a standard equivalent to a grade 4 in the GCSE examinations in English and Mathematics, and that all who intend to train to teach pupils aged 3-11 additionally have achieved a standard equivalent to a grade 4 in the GCSE examination in a science subject.
C1.2 All entrants hold a first degree of a United Kingdom higher education institution or equivalent qualification.
C1.3 All entrants, as part of the provider's selection procedures, have taken part in a rigorous selection process designed to assess their suitability to train to teach.
The Selection Process
The Admissions Tutor takes responsibility for recruitment to the Provider led programmes and works closely with Lead Schools to jointly recruit to the School Direct and Employment Based programmes. Interview procedures are agreed with each Lead School and roles and responsibilities are articulated in the Partnership Agreement.
Applicants will be shortlisted for interview based on their application, and are invited to attend at a school within the alliance for School led programmes and at the University for Provider led programmes. The interview process is rigorous and is designed to evaluate the applicants’ suitability to train to teach. Interview questions and activities are carefully designed to enable tutors to identify the future support needs of individual candidates in relation to subject knowledge and teaching experience.
Essential Criteria for Standard Entry
Qualifications
- An Honours degree with a classification of 2:2 or above, with at least 50% relevant content in the subject in which they want to train to teach.
- GCSE English and Maths at grade 4 or above, or grade C or above if awarded under the previous GCSE grading scheme; or equivalent.
Other requirements
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively, and that they have the intellectual and academic potential to meet the required Teacher Apprenticeship/Teachers’ Standards by the end of the programme.
- For those with English as an additional language, IELTs 7.0 with no less than 6.5 in all elements.
- Two references; where applicants have current or recent experience working with children or young people, one of the referees should be a member of staff who can comment on their potential to train to teach.
- Offers are subject to satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced disclosure checks and applicants must not previously have been barred from teaching or working with children.
- Applicants are also asked to complete a health declaration.
Medical Fitness
Applicants for the full-time PGCE courses who are offered a conditional place are required to complete a confidential Declaration of Health questionnaire and in exceptional cases may be required to undergo a medical examination at their own expense before final acceptance. These procedures will be carried out under arrangement, approved by the University medical officer.
Criminal Records Screening
All applicants who are offered a place to this Course are screened by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) in accordance with the Department for Education guidelines prevailing at the time of entry.
Widening participation
The University of Huddersfield seeks and encourages applications from under-represented groups in order to widen participation, improve access and apply the principles of equal opportunities. Applicants with disabilities are under no obligation to declare their disabilities, but the University is committed to making the adjustments necessary to promote positively equality and access for disabled applicants. Applicants are encouraged to identify any special arrangements they may require.
General advice and information regarding disability and the support the University can give can be found by contacting student services as follows:
Telephone: 01484 472675
Email: disability@hud.ac.uk
Further information is available at their website at: http://www.hud.ac.uk/disability-services/
Methods for evaluating and improving the quality and standards of teaching and learning
The ITE programmes employ range of mechanisms for review and evaluation including:
- Course mid-point and end-point review by trainees
- Moderation by all tutors and partners involved in the assessment process
- Annual course evaluation scrutinised by the Annual Evaluation Committee
- Tutor and mentor joint observations
- Placement mid-point review
- Phase 1, 2 and 3 data analysis
- Placement joint review with Senior/Professional Mentors
- External Examiners’ reports
For School Direct and Employment Based programmes the University will identify a Lead Tutor who will be responsible for quality assurance of the programmes, working closely with the school based Programme Manager. Quality assurance procedures are detailed in the Partnership Agreement and include:
- monitoring of training and mentoring
- focus group discussions
- data analysis
- scrutiny of observation forms, weekly meeting records, interim and summative placement reports
- module and course evaluations
- internal and external moderation
Committees with responsibility for monitoring and evaluating quality and standards
- Student Panel
- School Direct Committee
- Partnership Development Group
- Course Committee
- Strategic ITE Board
- Course Assessment Board
- Annual Evaluation Committee
- School Board
- School Teaching and Learning Committee
- University Teaching and Learning Committee
- School Accreditation and Validation Panel
- University Accreditation and Validation Panel
- Subject review
Mechanisms for gaining trainee feedback on the quality of teaching and their learning experience
Feedback is obtained from trainees through course evaluation at the mid-point and at the end of each academic year. Student Panels provide another opportunity for trainee feedback. They are held twice during the academic year, and report to the Course Committee. Student members of the Course Committee represent the views of other trainees during Committee meetings. All trainees complete a questionnaire at the end of each placement as part of partnership quality assurance mechanisms.
Staff Development processes include:
Annual University staff appraisals
Peer observation of teaching
Training for School Based Tutors contributing to the School Direct programmes
Regular development meetings for Class Mentors and Senior Mentors
Staff are encouraged to attain appropriate higher degrees
Updating professional and IT computing developments
All staff are encouraged to attain HE Academy membership
Research and scholarly activity
Please note
University awards are regulated by the Regulations for Awards (Taught Courses) on the University website.
Quick links to the Regulations for Taught Students, procedures and forms can be accessed on the University website.
Indicators of Quality and Standards
This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities provided. More detailed information on the learning outcomes, content and teaching, learning and assessment methods of each module can be found in the modules guides and course handbook. The accuracy of the information contained in the document is reviewed by the University and may be checked by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.