Teacher Apprenticeships involve both work-integrated learning in paid employment and academic study. The Education and Skills Funding Agency specify that at least 20% of the apprenticeship must involve ‘off the job’ learning. The programme will be taught using a blended learning approach. The 20% off the job training will include:

An induction to academic study at the University.
Face-to-Face training in 3 intensive study weeks, and at least 3 half-day observation visits to school by University tutors.
Online training, including tutorials, guided learning activities, webinars, directed tasks and assignments, amounting to 5 study hours per week.
Weekly 1-1 coaching with the school based mentor, including a formal observation and feedback, professional discussion and identification of professional development targets for the following week.

‘Off the job’ training will be outlined in the Commitment Statement and monitored through the Training Plan and the Record of Progress form (completed during the mentor meeting) which will be uploaded weekly to the online portfolio.

Throughout the University and school based elements of the training programme, learners are encouraged to engage with current educational research as part their professional formation as teachers. Assignments require them to analyse and review current literature and to engage in action research through guided and independent critical reflective practice focused on the impact of their work on pupils’ progress and engagement.

The teaching and learning strategies employed will be structured to develop apprentices’ ability to:

reflect on a range of current educational issues
critically analyse research findings and challenge accepted theoretical frameworks
evaluate practical situations and find solutions to problems
develop reasoned arguments and communicate their ideas and opinions to a variety of audiences for a range of purposes
select and implement different approaches to teaching and learning based on analysis of the context and through informed judgement.

Methods of Delivery

Guided online study

This will be used to present key concepts and theories and to introduce new topics. Activities will provide frameworks for later discussion and may include reflective tasks, reading, videos, webinars etc.

Online tutorials

These provide individuals and small groups of learners with opportunities for discussion with each other and the University tutor. They enable apprentices to explore subject based and practical aspects of teaching and learning. They provide opportunities to develop teaching skills and to extend understanding of the rationale behind a variety of teaching approaches.

Directed tasks

These will include:

Practical school-based activities necessitating observation; data collection; and interpretation of findings; to support apprentices to develop their understanding of classroom interactions and the teacher’s role
Activities aimed at developing personal subject knowledge within specific primary subject areas
Reading and engagement with current educational research designed to develop and deepen understanding of theory into practice.

School Based Learning

Apprentices will plan lessons, teach whole classes, groups and individual learners and assess pupils’ learning. All apprentices are required to evaluate their progress on a weekly basis and periodically during each teaching placement. This process of reflection will be supported through weekly observations of their teaching and feedback provided by school based mentors

Assessment

The summative assessments for the PGCE (Teacher Apprenticeship) are designed to require intellectual rigour, the ability to integrate theory and practice, and the ability to communicate effectively. Assessment requirements are closely related to the core activities of a teacher and involve a range of tasks including planning, preparation and teaching, portfolio development, analysing the impact of their work on pupils’ learning, developing reflective practice and analysis of current policy and academic literature. All assignments provide evidence of the learners’ ability to meet the Teacher Apprenticeship/Teachers’ Standards.

The final grade for the Apprenticeship/Teachers’ Standards will be agreed between school based mentors and University tutors in relation to the grading criteria developed by the Secondary ITE Partnership. Once all the PGCE requirements have been met, and the learner has been recommended for Qualified Techer Status, they will meet the requirements for the end-point assessment gateway.

The gateway is triggered by the employer when they judge that gateway requirements have been met. The employer will select an End Point Assessment Organisation from the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s Register of Apprentice Assessment Organisations. The independent assessor must not be involved in any on-programme training, development or on-programme review/assessment of the apprentice, nor can they be the apprentice’s employer.

The end-point assessment is in two parts, comprising:

A taught lesson observed and assessed by the independent assessor. The apprentice will produce a lesson plan, according to the employer’s format, which will be given to the independent assessor prior to the lesson observation. A short professional dialogue about the observed lesson will follow this.
A professional discussion which will assess the apprentice’s knowledge, skills and behaviours with regard to the Teachers Standards. The professional discussion will be held between the apprentice and a panel composed of the independent assessor, a representative from the apprenticeship training provider and a representative from the employer who has been involved in the apprentice’s training and development such as the professional mentor or subject mentor. The Independent Assessor will assess the content of the professional discussion. The apprentice should bring with them the e-portfolio completed during the initial teacher training. The portfolio will not be assessed, but will provide the apprentice with an aid to support the professional discussion.

Once the gateway has been reached, the end-point point assessment must be completed within three months. The assessment organisation decides when the assessment is to occur, with the exact data and timing of the assessment to be agreed between the apprentice and the assessment organisation. The assessment will take place in the educational setting in which the training/employment has taken place or at another place of employment (an alternative educational setting). The employer will facilitate the taking of the end-point assessment.

The apprentice is permitted to retake the end-point assessment after 1 month and within 6 months of a failed end-point assessment, but not after 6 months (unless the apprentice is deferred due to sickness or maternity leave, which is to be determined by the assessment organisation). The apprentice is permitted to re-take the fail comment(s) of end-point assessment once within the permitted timeframe.