Primary PGCE Teacher Apprenticeship (QTS)

Teaching

The Teacher Apprenticeship course enables all apprentices to become autonomous learners. The course is designed to support apprentices of varying experiences, needs and background; to develop key/transferable skills and to disseminate good practice in learning and teaching. To achieve this we closely monitor the quality of your experience while training.

You are taught through a combination of:

• School experience in your employing school and an alternative setting
• Studying all areas of learning and teaching across all EYFS and Primary National Curriculum subjects
• Tutor-led workshops, lectures, seminars, fieldwork and guest lectures, primarily to introduce underpinning knowledge, theoretical argument, practical skills, central issues, key texts and inter-professional fields of study
• Participation in high level professional discussion, peer presentations and debate, to encourage you to actively engage with and critically challenge the field
• Directed studies and problem-solving tasks provide opportunities to develop approaches that will deepen levels of understanding and professional judgement; development of practice-based competence and skills of critical reflection through guided individual mentoring during placements
• One-to-one academic and personal tutorial support including access to our first class Firstpoint services

In addition, there are regular opportunities throughout the year to meet with your personal tutor, where you will have the opportunity to talk about your academic progress, school experience, support with careers and applications.

Contact time

As an employee, you will be expected to attend school during term time and on training days, as agreed by the school, to ensure you are compliant with the requirements of the QTS qualification.

In a typical week you will spend 20% of your time engaged in ‘off the job’ training.

Typically contact time during ‘off the job’ training will be structured around:

• Seminars
• Discussions
• Group work
• Lectures when appropriate e.g. visiting speakers
• Practical tasks
• Research tasks

Independent self-study

In addition to the contact time and your off the job hours you are expected to undertake around 9 hours of personal study time per week. Typically, this will involve researching areas of teaching and learning related to areas of the National Curriculum, SENDI, EAL and other key areas of interest relating to the primary setting as well as working on individual and group projects and preparing assignments (if opting for the PGCE credit bearing route).

Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including the Hive and library resources, the virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources.

Location of teaching

The Teacher Apprenticeship programme will normally be delivered in person with some asynchronous learning (learning at your own pace) and online synchronous sessions (engaging in real time). In person teaching will be held in the St. John’s campus at the University of Worcester. If you apply through a regional training hub, some in person taught sessions will also be delivered at your regional training hub.

Duration

As an apprentice you will train for a minimum of 12 months to gain QTS status. This will be followed by up to 3 months for the End Point Assessment (EPA).

Timetables

Timetables are normally available one month before registration. Please note that whilst we try to be as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week.

Teaching staff

You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. The team includes senior academics and school practitioners with expert knowledge and experience. You can learn more about the staff by visiting our staff profiles.

Assessment

The course provides opportunities to test understanding and learning informally through the completion of subject audits, formative assessments, tasks completed during lectures and enhancement activities.

For those teacher apprentices opting to study for a PGCE with 60 credits at Masters level, assessment methods will include an assignment for both Level 7 modules, the Developing Teacher and the Learning Child.

Those teacher apprentices opting for QTS only will be required to complete a reflective commentary at Level 6 showing how engagement with the programme has impacted on their teaching.

While in school, you are formatively assessed against our University of Worcester Curriculum. You will work with school colleagues alongside University tutors to complete reflections and activities in school to support your formative assessment. This will build towards your assessment against the Teachers’ Standards at the end of your course.

On successful completion of QTS, you will be recommended for your End Point Assessment to gain your Apprenticeship qualification.

Throughout your course, you will be supported to prepare for your transition into your early career teacher years through the Career Entry Profile, as part of your Continuing Professional Development.

Feedback

You will receive feedback on practice assessments and on formal assessments Feedback is intended to support learning and you are encouraged to discuss it with personal academic tutors and module tutors as appropriate.

We will provide you with feedback on formal course work assessments within 20 working days of hand-in.