What is the Primary Tuition PGCE ?
- Our programme is a school centred teacher training course which awards successful trainees with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) with 60 Masters credits
- We have been training teachers across Suffolk and Norfolk for over twenty years and work with over 300 partnership schools. This experience and close working with schools ensures our training fully prepares each trainee to enter the teaching profession. Our employment rate for our successful trainees is between 90-100% in local primary schools. Our trainees also gain jobs in other parts of the country and abroad
- This is a student based route so you are not employed by the school. You begin by observing experienced teachers, then move on to teaching parts of lessons and full lessons but always with your mentor's support. This means you are at the very centre of a personalised learning journey.
What can we offer you as a trainee?
- As a trainee on this programme, you will undertake three extended placements in two contrasting schools to ensure a range and depth of experience. As we work closely with schools across Suffolk and Norfolk, your placement school will be no more than 45 minutes travel time and often will be closer. You can specialise in Early Years, Primary or SEND. As an Early Years trainee, you undertake placements in
Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. In Primary your placements are in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. With the SEND specialism you still complete two placements in a mainstream setting and your third placement would be in a special setting. - Whilst you are on placement you are supported by a SCITT Personal Tutor and a mentor who is usually the class teacher. They will help you become highly reflective and analytical of your own practice. Personal Tutors are in regular weekly contact and are your advocate throughout a challenging year, helping you develop resilience and self-awareness. All mentors receive training in how to be highly supportive, whilst also challenging you to become the best possible teacher you can be.
- Your central training is provided by trainers who are experts in their field, many of whom are practising teachers. You will have around 55 days of training and strong links are made between the sessions and your time in school. We use three training centres for Professional Studies and Subject Knowledge training. Currently, these training centres are at: University of Suffolk, Ipswich, Thorpe High School, Norwich and Bungay Primary School. You will have sessions focused on lesson planning, assessment, behaviour management and SEND along with all the National Curriculum subjects and more layered throughout the training year.
- We value the importance of you building networks with each other and in the profession so during your training year, we will ensure that you have the opportunity to build strong support networks with other trainees and have access to visiting educational speakers.
How do you obtain your Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)?
- We are in partnership with the University of Suffolk and the university validates and monitors our PGCE programme and has done so for over six years. The PGCE elements of the programme are integral to the existing Core Training sessions and there is no extra cost. You will be expected to complete two assignments and a presentation to gain your PGCE and 60 Master credits during your training year. We will fully support you in writing your Masters’ levels assignments. The assignments take a practitioner approach towards your learning at Masters’ level. You will be asked to write assignments which are based on your classroom practice and encourage you to engage with small scale practitioner research. You will be enrolled as a student with the University of Suffolk so will have access to their full range of library resources and other student support services.
- The University of Suffolk has created a Masters course in Education Studies which you can complete at a later stage in your teaching career as the 60 Masters’ credits you gain on our programme count towards the 180 credits which are needed for a full Masters’ degree.
- More details about the University of Suffolk Masters’ in Education Studies can be found here
Supporting your continuous professional learning
- We also encourage all of our trainees to become members of the Chartered College
of Teaching which is the professional body for teachers. Membership to the Chartered College of Teaching is free for trainee teachers and we will introduce you to how to become a member at induction at the end of August - All of our training is aimed at ensuring that you have the skills and knowledge to start
in your teaching career in any future school of your choice - Our aim is for you to become a member of the teaching profession, not a teacher in one school.