Suffolk and Norfolk Secondary SCITT Science PGCE
 
What will our Science PGCE offer you?
 

Our Science programme has proven very successful for the fifteen years that we have been training Science teachers for secondary schools.

Our Science programme covers the skills and knowledge that are required to teach the three science subjects: Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

This breadth to our training will widen the opportunities for you to obtain a teaching role in a future school of your choice as in most schools, all three science subjects are taught at Key Stage 3 (11-14). Some schools do offer the opportunity to teach and specialise in a specific science subject at Key Stage 4 (14-16) and A Level but not all do.

Therefore, this programme will enable you to be prepared for any type of science teaching that you are required to teach once you start your teaching career.

As part of the PGCE element of this course you will write two assignments which are related to your specialism in science.

One assignment at Masters’ level is about the use of metacognition strategies in the teaching of your subject and the other Masters’ level assignment will involve a classroom research based focus in science.

 

What skills and knowledge will you learn?

On this programme, you will develop teaching skills needed for Science such as effective questioning, how to give feedback, modelling and dealing with misconceptions across all three science subjects.

You will be encouraged to engage with the materials from organisations such as the Royal Society of Chemistry, Institute of Physics and Royal Society for Chemistry and incorporate their resources into your lessons.

You will be shown how to conduct risk assessments for practical activities in your lessons. You will also learn how to conduct key practical activities and how you ensure that learning is taking place during the practical sessions too. 

How is the Science PGCE structured and who is involved?

Our Science programme is structured around (i) formal sessions from the SCITT Science Subject Tutors/trainers and (ii) the subject knowledge that you will receive from your school mentors who work alongside you in the classroom.

In your placement school with the guidance and support from your mentors, you will develop the subject knowledge needed to teach successfully in your placement schools.

In addition, you will have seven Science SCITT Subject Knowledge days which are led by a range of subject specialists and excellent classroom practitioners who are teaching in our partnership schools.

You will also be assigned a Science SCITT Tutor who will work closely with you. They will observe you teach at least four times during the year. They are specialists so their understanding of teaching the Science curriculum is comprehensive.
 
These visits by your Science SCITT Tutor will be in addition to the school visits/ lessons observations that you will also receive from a SCITT Personal Tutor.
 
All visits by any SCITT Tutor provide support and feedback that helps you in your development to become a successful trainee and newly qualified teacher. No lessons are graded, and all feedback is given in a personalised manner.
 
How will you be assessed?
At the end of each term, there is an Assessment Point where you will be observed by your Science SCITT Tutor then discussions will be had with your mentor and other colleagues in your placement school regarding your progress to that point.
 
You must pass that Assessment Point in order to continue onto the next term of the programme, but the decision is not made on that one lesson observation.
 
Your progress is assessed against the Teachers’ Standards across the term and the quality of your teaching; your completion of your portfolio; your engagement with the subject studies and professional studies programmes; your ability to act on feedback and your professionalism in schools with colleagues and students are all looked at as part of that Assessment Point.
 
Applying for a scholarship
Please note that if you are wishing to teach Physics or Chemistry then you are able to apply for a scholarship to support your training and they are awarded instead of a bursary.
More information can be found here and applications need to be made directly to the scholarship body.
Note that the closing deadlines for applications for a scholarship are from 1st June onwards.
 
Our Science PGCE Programme is designed so you can learn how to become a member of the teaching profession, not a teacher in one school.