Primary/Early Years (3-7) School-Led PGCE with QTS

Common strands explored throughout the programme and within the context of this module include commitments to inclusivity in all its forms; safeguarding and wellbeing of children; promoting a positive classroom environment conducive to engagement and respecting diversity; and building curricula and sequences of lessons designed to ensure the progression of all.  Alongside this and in common with other modules, ATs will be supported to prioritise their own wellbeing, achieve a sustainable work-life balance while managing their initiation into professional communities of practice.

Associate Teachers (ATs) will develop an understanding of the nature and aims of the National Curriculum and/or Early Years Foundation Phase depending on the age-phase in which they are training to teach.  They will consider these documents in relation to breadth, balance and ambition and how pupils and children can be supported to make links between subjects, disciplines and associated areas of learning to ensure that the curriculum is greater than the sum of its parts.  ATs will cover important elements of the legislative and statutory framework relevant to teaching, education and the professional responsibilities (e.g. safeguarding, the SEND Code of Practice, the promotion of Fundamental British Values, the Equality Act etc.).  ATs will also cover important aspects of inclusion, the definitions and categories of different pupil needs, including the 4 categories (social, emotional and mental health, sensory and/or physical, communication and interaction, cognition and learning).  Through guided observation, ATs will develop knowledge of how to generate motivation, autonomy, mutual respect and positive relationships with staff and pupils of all kinds and how important a consistent whole-school/institution-wide approach to managing children and pupils' behaviour is to this.  ATs will be expected to demonstrate principles of professionalism and professional behaviours of teachers along with the importance of reading policies, following them and taking appropriate advice and initiative.  ATs will observe and develop their knowledge of the teaching of citizenship and PSHE where relevant and their relationship to the notion of a healthy and socially responsible school/institutional community as well as the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils and children.  ATs will be supported to manage their workload to ensure there is a productive work/life balance and that proportionate amounts of time are set out for planning, teaching and assessment activities - and recognise the importance of their contribution to the wider life of the school/institution.  Through the guided observation of experts, ATs will develop how to communicate with lay stakeholders, parents, and carers and others in promoting professional cooperation and the engagement of pupils.

Associate Teachers (ATs) will be supported to manage their own progress in developing and extending their knowledge and understanding of inclusion in all its forms, the promotion of a positive classroom environment which maximises learning and respects safeguarding and the dignity and diversity of all pupils.  They will also be supported to consistently and confidently plan sequences of lessons which enable the progression of all pupils and engage with colleagues in mutual enquiries to develop the curriculum.  ATs will develop their understanding of the nature and aims of the National Curriculum and/or Early Years Foundation Phase depending on the age-phase in which they are training to teach.  They will consider the practical implications of these documents in relation to breadth, balance and ambition and how pupils and children can be supported to make links between subjects, disciplines and associated areas of learning to ensure that the curriculum is greater than the sum of its parts.  ATs will further develop their understanding of statutory frameworks and legislation in relation to safeguarding, Special Educational Needs, Fundamental British Values etc.  ATs will develop their understanding of the different types of assessment that can be used with classes to ensure planning is responsive to pupils' and children's needs.  ATs will extend their knowledge of planning and particularly their understanding of how all pupils learn (in general and within specific subjects) and the range of concepts and theories which underpin it.  Also they will extend their knowledge of curricular planning and how coherent sequences of learning can promote learning for all pupils.  ATs will extend their knowledge of how to generate motivation, autonomy, mutual respect and positive relationships with staff and pupils of all kinds and how important a consistent whole-school/institution-wide approach to managing children and pupils' behaviour is to this.  ATs will demonstrate consistently and confidently the principles of professionalism and professional behaviours of teachers along with the importance of reading policies, following them and taking appropriate advice and initiative.  ATs will extend their understanding of citizenship and PSHE where relevant and support a sustainable, healthy and socially responsible school/ institutional community as well as the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils and children.  ATs will manage their workload to sustain a productive work/life balance and that proportionate amounts of time are set out for planning, teaching and assessment activities while contributing to the wider life of the school/institution.  ATs will develop their confidence in communicating with lay stakeholders, parents, and carers and others in promoting professional cooperation and the engagement of pupils.

This module is underpinned by common strands explored across the programme as a whole.  Within the context of this module, this includes commitments to inclusivity in all its forms; safeguarding and wellbeing of children; promoting a positive classroom environment conducive to engagement and respecting diversity; and building curricula and sequences of lessons designed to ensure the progression of all.  Alongside this and in common with other modules, ATs will be supported to prioritise their own wellbeing, achieve a sustainable work-life balance while managing their initiation into professional communities of practice.

The module covers important legislative and statutory frameworks which teachers must know and understand (e.g. inter alia those governing safeguarding, SEND, the promotion of Fundamental British Values, the Equality Act etc).  Part and parcel with this are issues of race and gender identification, how teachers can promote good behaviour and a positive orientation to learning from pupils, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds or who have diverse needs.  The module also covers the nature and aims of the primary National Curriculum and Early Years Foundation Stage particularly with regard to ambition, and breadth and balance. The ATs will take a holistic view of the curriculum and explore how pupils can be supported to make links between different subjects, areas of learning and disciplines within the curriculum.  The ATs will be introduced to important principles of professionalism and professional behaviours of teachers along with establishing professional relationships with staff and pupils and the importance of reading policies and following them. ATs will be introduced to protocols of data security and for communicating with lay stakeholders, parents and carers in the support of children’s engagement.  The ATs will know and understand the nature and practice of inclusion in all its forms.  ATs will be introduced to Citizenship and PHSE and their relationship to the notion of a healthy and socially responsible school community as well as the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils, where appropriate.  ATs will also develop ways to understand how curriculum areas support pupils to develop literacy, reading, writing, oracy and an enjoyment of engaging with text.  ATs will develop their own ability to manage their workload, promptness and punctuality with tasks, resilience and wellbeing and be able to balance their work/life activities and see the value of contributing to the wider life of school.

This module explores the place and nature of English, mathematics and science as core subjects within the National Curriculum Programmes of Study for Key Stages 1 and 2, and as prime and specific areas (where appropriate) within the Early Years Foundation Stage. Associate Teachers begin with their own experiences and attitudes towards learning in these subject areas, and from here, explore how children learn English, mathematics and science, with links to appropriate learning theories. There is a fundamental emphasis on developing the Associate Teachers’ subject, curriculum and pedagogical knowledge so that they are best placed to plan engaging and creative lessons that support progression for all. Alongside this, Associate Teachers consider essential aspects such as behaviour and engagement; inclusive and adaptive practice (including supporting pupils with SEND and EAL); safeguarding and assessment. Strong links are made between this module and the school based learning modules where subject-specific tasks are set to support and enrich the Associate Teachers’ experiences.

NB: For the Early Years/Primary cohort, there will be a greater emphasis on teaching and learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. For the Primary cohort, there will be greater emphasis on teaching and learning in Key Stages 1 & 2.

Key foci for individual subjects: 

English:

• • Spoken English including standard English;
  • Reading: Systematic Synthetic phonics as the prime approach to teaching word-reading; reading comprehension;  reading for pleasure;
  • Writing: Transcription (spelling and handwriting), composition, vocabulary, grammar  and punctuation;
  • Drama conventions;

Mathematics:  

• • Number recognition and counting;
  • Place value;
  • Fractions and decimals;
  • Number operations;
  • Geometry;
  • Algebra;
  • Measure;
  • Handling Data.

 Science:

• • The nature of science and scientific enquiry
  • Materials and their Properties
  • Earth and Beyond
  • Forces
  • Sound
  • Light
  • Electricity
  • Life Processes

This module focuses on developing ATs’ domain-specific subject, curriculum and pedagogical knowledge for effective teaching in the Foundation subjects. Tools for subject knowledge auditing will enable ATs to initiate independent research to address gaps in their knowledge.  ATs will be given opportunities to articulate key theoretical concepts related to classroom practice and curriculum design and be able to relate them to Foundation subjects (e.g. scaffolding; using exemplars; analogy; multiple representations; demonstrations and explanations; modelling; working memory; long-term memory; cognitive load; engagement; sequencing; interleaving; interweaving; knowledge-rich; coherence; cumulativity; cultural capital; connectivity).  ATs will be introduced to the four categories of SEND (communication, cognitive, emotional, physical) and how these affect decision-making about teaching in the Foundation subjects.  An important focus of this module is to enable ATs to analyse and evaluate inclusive approaches to teaching and differentiation in foundation subjects that take into account SEND, EAL, ACE, BAME pupils and that promote positive relationships, motivation, well-being, and attainment especially of those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Intrinsic to this is how pupils’ needs can be discerned from efficient and effective assessment practices (oral, written, self-assessment, peer assessment etc.) that do not overly burden learners and colleagues.  ATs will also become increasingly confident in the use of subject specific terminology and how to communicate to lay stakeholders (e.g. Classroom Assistants, Parents and Carers) appropriately to co-plan and elicit support for pupils.  The module also encourages ATs to take an increasingly critical approach to practices that serve no evident purposes, or are not evidence-based.  

This module constitutes the method by which tutors and students in ITE programmes can establish, track and support Associate Teachers' development of fundamental knowledge for teaching in English, Maths, and, for Primary and Early Years ITE, Science.  There are no taught sessions as such though Associate Teachers will be required to take a number of audit tests in the aforementioned subject areas across their ITE registration period.  Associate Teachers' performance in these audit tests will signpost them to undertake independent study to improve proficiency.

Common strands embedded within the programme as a whole and explored within the context of this module include commitments to inclusivity in all its forms; safeguarding, and wellbeing of children; promoting a positive classroom environment conducive to engagement and respecting diversity; and building curricula and sequences of lessons designed to ensure the progression of all.  Alongside this and in common with other modules, ATs will be supported to prioritise their own wellbeing, achieve a sustainable work-life balance while managing their initiation into professional communities of practice.

Beyond these underpinning strands, this module will introduce ATs to the concepts of criticality and its role in professional practice.  Alongside this, ATs will be introduced to critical reading and writing at Level 7 and how they can connect this to the discipline of noticing in reflective and reflexive practice in teaching.  ATs will use critical incident theory as a framework for the analysis of practice and introduce key concepts and theories of learning, teaching and assessment.  ATs will also engage and analyse their own experiences and observations of practice in relation to the Teachers' Standards.

Common strands underpinning each module include commitments to inclusivity in all its forms; safeguarding and wellbeing of children; promoting a positive classroom environment conducive to engagement and respecting diversity; and building curricula and sequences of lessons designed to ensure the progression of all.  Alongside this and in common with other modules, ATs will be supported to prioritise their own wellbeing, achieve a sustainable work-life balance while managing their initiation into professional communities of practice. 

Throughout the content articulated here, ATs will engage with theory, research and with ethical considerations in making sense of the practices in the Early Years settings and schools they observe and undertake themselves.   The module develops understanding of pedagogical concepts (e.g. scaffolding; meaning-making; working memory; long-term memory; cognitive load; engagement; banding and grouping; identity transformation) through a focused exploration of dialogue in institutional settings. This will focus ATs’ attention on the interactions they and other colleagues have with each other and with pupils and what this means about what they are learning and the characteristics of the setting. The ATs will engage in debate and promote critical thinking, through identification and analysis of key issues related to the thinking, learning, care and development of young children. ATs will develop a nuanced understanding of the ways in which different discourses (e.g. from subject specialisms, and institutional culture, perceptions of the role of the teacher in Primary and Early Years) are reproduced within dialogic interaction and how these discourses interrelate, co-exist and sometimes conflict. ATs will also focus in particular on their own use of dialogue in their own teaching and reflect critically on their use of different stimuli and speech acts to evoke discussion, their use of questioning for different purposes, and how interactions with young children can facilitate or close down pupils’ negotiation of meaning and thus bring about transformations or affirmations of pupils’ self-identity, executive functioning, emotional resilience, engagement, and interest. ATs will also recognise that dialogue has significant implications for assessment, assessment for learning and the decisions teachers make about teaching, groupings, inclusion, enhanced provision, curriculum design and development, environment for learning and the identification of underachievement and barriers to learning. In this way ATs will begin to see that dialogue is a critical window into the pupil voice and a crucial opportunity for teachers to understand the perspectives of young children. ATs will establish a rationale for the observation and assessment of young children’s holistic learning and development. In completing this module, ATs will participate in a supportive and ethical culture of enquiry that will act to build resilience to criticism, or challenge and as an initiation to the principles and ethics of self-improvement in a Professional Learning Community into their careers.