PGCE Primary

Train to be a primary school teacher at Roehampton, with its uniquely long heritage in teacher training and its commitment to Froebelian principles of education. You will undergo 20 weeks school placement with excellent mentoring. Build your confidence as a teacher, ready for your first job.

Modules

Professional Studies

Professional Studies is the core module in the PGCE Primary Programme. The focus is on pedagogy rather than subject specific content so that students develop the wider knowledge, skills and understanding necessary to achieve the Teachers’ Standards (DfE 2021) and enter the teaching profession.

There is a focus on understanding the assess-plan-learn cycle and on groups vulnerable to underachievement in the education system, as well as on professionalism.

The module draws together the taught and school experience elements of learning through guided analysis of learning using videos, planning and, as the course progresses, students’ own in-school experiences.

Embedded within the module is exposure to, and opportunities to reflect on, good and outstanding practice through effective partnership with local schools including through intensive training and practice (ITaP) experiences.

The course is mapped against the Core Content Framework (DfE, 2019) drawing on literature from this document as well as other seminal research to provide a secure evidence base from which students can develop and evaluate their practice.

The Core Curriculum

The Core Curriculum module focuses on subject knowledge and pedagogy in the core subjects: English, Mathematics and Science. It links closely with the Professional Studies module and the pedagogical understanding contained therein.

The teaching and learning strategies adopted in this module aim to reflect, model and exemplify the range of approaches that students will encounter within primary teaching and learning and encourage students to become independent, autonomous learners. Students will be encouraged to analyse and evaluate the teaching and learning approaches they encounter within partnership schools.

Principles underlying ongoing practice will be explored in the light of theory and research. Through this approach, students will be encouraged to generate their own provisional teaching and learning theories and to inform these through experience, critical reflection, discussion, research and reading.

Curriculum area units aim to introduce students to key concepts and enable them to develop professional competence, including planning appropriate learning intentions, teaching and assessment strategies.

They aim also to enthuse students about the value of the subject within the curriculum and to inspire them to become passionate teachers of English, mathematics and science.

Embedded within the module is exposure to, and opportunities to reflect on, high quality practice through effective partnership with local schools including through intensive training and practice (ITaP) experiences.

The course is mapped against the Core Content Framework (DfE, 2019) drawing on literature from this document as well as other seminal research to provide a secure evidence base from which students can develop and evaluate their practice.

The Wider Curriculum

The Wider Curriculum module focuses on subject knowledge and pedagogy in the foundation subjects and RE, allowing students to meet and exceed the requirements of the Core Content Framework (2019). It links closely with the Professional Studies module and the pedagogical understanding contained therein.

As well as being separate subjects, opportunities will be given, where possible, to make connections between subjects and learning in this module to allow for broad areas of learning and thematic work.

Throughout the module, taught units draw upon the students’ current stage of professional development and reflect current themes from the Professional Studies module.

Learning to teach the primary curriculum involves reflective evaluation of the cycle of planning, teaching and assessment. Critical, reflective practice is therefore an overarching aspect of this module, aiming to develop students’ critical evaluation, through analysis of the curriculum and their understanding of effective learning and teaching in order to improve their practice.

School Experience

This module places students in the school environment, via two placements in contrasting settings. It facilitates students’ professional development in the five areas of professional learning (APLs - behaviour management, pedagogy, curriculum, assessment, professional behaviours), which align with the five core areas of the Core Content Framework (DfE, 2019).

Students will apply, in practice, the knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching, as taught in their Professional Studies, Core and Wider Curriculum modules. Intensive training and practice (ITaP) placements will form part of the school experience.

Students will train to teach children aged 3-11 and their assessed placements will be within this age range. For students on a Lead Partner route or Apprentices, placements are arranged by the Lead Partner or apprentice employing school.