Course Summary

This is a Masters level course and offers an in-depth and high-quality qualification in primary school teaching, leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). The 38-week, three-unit course is run in partnership with local schools and prepares you to teach children aged between three and seven.

The course has a professional emphasis with a minimum of 90 days (18 weeks) spent in schools. School experience is a crucial element of the course and you will undertake two different school placements, covering Key Stage 1 and Early Years (although not necessarily in sequential order). Over the course of the placements you will have increasing responsibility for a whole class.

The course starts early in September with an intensive induction programme during which you will be introduced to the University, learn about the use of ICT for personal and professional development, be introduced to the foundation subjects and science and start your sessions on research methodology. During this time, we will start to prepare you for your first placement.

Why choose this course?

Early years is a growth area in the education sector, and teachers capable of delivering this strand will be very much in demand. Graduates of this course benefit from increased employability and a competitive edge when applying for teaching posts. We welcome students back as mentors.

During the course you will:

• Experience the opportunity to become a first-class Early Years practitioner
• Study an innovative and creative course for 21st century teachers
• Benefit from our impressive record of training teachers

Areas of study you may cover on this course include:

• Perspectives, values, principles and beliefs of education
• Learning and teaching - the curriculum
• Professional development portfolio - reflective journal
• Pedagogical approaches to teaching in an Early Years setting, including specific practical teaching and learning ideas, and activities
• Planning, teaching and assessing the Early Years curriculum.

PGPEY

Assessment

The purpose of assessment is to assist your learning, to monitor your performance and to measure your attainment at the end of the course against academic levels and QTS standards. The assessment strategies are designed to give you the opportunity to demonstrate the range of knowledge, understanding and skills required of beginning teachers. Assessment opportunities range from written reports to the production of teaching materials and lesson plans, from audits to group assessed presentations, from very specific structured assessments to open, negotiable topics for personal research. A combination of these approaches will enable you to demonstrate a full range of your competencies and will ensure you achieve to your best ability and to high academic standards.

The development of the PDP will play a significant role as an assessment tool providing the framework and structure through which you will reflect on your own learning across all elements and develop your capacity to improve. The PDP is where you will record the evidence of successful completion of the QTS standards. This aspect will include the use of ICT e.g. web folio to ensure that you are using ICT effectively for your own learning.

You are enrolled onto the Post Graduate Certificate in Education course and therefore your work is assessed at Masters level (level 7) for the specific Masters level units of Perspectives, Values, Principles and Beliefs of Education and Professional Development Profile: The Reflective Practitioner (PDP). However, if the work is not at the required standard you will be assessed at a professional level. All work will be submitted and marked at M-level. However, should you fail to meet the criteria you will be invited to discuss at a tutorial the possibility of resubmitting at M-level or having your work graded at P-level (Professional level). Failure to meet the criteria at the second attempt at M-level will mean failure of the course. You will need to see the handbook for details of the specific criteria that need to be met.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to:

1. Teach competently and effectively any groups of children within the age phase for which you are trained, taking account of all national, local and school policies to ensure that individual children make appropriate progress with their learning.

2. Have successfully completed two 30 credit Masters level units.

3. Meet the professional Q standards of the Professional Standard for Teachers (September 2007) at a satisfactory standard or above.

These learning outcomes will be achieved by:

4. Research and Evaluation: Critically review, analyse and make judgements on teaching, learning and assessment within a primary school context and apply your own professional understanding of role of the teacher in the academic and personal development of children in school. Understand and apply specialised skills and techniques relevant to advanced scholarship.

5. Creativity and Critical Thinking: Exercise critical judgement drawing on and applying professional ideas and practices and those derived from research to critically analyse evidence from a variety of sources, including your own practice, to show new personal insights into a professional context.

6. Information Literacy: Critically analyse, synthesise and draw appropriate conclusions from a range of evidence and draw implications of new evidence or concepts for current or intended practice in relation to personal, local, regional, national or international contexts.

7. Communication: synthesise information from relevant sources and select effective ways of structuring this information to suit your purpose to clearly support your hypothesis, discussions, insights and conclusions. Communicate critically evaluated and synthesised findings to targeted audiences through a wide and appropriate range of traditional and electronic formats.

8. Subject knowledge: Develop a critical awareness, knowledge and understanding, of the various disciplines that contribute to the primary education perspective

9. Skills: Show sustained self direction to construct and implement enquiry into professional contexts. Make and justify links between theory and practice, showing a high degree of critical self-awareness and a developed and productive grasp of theory-practice relationships. Show you can make decisions in complex and unpredictable situations.

10. Personal and Professional Development: Show the ability to critically reflect on your own practice within a subject or general education context and develop a critical appreciation of various values within the field of primary education. Be able to exercise initiative and personal responsibility. Show the autonomous learning ability required for continuing professional development at master level.

External Benchmarking

TDA: Professional Standards for Teachers (2007)

Educational Aims

The primary aim of the course is that all students will achieve the levels of knowledge and standards of professional competence necessary to progress to a career in teaching. The course will lay the foundations for you to develop a fully professional approach to learning and teaching. It fosters the appropriate attitudes to enable you to sustain your learning throughout your career. The course wants all students to achieve the University of Bedfordshire graduate characteristics which provide a portrait for beginning teachers which are to:

• Be an independent, reflective, creative, innovative, collaborative and resilient practitioner


• Have developed expertise in learning and teaching, based upon a sound knowledge and understanding of child development and pedagogy


• Be able to engage in the development of curriculum


• Be committed to life-long personal and professional development


• Be committed, and accountable, to meeting the needs of all children within a culturally diverse society


• Have developed leadership and management skills


• Be an effective communicator with children, colleagues, parents/carers, other professionals


• Have appropriate subject knowledge expertise and is able to further develop subject knowledge for teaching

The mode of study, combined with practical application in the classroom, allows you through experience to develop skills in working in primary settings and to further your knowledge and understanding in appropriate academic study. This will enable you to gain the high level qualification necessary to progress to a teaching career. The design of the course, incorporating subject knowledge to teach linked to the National Curriculum and ensuring that relevant Standards for QTS are addressed in all units, is clearly linked to TDA requirements and will enable you to make a smoother transition to the teaching profession.

You should do this course in the full realisation that the education and training you have received is only the beginning of your teaching career. Opportunities for further professional development should always be borne in mind; to this end those students who are awarded a Post Graduate Certificate in Education should have clearly defined routes whereby they can continue their work already completed at Masters level in order that they can achieve the necessary additional credits for the award of a Masters degree. Key to central aims of the course is the union of the theory and practice of learning and teaching within a coherent framework that enables you to develop practical expertise, grounded in clear notions of how children learn and how effective teachers teach. You will also be required to carry out a research activity related to your chosen strand to show your ability to work at Masters level.

For those of you who are awarded the Professional Graduate Certificate in Education some of you will have 30 credits at Masters level 7 and so can access and achieve the necessary additional credits for the award of a Masters degree. For those of you who are awarded the Professional Graduate Certificate in Education you may wish to explore the possibility of starting a Masters level qualification or, if you already have a Masters or Doctoral qualification, you could access some additional development through continuous professional development programmes on offer to teachers.

Student support

• PAD


• Personal Tutor System on entry to the course each student is allocated a personal tutor who overseas their academic and professional progress for the duration of the course


• Specific subject support for core subjects is provided through one to one tuition through PAD for English and mathematics


• Mentors in schools during the placements students are monitored on a weekly basis by a school based mentor who reviews their progress against the QTS Teacher standards and sets targets for development


• Careers Services

Team working

Throughout the course you will encounter a wide range of collaborative working environments both in the university setting and placement partnership arenas which will involve some or all of:

• Sharing ideas




• Researching information




• Creating resources or strategies




• Analysing and critically reflecting




• Leading and managing others




• Self-assessment and assessing of others




• Communication




• Virtual learning environments (e.g. blogs, discussion boards)

The specific content of all the units require you as students to work collaboratively to achieve desired outcomes. Within taught sessions there is a shared responsibility for the success of the learning, where all participants are expected to play a full part in the interactive elements of the learning experience.

Career Management Skills

University provision:

Specialist staff from the Centre for Personal and Career Development will guide and support you though a number of events ranging from individual tutorial support if requested to large scale career fairs.

Within the professional elements of the course you will be given the knowledge and understanding relating to being a teacher in a Primary School and the potential career pathways through the Professional Standards for Teachers (2007) which will enable you to develop your personal career path.

Career/Further study opportunities

Career:

The course is intended to develop you, the students, into effective primary school teachers in 3 7 age phase (Early Years). In addition you are expected to develop the skills, knowledge and understanding to become a co-ordinator within Early Years settings.

Some students on qualifying decide to follow a route to become an educational psychologist or to move into special education or into other educational provisions e.g. museum services, education officers for charities, schools abroad.

Once you are a fully qualified teacher you can teach in primary or secondary schools, further education institutions and with a Masters qualification, higher education.

Further study:

The postgraduate nature of the course means that you have the opportunity to study further to gain a full Masters degree in an educational area. UoB has developed a specific NQT module (Newly Qualified Teacher Masters unit) to enable students to continue their study during their NQT year in a school before doing independent research to complete the full Masters degree.

• Masters degree in an educational area


• Specific courses for continuous professional development

Entry

Applications for PGCE courses are made online through the Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR) www.gttr.ac.uk.

Candidates must possess a second class honours degree, or above. All applicants must have GCSE Grade C (or equivalent) in English, Maths and Science. All GCSE requirements must be in place at the time of application.

Applicants whose first language is not English, and who do not have GCSE grade C or above in English, need to have IELTS with an average score of 6.0, including an individual score of at least 6.0 in each of the four areas.

All candidates must have recent and relevant experience (a minimum of two weeks - 5 days in Key Stage 1 and 5 days in Key Stage 2 in an Early Years setting) of working with children in a mainstream UK school.

Candidates who are successful in being shortlisted will be invited to attend interview. The interview consists of an English test, Mathematics tests, collaborative group interview and a one-to-one interview. All suitable applicants will undergo a check by the Criminal Records Bureau.

To enquire about this course please contact the Admissions team at Bedford Campus (PGCE.admissions@beds.ac.uk and +44(0)1234 793279.

UK students Undergraduate entry requirements

Standard entry requirements for Foundation degrees (FD/FdSc)

A foundation degree will be of particular interest if you have completed a Modern Apprenticeship, vocational A levels, BTEC National or equivalent.

Foundation degrees are also particularly suitable if you want to qualify while working.

• As a guideline, a typical offer would require you to obtain a UCAS tariff score of between 80-120 points, based on your level 3 studies.
• Students who require a Tier 4 Student Visa cannot apply for our foundation courses. For these courses the University of Bedfordshire is not able to sponsor Tier 4 Student Visa applications.

Many students studying for foundation degrees come to us through work-based routes so you can apply for a foundation degree even if you don’t have traditional academic qualifications.

We welcome applicants with relevant work experience.

Standard entry requirements for Undergraduate degrees (BA/BSc)

We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for both breadth and depth in your current studies as well as enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.

The general requirement is one of the following:

• UCAS Tariff Score greater than 200, which should include either two A level passes or an AVCE Double Award
• An Access qualification
• Equivalent qualifications such as Irish Leaving Certificate, Scottish Highers, International Baccalaureate or BTEC National Diploma

Postgraduate taught courses

Postgraduate applications (MA/MSc) should be made direct to the University using the  standard University application form. There are some exceptions, please see individual course descriptions for details.

• UK/EU students application form
• International (non-EU) students application form
  

Students from the European Union

Entry requirements

As a general guide, to apply for a place on an undergraduate course (BA/BSc) at the University you need to have completed your high school education and have the required English qualification.

We have students from all the European Union member countries so we are quick to make decisions on most qualifications.

How to apply

International students

• Undergraduate applications (BA/BSc) can be made direct to the University or via our representatives in your home country. If you intend to apply to more than one university in the UK you should apply via UCAS. If you want to apply to the University of Bedfordshire only you should apply directly using our international application form (link below) or via our representatives in your home country
• Postgraduate applications should be made directly to the University using our international application form (link below) or via our representatives in your home country
• Healthcare, nursing and midwifery students Many of these courses are not available to overseas students due to UK immigration law in regard to bursary funding. Please contact international admissions to find out if you are eligible to apply
• BA Nursing Studies Level 3 (with or without Overseas Nursing Programme) is available to overseas students - please contact International Admissions by email at international-admissions@beds.ac.uk for further information

(Please note that applicants on a full student visa are not eligible for part-time study)

Course application form for international students

We recommend that you apply directly to the University where possible, as this allows us to offer the quickest turnaround time for your application.

• Course application form for direct applications [PDF]

How to complete your course application

Please read the Direct application instructions before completing the course application form.

Application forms for accommodation in the student halls at Bedford campus and Luton campus are available in the Student life section

Accreditation of prior certificated learning (APL)

APL is available for international students applying for undergraduate (Bachelor degree) study. Please do not use this APL form to apply for postgraduate courses.

Use the APL form to tell us about any non-standard qualifications and/or work experience you have that you think should be taken into consideration with your application. `

The APL form should be submitted at the same time as the course application form.

We regret we are unable to process APL forms from students who have not submitted a formal course application form.

• APL application form for International students [100Kb] updated 041007

What next?

Return your completed application to:

University of Bedfordshire
International Admissions
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU1 3JU
United Kingdom

Contact International Admissions

T: +44 (0)1582 489326 (non-EU Students)
F: +44 (0)1582 743469
E: international-admissions@beds.ac.uk

Awarding institution

University of Bedfordshire

Teaching Strategy

Your development as a creative, innovative and reflective practitioner (i.e. critical and analytical thinking teacher) will involve the development of specific skills, a detailed knowledge of educational processes, an academic understanding of education, and the application of professional attitudes and discipline in all areas of study. Your course consists of three units of work. These are:

• Perspectives, Values, Principles and Beliefs of Education


• The Curriculum: Learning and Teaching


• Professional Development Profile: The Reflective Practitioner (PDP)

The main strategy adopted for delivering the course will be student centered and creative It will use experiential learning with specific opportunities for reflection, negotiation and collaboration. This will be achieved through a blended learning approach incorporating the following:

• Lectures


• Seminars


• Practicals: e.g. role play, presentations


• Workshops


• Research including case studies, small scale school based research including pupil observations, evaluation of learning materials, self-selected project work


• Use of Virtual Learning Environments (VLE) ; BREO and Pebblepad


• Placement experiences leading towards independent, solo teaching. Placement experience is a key factor in your development as a teacher. You are expected to gain maximum benefit from the opportunity of learning from practice observed in schools

These approaches are particularly appropriate since the course will support you in becoming a life long learner responsible for shaping your own career development through the setting of your own targets and goals.

Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body Accreditation

TDA / GTCE( England)

Students with disabilities

• Students who declare a disability on application are supported through the interview process by the DDA team and an assessment is made thorough discussion with the course leader to ensure that the course can meet their specific individual needs


• Students who are found to have a disability during the course are assessed by the DDA team

Skills Development

Communication

To help with the development of this you will:

Be supported on how to:

• Synthesise information from relevant sources and select effective ways of structuring this information to suit your purpose to clearly support your hypothesis, discussions, insights and conclusions


• Develop an appropriate academic style which is objective and analytical


• Demonstrate accurate, concise and fluent use of language in presenting information


• In group discussion sustain the interest of others and respond perceptively to their contributions


• Become critically reflective practitioners to establish ways of enhancing your knowledge, skills and understanding in the future

As students you will be encouraged and supported to participate constructively in group discussions, demonstrating your ability to critically reflect upon your own experience in light of your reading and experiences in school and the views and ideas presented by others.

Information Literacy

To help with the development of this you will:

Be guided in the use of methods of searching for information. In particular:

• Relevant sources of reliable empirical findings and theoretical models and conceptual frameworks


• Appropriateness of various analytical and evaluative frameworks


• Effective communication and presentation formats

Research and Evaluation

To help with the development of this you will:

Be guided in the use of effective educational research methodology. In particular:

• Choice of approaches and methodologies


• Appropriateness of various analytical and evaluative frameworks


• Effective communication and presentation formats

Creativity and Critical Thinking

To help with the development of this you will:

Be expected, through a needs analysis, to identify key contextual applications. In particular:

• The identification of key influential factors and research questions


• Developing conclusions for the outcomes of your research


• Recommendations for action or further study

Improving learning and performance

All unit activities and assignments are designed to encourage you as students to critically reflect upon your own performance and identify personal action plans for your future development in academic and professional contexts. You will receive:

• Constructive written feedback


• Advice and guidance given by all other professionals which you need to be prepared to act on


• Advice where necessary will in respect of learning support (PAD, Careers Advice)


• Feedback on the use of reflection in and on action

By the end of the course you will be able to take responsibility for identifying your personal strengths and weaknesses, and have the skills necessary to be pro-active for continuous professional development and initial career development as your progress will have been monitored and discussed through a personal tutor system in order that issues can be identified and support offered.

The course is underpinned by research activity undertaken by the staff team in order to ensure maximal learning performance. For example, with regard to ICT needs and the development of a reflective practice taxonomy.

Progress files

Progress will be recorded through formative feedback during individual tutorials with your personal tutor on all aspects of the course including assignments and through weekly meetings with your school based mentor whilst on assessed placements. Evidence of progress against the QTS standards will be collated within the PDP.

Professional standards

Professional values and standards are central to employability within the education sector (Professional Standards for Teachers, 2007). In addition to the QTS Standards and in order to develop an appropriate professional attitude we expect students to:

• Adhere to professional standards, whether relating to the curriculum, ethical issues, classroom management or relationships with parents and the community


• Attend all lectures, rehearsals, workshops and seminars as your peers are depending upon your presence in order to develop work. If absence is unavoidable through illness, for example, the lecturer and students working in your group should be notified in advance of the session


• Have strict punctuality at all lectures, seminars, workshops and self-directed groups


• Complete all coursework, reading, preparation, research set between classes to be undertaken in a thorough manner in order to allow you to be prepared for the session you are attending


• Participate on school placement and other organised off-site activities organized by staff


• Use appropriate clothing/kit is required for the particular learning environment both on and off site


• Have responsible attitude towards your health and wellbeing. You need to be pro-active in ensuring that you are fit and healthy. This means getting adequate sleep, eating properly and exercising regularly


• Undergo a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check at the beginning of the course. You will be working with a range of schools and other professionals in the course of your studies


• Take responsibility for understanding the term plagiarism through study sessions and leaflets and your Student / Course Handbook thereby ensuring that the university regulations are met

Strategy for developing and embedding the professional standards

As this course is both academic and professional the embedding of professional standards is fully integrated from interview and selection to completion of the course. Tutors are continually kept up-to-date with educational thinking, practice and initiatives. The success of the work at Level 7 will be largely dependent upon the degree of professionalism you are able to bring to all relationships working collaboratively both within and outside the university during the course.

During your course each unit specifically identifies how the learning and activities relate to the Professional Standards for Teachers (2007). During school experience work you are provided with the opportunity to practically demonstrate your knowledge skills and understanding of the Professional Standards for Teachers (2007). You will be monitored by you mentor on a regular basis throughout the school placements and have individualised targets set to further develop your professional skills, knowledge and understanding.