Teaching and Assessment

Innovative teaching methods that develop your full potential as a future teacher

Teaching

We use strategies that are designed to enable you to effectively master a broad base of concepts, skills, knowledge and understanding that will inform your teaching practice.

You will join lectures and small seminars led by experienced tutors, in which discussion and debate are key to developing your knowledge and skills.

Our dedicated learning areas simulate real world classrooms, allowing you to become more familiar, confident, and comfortable in teaching spaces ahead of your professional placements.

Many of our staff have a strong background within education and use their experience to inform their teaching, as the help your development into a professional and capable teacher.

Assessment

Your teaching is built to support your theoretical learning and and develop your communication skills, through essays, lesson plans, research reports, risk assessments or development plans.

Portfolio requirements

In order to qualify for the award of Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), you must pass all school experiences and pass a 12,000-word portfolio at master’s level.

The portfolio consists of a number of tasks that you will complete during the year and share with your Academic Advisor.

They will provide feedback on your work and support you to achieve. Each of the tasks is designed to support your development as an early years teacher and is directly relevant to your practice in the classroom.

School experiences are assessed against the Teachers’ Standards – you will be regularly observed by your mentor and link tutor and will collect evidence of your progress.

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The Course

Develop your knowledge and understanding of teaching at an early years level

Explore the role of the teacher

This course enables you to develop an in-depth understanding of the role of the teacher working within the foundation stage and Key Stage 1 through university-based sessions and schoolwork experience.

You will consider the structure and expectations of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework and critically analyse current debates about early years curriculum, content and pedagogy and the transition from reception to Key Stage 1 and the National Curriculum.

Learn in the classroom

You will have placements in Reception and Key Stage 1 with further enhanced shorter placements in other settings e.g., nursery.

Examine the role of play

The pedagogy of play will be explored to promote a value of the role and purpose of play for effective teaching and learning in schools and its potential impact on children’s physical, social, cognitive, emotional, and linguistic development.

You will be introduced to key theoretical concepts in child development including attachment theory and discuss the relevance to classroom practice.

Core curriculum

In addition, you will study core curriculum modules that will develop your confidence and enjoyment of early years teaching:

English

Mathematics

Science.

The course will equip you to take a critical and reflective view of each subject’s curriculum and pedagogies. You will develop a detailed understanding of the distinctive features of each subject area and explore relevant research concerning children’s learning in that subject.

By linking your learning to school experience, the module will promote the necessary understanding you need to plan, teach and assess the core curriculum effectively.

Wider curriculum

This module aims to develop your critical understanding and enthusiasm for the whole primary curriculum.

You will develop a systematic knowledge of key curriculum documents and a critical awareness of current issues and debates surrounding the primary curriculum.

It will prepare you to plan, teach and assess effectively in these areas and to develop cross-curricular approaches to teaching and learning.

You will work on a range of engaging practical workshops of the primary curriculum including:

Art

Computing

Design and Technology

Drama

Geography

History

Modern Languages

Physical Education

Religious Education.

Professional studies

We’ll help you will develop a deep understanding of the principles that underpin primary education.

During a range of seminars and lectures, you will critique educational research findings and methods and learn how to apply this in the classroom.

Topics will include lesson planning, teaching strategies, assessment methods, behaviour management and other important aspects of teaching.

A particular focus will be on issues of inclusion, equality and diversity and the module will develop your ability to apply your knowledge and understanding in the classroom.

By the end of the year, you will have developed your own personal educational philosophy and be able to apply this in the classroom and articulate it to other professionals.

Teaching and Learning in Early Years

This module will support you to develop an in-depth understanding of the role of the Early Years teacher and to reflect on the way in which children learn and develop.

You will gain critical knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum and good practice in Early Years.

You will consider developmental theories of play and develop your knowledge and understanding of the role and purposes of play in schools and the impact of play on children’s physical, social, cognitive, emotional, and linguistic development.

Topics will include lesson planning, teaching strategies, assessment methods, behaviour management and other important aspects of teaching.

A particular focus will be on issues of inclusion, equality and diversity and the module will develop your ability to apply your knowledge and understanding in the classroom.

By the end of the year, you will have developed your own personal educational philosophy and be able to apply this in the classroom and articulate it to other professionals.

This list is indicative and subject to change.

Core Curriculum

Core Curriculum English 1

Core Curriculum English 2

Core Curriculum Mathematics Module 1 – the Teaching and Learning of Number

Core Curriculum Mathematics Module 2 – Successful Teaching and Learning of Mathematics

Core Curriculum Science

Physical Education

Professional Studies

Teaching Computing

Wider Curriculum

Core Curriculum

Core Curriculum

This module aims to develop your subject knowledge, enthusiasm for and enjoyment of English, Mathematics and Science.

You will begin to develop a critical understanding of the distinctive features of each subject area and the research concerning children’s learning in that subject. By linking your learning to your school experience, each component aims to promote the necessary competences and understanding your need to plan, teach and assess the core curriculum effectively.

The core curriculum module aims to enable you to begin to develop your own personal educational philosophies with regards to pedagogy, so that you can apply these in the classroom and articulate them to other professionals.

Core Curriculum English 1

Core Curriculum English 1

This module introduces the relevant curriculum documentation and its interdependence, with a study of the development of children as speakers, listeners, readers and writers across the foundation and primary age range.

It will familiarise you with using the documents to plan appropriate learning outcomes and teaching and assessment strategies for shared, guided and independent work in communication, language and literacy/English.

It will help you to develop the subject knowledge necessary to teach the foundation and primary age range and to identify their personal development needs, through completion of a baseline audit and on-going profile of subject knowledge.

Core Curriculum English 2

Core Curriculum English 2

This module examines the research and other evidence that has influenced the CGFS, NC and the NLS. This may include, for example, the work of Usha Goswami on phonological awareness; genre theory, e.g. the work of Bev Deriewanka, and Wray and Medwell’s work on effective teachers of literacy. You will also look at using inspection evidence and data, e.g. assessment data from end of Key Stage Tests, to formulate development work in classrooms. You will focus specifically on the inclusive classroom, i.e. equal opportunities and supporting EAL and SEN (including high ability pupils) appropriately.

Core Curriculum Mathematics Module 1 – the Teaching and Learning of Number

Core Curriculum Mathematics Module 1 – the Teaching and Learning of Number

This module explores the underlying concepts and principles of the mathematics curriculum for numeracy. You will examine a wide range of topics, including: the approaches to mental and written calculations, the appropriate use of calculators, and understanding and managing pupil progression.

Core Curriculum Mathematics Module 2 – Successful Teaching and Learning of Mathematics

Core Curriculum Mathematics Module 2 – Successful Teaching and Learning of Mathematics

This module continues and expands your knowledge and understanding of how to teach mathematics successfully. You will understand how to teach mathematical reasoning, geometry, shape and space, data and probability, amongst others.

Core Curriculum Science

Core Curriculum Science

In this module, you will learn the key aspects to teaching science as part of the core curriculum. You will keep a Science Portfolio for recording progress in their science KUSA; for showing understanding of children’s learning in science; and recording experiences of managing and evaluating classroom science.

Physical Education

Physical Education

This modules sees you undertake short courses in Games, Gymnastics, Dance, Athletic Activities, Swimming and Outdoor Adventurous Activities to increase knowledge and understanding of Skills required to be taught to the age group. You will also develop confidence in the planning, teaching and evaluating process, and the organisation and safety of physical activities.

Professional Studies

Professional Studies

This module develops your critical and rigorous understanding of the principles that underpin primary education. You will expand your knowledge and understanding of the nature of the primary curriculum and children’s developmental needs.

It will introduce and critique educational research methodology, analysis and ethics.

It will advance your abilities to critically apply such knowledge and understanding in a professional context through lesson planning, teaching, assessment and behaviour management and critical reflection on these.

A particular focus will be on issues of inclusion, equality and diversity and the module will develop your abilities to be able to apply your knowledge and understanding of such issues in the classroom.

Teaching Computing

Teaching Computing

This module provides you with the knowledge understanding and skills to use ICT effectively within your teaching.

You will learn and understand the specific contribution that ICT can make to pupils learning, when it is beneficial to achieve teaching objectives and when it is less effective or inappropriate.

You will have the opportunity to use the most up to date hardware and software applications, consider the latest research, and use the findings to plan for and make use of effective resources within the classroom. the course will include a personal and professional audit of skills and experiences.

Wider Curriculum

Wider Curriculum

This module develops your critical understanding of and enthusiasm for the primary curriculum via the introduction of the foundation subjects.

For each of the foundation subjects, you will learn about their distinctiveness, associated pedagogies as well as addressing relevant subject knowledge. By linking your learning to your school experience, it will prepare you to plan, teach and assess the foundation subjects effectively.

You will develop a systematic knowledge and understanding of key curriculum and framework documents and a critical awareness of current issues and debates surrounding the primary curriculum.

You will consider the distinctive opportunities, challenges and concerns, associated with particular curriculum subjects as well as common issues, e.g. the development of creativity.

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Careers

Take the first steps towards your career within early years education

This programme will enable you to achieve Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and work as an early years teacher.

While the vast majority of graduates choose to work in a primary school, in previous years, some students have been employed in secondary schools, special schools or the wider education sector.

Many of our previous students have progressed in their careers and now hold senior posts in their schools.

PGCE Early Years (3-7) drafted

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