Important

Apply now to get on a course starting in the 2021 to 2022 academic year

Courses can fill up at any time, so you should apply as soon as you can.

If you’re applying for the first time since applications opened in October 2020, apply no later than 6pm on 7 September 2021.

If your application did not lead to a place and you’re applying again, apply no later than 6pm on 21 September 2021.

Geoffrey Field Junior School Primary (394J)

QTS full time

• Accredited body: The University of Reading
• Financial support: Student finance if you’re eligible
• Qualification:
  QTS

  Qualified teacher status (QTS) allows you to teach in state schools in England and may also allow you to teach in other parts of the UK.

  It may also allow you to teach in the EU and EEA, though this could change after 2020.

  If you’re planning to teach overseas, you should always check what qualifications are needed in the country you’d like to teach in.

• Age range: 5 to 11
• Course length: 1 year
• Date you can apply from: 13 October 2020
• Date course starts: September 2021
• Website: https://www.geoffreyfieldjuniorschool.co.uk/

Contents

About the course

The School Direct course runs for the academic school year and will provide successful trainees with qualified teacher status (QTS) which will enable you to teach as a qualified teacher in the UK.
As a school based training programme you will be based in one main school for three out of four of your placements. You will be allocated a mentor in your main school who will meet with you for one hour a week to discuss your progress, set targets and feedback on teaching and learning. You will have the same mentor for the whole year although you will be working alongside different class teachers.
Your university based central training will take place over blocked weeks and on a Friday during the first term. This is where you will learn about professional values, teaching theory and the subject knowledge of the curriculum that you will be teaching. In school you will 4 separate placements usually working with different experiences teachers. Initially you will be observing and working alongside them as you get to know the children and the class routines. At a pace tailored to you, you will then begin to take on small, groups and then eventually you will be responsible for planning, teaching and assessing the children for 80% of their timetable. This is a responsibility that you will be build up to across the year on a very individually tailored programme designed between yourself and your mentor.
There are four separate placements three of which take place in your main school. The second placement takes place in another school, this is organised by The School Direct lead, Emma Berry, in your lead school, Geoffrey Field Junior School. The aim of this placement, where you will work towards leading 60% of the timetable, is that you experience an alternative setting. For example, if your main school is a large school in an urban area you could be allocated a place in a smaller more rural school. Another example might be to experience the differences in teaching and learning in a faith school or special needs setting.
Places may be offered on a salaried or fee paying basis. Salaried trainees are employed by the school and receive a monthly salary. Trainees on this route may be used for covering classes up to one day per week ( this would not usually be in the first half term) .

School placements

Across the year you will have 4 placements in which the percentage of teaching that you are expected to take on will steadily increase. This is personalised programme that you will design with your mentor and so it will move at a pace that is appropriate for each individual trainee. You will for example begin working one to one and in small groups with children using the class teachers plans. You will work your way up to teaching the whole class from your own planning in a variety of curriculum subjects. Three of the placements will take place in your main school and one will be your second school placement. This is an opportunity to teach in a school which will provide you will a contrast to your main school. For example if you are training in large 3 form entry school you may be placed in small school as a contrast.

Entry requirements

Qualifications needed

Degree at a 2:1 or above Good A level results

Personal qualities

We are looking for trainees with a passion for teaching and learning. We are looking for a willingness to learn alongside pupils and colleagues and a desire to be the best teacher that they can be.

Other requirements

No school experience is required but it will of course be helpful.

Fees and financial support

The course fees for UK students in 2021 to 2022 are £7,710.

These are the fees from the 2018/19 cycle so they are subject to alteration.

Financial support from the training provider

Some schools may offer to pay your tuition fees in whole or in part. They would reimburse you on a term by term basis. This is subject to discussion with the host school.

About the training provider

Geoffrey Field Junior School has been a lead school for the School Direct programme since 2013. In this time we have successfully trained 6 excellent teachers for our own school. We have a long held partnership with the University of Reading through various other teaching programmes that we have worked with such as PGCE, BAed and the School Direct predecessor the GTP course. We are very proud to provide the School Direct course as we believe that it provides the right balance between classroom based experience and the theory and subject knowledge teaching provided by our esteemed colleagues at The University of Reading. As a lead school our role is to recruit schools and trainees to the programme and to then support both through the training year. As a lead school we also run an additional CPD (continued professional development) programme for the trainees in ours and another School Direct group. This training programme has been designed and reconfigured every year to suit the needs of the trainees and to compliment and support the central training provided by The University of Reading. Sessions take place at the lead school and are full of practical ideas that can be taken back to the classroom. It is also an opportunity to meet other trainees, share and discuss practice as well as the highs and lows of life as a trainee teacher!

About the accredited body

We are very proud to work alongside The University of Reading to train excellent teachers in school. They play a vital role in the support of the trainee as well as providing excellent tailored training to our trainee teachers. Your university based central training will take place over blocked weeks and on a Friday during the first term. This is where you will learn about professional values, teaching theory and the subject knowledge of the curriculum that you will be teaching.

Interview process

Successful trainees will be invited to an interview morning or afternoon. During this time they will be asked to make a presentation to the rest of the trainees and any attending Head teachers and ITTcos. They will also be asked to complete a written exercise which could be to write about an issue in education or their own experience of schools and education. Finally, candidates will be interviewed by a small panel of head teachers and ITTcos. The interview session enables Heads to see a number of trainees at once and to see who they would like to invite to their school for a second interview. It also means that candidates can meet Head teachers from a number of schools within the consortium. If you are invited to a school you may be expected to teach a short session to a small group, this might be a book presentation.

Training with disabilities and other needs

As a fully inclusive school we are able to support pupils and staff members with disabilities and additional needs. Our school has some facilities for disabled people and we are happy to discuss how we can support any other additional needs.

Contact this training provider

• Email: eberry@geoffreyfield-jun.reading.sch.uk
• Telephone: 0118 9375475
• Website: https://www.geoffreyfieldjuniorschool.co.uk/
• Address: Geoffrey Field Junior School ; Exbourne Road ; Reading; Berkshire; RG 2 8RH

Support and advice

For support and advice, you can speak to a Get Into Teaching adviser for free. They’re all experienced teachers who can help you to prepare your application, book school experience, and access exclusive teaching events.

You can also call Get Into Teaching free of charge on 0800 389 2500, or speak to an adviser using their online chat service Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm (except public holidays).

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