St John Bosco Teaching School Alliance
Mathematics (K377)

PGCE with QTS full time

• Accredited body: Birmingham City University
• Financial support: Scholarship, bursary or student finance if you’re eligible
• Qualification:
  PGCE with QTS

  A postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) with qualified teacher status (QTS) allows you to teach in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It’s also recognised internationally.

  Many PGCE courses include credits that count toward a Master’s degree.

• Course length: 1 year
• Date you can apply from: 14 October 2019
• Date course starts: September 2020
• Website: http://www.stjohnboscotsa.co.uk/school-direct/

Contents

About the course

The St John Bosco School Direct training programme allows trainees to spend the majority of their training from the very first week in one of our partner schools. This enables trainees to learn from practicing professionals at the outset.

You will be able to select their preferred training location from our choice of partner schools when you apply. If you are offered a place you will know which training location you will be placed at before you accept the offer.

We have designed our School Direct PGCE course to maximise your experience in classrooms. You will be supported by an experienced subject mentor who will oversee your development as a teacher. Your mentor will help you gain the skills and confidence needed to be an effective teacher. A key part of this development is to help you become a reflective practitioner, this is a quality you will need for the rest of your teaching career.

Whether you apply to Holly Lodge or to one of our partner schools you will have the opportunity to benefit from and gain experience at Holly Lodge’s successful sixth form. All trainees have a second placement of six week in another of our partner schools. The purpose of this is to give you an experience of a contrasting school, and so that you can put the teaching skills you have developed so far to the test.

The course is also well supported by tutors from Birmingham City University. Lectures and tutorials at BCU will develop your subject and teaching knowledge, underpinned by educational theory.

Interview process

The interview comprises three main elements. Firstly there is a mini lesson of about 20 minutes to a group of approximately 12 students. Candidates are given a topic to teach when they are invited to interview so they can prepare. Following that there is a written task to assess your written English as well as to gauge your response to a typical school scenario. Finally there is a formal interview.

The interviews are held at Holly Lodge High School, as the lead secondary school in the partnership. The interview panel will be made up of the coordinator for Initial Teacher Training at Holly Lodge, a professional mentor from the chosen training location (if it is not Holly Lodge) and a tutor from BCU.

How school placements work

When you apply and select a preferred training school, we will do our best to ensure that is where you are placed. If you are made an offer you will be advised of the location you will train at.

Second school placements are six week blocks, during the second term, and aim to give the trainee a contrasting experience. The trainee then returns to the main school until the end of the placement. 

Our secondary programmes are focused on the 11-16 age range, although all our trainees will have opportunity in their first or second placement to train at Holly Lodges successful sixth form.

Finally you will undertake a five day placement at a primary school with a focus on transition from KS2 to KS3.

Fees

The course fees for 2020 – 2021 are as follows:

UK students	£9,250
EU students	£9,250

Financial support

You could be eligible for either:

• a scholarship of £28,000
• a bursary of £26,000

With a scholarship or bursary, you’ll also get early career payments of £2,000 in your second, third and fourth years of teaching (£3,000 in some areas of England).

To qualify for a scholarship you’ll need a degree of 2:1 or above in Mathematics or a related subject. For a bursary you’ll need a 2:2 or above in any subject.

You can’t claim both a bursary and a scholarship - you can only claim one.

Find out how to apply for a scholarship. You don’t need to apply for a bursary - if you’re eligible, you’ll automatically start receiving it once you begin your course. Find out how you’ll be paid.

You may also be eligible for a loan while you study – note that you’ll have to apply for undergraduate student finance.

Find out about financial support if you’re from outside the UK.

Requirements

Qualifications

-A university degree at 2:2 or above in the subject (or related subject) to the one you wish to teach. -Maths and English GCSEs at grade C or above

Personal qualities

In the first instance a passion to teach children and make a difference to their lives. Also good knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject you wish to teach. To start a teacher training course we are not looking for a ready made teacher, but for someone who has the willingness to learn from professionals as well as being reflective and seeking continuous improvement.

Other requirements

Whilst recent school experience is not required to make an application it certainly enables you to make a more thoughtful and considered application by drawing on your time in a school, where you will have had opportunities to work with small groups of children and observe lessons.

About the training provider

The St John Bosco Teaching School Alliance is a partnership of primary and secondary schools across Sandwell, Dudley and South Birmingham. We aim to develop outstanding teachers. We do this by providing a subject / class mentor who supports you on a daily basis, in addition there is a professional mentor looking after your wider development. As a School Direct trainee you would also have access to your placement school’s professional development programme.

Our year’s training comprises three main elements; -1) A main school placement where you feel part of the school. The aim is to mirror the life of a qualified teacher for the year. -2) A six week second school placement in a partner school. -3) Training and support from Newman University.

The qualification at the end of the course awards QTS and PGCE. For the past three years 100% of our trainees, primary and secondary, have gained employment by the end of the course.

For further information -Primary training, St John Bosco Catholic Primary School in West Bromich lead the Primary training StJohnBosco -Secondary Training, Holly Lodge High School in Smethwick is the lead school for Secondary training. HollyLodge

Training with disabilities and other needs

We have a wide range of partner schools across a large geographical area. This enables us to match trainees to the right place for them. Our experienced team of mentors and close relationship with tutors at Newman University allow us to offer all our trainees the support they need.

Contact details

• Email: imelling@holly-lodge.org
• Telephone: 0121 5580691
• Website: http://www.stjohnboscotsa.co.uk/school-direct/
• Address: Holly Lodge High School; Holly Lane; Smethwick; West Midlands; B67 7JG

Apply

Choose a training location

You’ll also need to choose a training location – select the relevant location name on the application form.

Location	Vacancies	Code
Holly Lodge High School Holly Lane, Smethwick, West Midlands, B67 7JG	Yes	H
Oldbury Academy Pound Road, Oldbury, B688NE	Yes	8
Ormiston Sandwell Academy Lower City Rd,, Tividale, Oldbury, B69 2HE	Yes	O

Support and advice

For questions about this course you should contact the training provider using the contact details above.

Get support and advice about teaching

Register with Get Into Teaching, the Department for Education’s free support and advice service, for personalised guidance from teaching experts. They can help you to prepare your application, book school experience, and access exclusive teaching events. You can also call them free of charge on 0800 389 2500, or speak to an adviser using their online chat service, from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday.

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