St John Bosco ITT Mathematics (K377)

PGCE with QTS full time

• Accredited body: Birmingham City University
• Financial support: Scholarships or bursaries, as well as student finance, are available if you’re eligible
• Qualification:
  PGCE with QTS

  A postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) with qualified teacher status (QTS) will allow you to teach in state schools in England and may allow you to teach in other parts of the UK.

  It may also allow you to teach overseas, though you should always check what qualifications are needed in the country you’d like to teach in.

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

• Age range: 11 to 18
• Course length: 1 year
• Date you can apply from: 14 October 2021
• Date course starts: September 2022
• 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.

Holly Lodge High School in Smethwick is the lead school for Secondary training. You will be able to select your 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.

School placements

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 Lodge’s successful sixth form.

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

Locations

You can select one of the following locations when you apply.

Location	Vacancies
Holly Lodge High School Holly Lane, Smethwick, West Midlands, B67 7JG	Yes
Ormiston Sandwell Academy Lower City Rd,, Tividale, Oldbury, B69 2HE	Yes

Entry requirements

Qualifications needed

An undergraduate degree at class 2:2 or above, or equivalent.

Grade 4 (C) or above in English and maths, or equivalent qualification.

We will not consider candidates with pending GCSEs.

We will not consider candidates who need to take a GCSE equivalency test.

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.

Fees and financial support

The course fees for UK students in 2022 to 2023 are £9,250.

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 either Newman University or Birmingham City 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 Bromwich lead the Primary training StJohnBosco -Secondary Training, Holly Lodge High School in Smethwick is the lead school for Secondary training. HollyLodge

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.

International students

We cannot sponsor visas. You’ll need to get the right visa or status to study in the UK.

You do not need a visa if you already have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, or if you’re an Irish citizen.

Candidates with qualifications from non-UK institutions may need to provide evidence of comparability by applying for a UK ENIC statement.

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 and Birmingham City University allow us to offer all our trainees the support they need.

Contact this training provider

• 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

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).

Find out about the different ways to train if you do not have a degree, or are already an experienced teacher.

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