Wealden Partnership Physics (2GCK)

PGCE with QTS full time

• Accredited body: University of Sussex
• 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: 11 October 2022
• Date course starts: September 2023
• Website: http://www.heathfieldcc.co.uk/?page_id=566097

Contents

Course summary

The training will be delivered both at the university and by staff at the partnership schools.

Our School Direct course is offered as a 1 year full-time programme. Successful candidates will be awarded Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and a PGCE of 90 Masters Level Credits allowing progress onto the University of Sussex Part-time Masters in Education for Early career Teachers.

Our course provides carefully structured, professional learning opportunities which enable trainees to critically and effectively progress in planning, teaching and assessing. Together, university teacher educators and excellent classroom practitioners share their enthusiasm and professional knowledge to give you opportunities to focus on how to best creatively engage, enthuse and develop your students across Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 age ranges.

The Sussex course brings together education theory and practice encouraging you to critically reflect on approaches to learning and teaching. Excellent teachers from our partnership schools are seconded to the tutor team in most subjects and contribute additional currency to teaching and trainee support.

You will attend a full-time three week induction course on the university Campus during September to prepare you for starting your school placement with us towards the end of the month.

Full-time candidates spend Monday to Thursday each week training in one of our partnership schools and attending the University Campus on Fridays for lectures, workshops and seminars with our team of experienced subject tutors.

Over the year you will be placed in two different schools and required to pass both placements. Additional assessments are via a Masters level essay submitted in late February and an innovative Viva style Masters level exit interview at the end of the course.

Further information on the course can be found here and here.

School placements

You will undertake two periods of Professional Practice in two contrasting schools over the academic year September to June, training to teach in Key Stage 3 (11-14), Key Stage 4 (14-16) and Key Stage 5 (16-18).

Placement 1: End of September to February half term. Trainees benefit from a serial placement where the working week is divided between four days in school and a day of reflection and training at the University on Fridays. This ensures a weekly focus on theory and pedagogy as well as practice.

Placement 2: February Half term to Easter in a contrasting school or college with a return to your original placement school until May half term to complete the course. There are fewer University days to give you experience of working a 5 day school week.

We are also proud to offer an innovative optional training strand in Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) which includes enhanced training opportunities and a bespoke Placement 2 in a local partnership special school. This strand would suit any trainee interested in working in a SEND environment.

Locations

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

Location	Vacancies
Beacon Academy Green Lane, Crowborough, TN6 2DY	Yes
Heathfield Community College Cade Street, Old Heathfield, East Sussex, TN21 8RJ	Yes
Uckfield College Downsview Crescent, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 3DJ	Yes
Uplands Community College Lower High Street, Wadhurst, East Sussex, TN5 6AZ	Yes

Entry requirements

Qualifications needed

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

Your degree subject should be in physics or a similar subject. Otherwise you’ll need to prove your subject knowledge in some other way.

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

We’ll consider candidates with pending GCSEs.

We’ll consider candidates who need to take a GCSE equivalency test in English or maths.

Sussex University require candidates to source and undertake GCSE Equivalency tests at their own expense. We can accept equivalency test passes from ‘A Star’ and ‘Equivalency testing.com’.

Personal qualities

• A passion for the subject you wish to teach and interest and involvement beyond your degree
• A strong knowledge and understanding of the subject you are applying to teach, and a sound awareness of how the subject is taught within UK secondary schools
• Effective communication and organisational skills
• Awareness of current educational developments and issues
• Experience with young people and commitment to developing individuals
• The ability to evaluate practice and address your weaknesses
• Initiative, flexibility and responsiveness to change
• A sense of responsibility and ability to work in a team.

Other requirements

We would expect you to have some experience of working with young people in this age group. It is an advantage to have undertaken some recent classroom observation in your subject area.

You must not be excluded from working with children, as a result of a criminal record or other reason. The Disclosure and Barring Service provides access to records held nationwide through its disclosure service. All trainees must obtain successful DBS clearance before starting an Initial Teacher Education programme.

All trainees must be screened for mental and physical fitness to teach by the University’s Occupational Health Department before admission.

Fees and financial support

The course fees for UK students in 2023 to 2024 are £9,250.

Sussex University is able to sponsor visas for this course.

Financial support from the training provider

Up-to-date information about financial support can be found here

About the training provider

The Wealden Partnership offers high quality teacher training by dedicated professionals in a supportive and inspirational environment. We have worked with trainee teachers from our local universities for many years and value the enthusiasm, skills and qualities they can offer to a school community. We believe that teaching is a wonderful career and that this is a successful, innovative and vibrant group of schools to work with.

Our partnership of schools is led by Heathfield Community College and comprises three other large secondary schools, Uckfield College, Uplands Community College and Beacon Academy. All four schools are highly successful and popular 11 – 18 mixed comprehensives situated in semi-rural communities in the north-eastern corner of East Sussex, within commuting distance of the South Coast. The schools are conveniently located within 10 miles of each other and this enables trainees to attend joint training sessions across all schools.

In addition to collaborating on teacher training, the partnership runs joint training sessions for all staff and provides a range of CPD opportunities for individual staff at various stages of their career development. All schools are committed to raising the quality of teaching and learning through raising standards.

Pupils in the partnership schools are happy, friendly and well-motivated and their welfare and progress lie at the heart of everything we do.

Our teachers are innovative and enthusiastic practitioners eager to share their expertise with the next generation of teachers.

About the accredited body

Our training is supported by the University of Sussex, which has a long and successful tradition in teacher education.

The university works with us to provide quality input on how to teach and assess in secondary schools and also provides a comprehensive programme of professional studies which complements the sessions offered in our partnership.

Interview process

Applicants who meet the entry requirements will be invited to a Sussex selection event either face to face or online via Zoom. Following a successful interview, the partnership will then invite the candidate for a school interview.

The selection event:

Before:

• Listen to a video talk giving further information about the Sussex course
• Complete paperwork including our ‘Suitability for Teaching Declaration’.

On the day:

• An individual online interview or face to face with a Sussex tutor and an experienced teacher.
• Deliver a short pre-prepared classroom type teaching task or presentation to the panel.
• Show a form of photo ID on camera or in person for checking
• An opportunity to ask any questions you may have.

After:

• If we offer you a place and you decide to accept we will need to see your original Undergraduate Degree certificate, and GCSE Maths and English certificates

Heathfield Community College is the lead school in the partnership and will be co-ordinating the partnership’s interview process. Interviews may take place online or face-to-face and will include the delivery of a presentation about a teaching activity you have previously undertaken, a short written task related to a current educational issue and the formal interview. Subject staff and at least one Professional Tutor will be involved in the interviews.

Showing an awareness of the curriculum and school life is part of the selection process so if possible candidates may wish to spend time in an appropriate school setting beforehand.

International candidates

You’ll need the right to study in the UK. You already have this if, for example, you:

• are an Irish citizen
• have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (you may still be able to apply)
• have indefinite leave to remain in the UK

If you do not already have the right to study in the UK for the duration of this course, you may need to apply for a Student visa.

To do this, you’ll need to be sponsored by your training provider.

Before you apply for this course, contact us to check Student visa sponsorship is available. If it is, and you get a place on this course, we’ll help you apply for your visa.

Alternatively, check if you’re eligible for a different type of visa, such as a Graduate or Family visa, that allows you to train to be a teacher without being sponsored.

Find out more about training to teach in England.

International qualifications

If your qualifications come from a non-UK institution, we may want to see a ‘statement of comparability’ from UK ENIC. This will show us how they compare to UK qualifications.

You can call Get Into Teaching on 0800 389 2500 for:

• guidance on the UK equivalents of your qualifications
• a free statement of comparability once you’ve submitted your application (if we ask you for this)

Training with disabilities and other needs

Our partnership consists of 4 mainstream schools who all have a fully inclusive approach to education and recruitment.

Any additional support required can be discussed during the interview process and support can be put in place if needed.

Contact this training provider

• Email: jsheldon@heathfieldcc.co.uk
• Telephone: 01435866066
• Website: http://www.heathfieldcc.co.uk/?page_id=566097
• Address: Heathfield Community College; Cade Street; Old Heathfield; East Sussex; TN21 8RJ

Support and advice

For support and advice, you can speak to a teacher training 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 chat online Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm (except public holidays).

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

If there is something wrong with this course listing, contact us by email.