Dartmoor Teaching School Alliance
Geography (3DM6)

PGCE with QTS full time

• Accredited body: University of Exeter
• 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) 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.

• Course length: 1 year
• Date you can apply from: 8 October 2019
• Date course starts: September 2020
• Website: http://www.dartmoortsa.org.uk

Contents

About the course

Why train to become a Geography Teacher with us?

• Course is designed and led by outstanding geography teachers with backgrounds in teacher training and senior leadership.
• Gain practical experience in the classroom from the beginning of the programme.
• Through our bespoke programme, learn from experienced teachers and nationally recognised leaders in the geography education.
• Develop in a supportive environment with access to personalised coaching and mentoring.
• Engage with contemporary and innovative approaches to teaching geography in the classroom.
  
• Explore current research and academic literature to enhance your classroom practice.
• Enjoy regular opportunities to expand geographical subject knowledge to meet the needs of the new exam board specification and to reflect current geographical events and issues.
• Learn how to take learning beyond the classroom, exploring opportunities for field work in the diverse Devon landscape
• Superb school placement options across the greater Devon area

Structure of the Course

You would spend three days a week in your placement school, one day per week working from home on the distance learning component through the University of Exeter and one day per week receiving subject specialist input with experienced geography teachers and other experts through Dartmoor Teaching School Alliance and its partner Teach South West. You will also complete a shorter second placement in a contrasting school during the Spring Term.

University-based: Distance Learning

The distance learning course is provided by the University of Exeter through their online learning portal. Trainees study a series of core weekly topics, with varied input via audio lectures and PowerPoints, interactive tasks and independent reading. The Masters level input is linked to school practice through a series of ‘framework’ tasks: these prompt trainees to relate the theoretical principles encountered through the core materials to their experiences in school. The online materials also support the completion of two Masters assignments (30 credits each).

Course content includes:

• Subject knowledge updates from geography lecturers
• Geography’s place on the curriculum
• Planning for progression at KS3
• Understanding the KS4/KS5 geography curriculum
• Exploring the impact of current educational research geography teaching
• Use of current publications and what this means for teaching geography
• The contribution of fieldwork to geography education
• The role of GIS and technology
• Exploring sustainability
• Using photos for enquiry-based learning
• Non-examined assessment at A Level

Interview process

Applicants will be contacted by phone or email shortly after we receive an application to discuss interview arrangements. Interviews are typically held at Okehampton College.

On occasions we hold interviews at placement schools.

Where applicants are overseas or unable to attend an interview, alternative arrangements can be made - please contact Martin Smith - Director - to discuss (msmith@dartmoortsa.org.uk)

During the interview process we may seek further clarification on information provided through your UCAS application. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is one of our highest priorities and as such the interview has been designed to assess your suitability to work with children and will include questions regarding safeguarding and promoting welfare of children.

The interview process will involve a staff panel interview, written exercise and a presentation and question session from a Student Panel.

We request the following following documents are brought to the interview:

• Your DBS certificate (if you have this)
• Your original GCSE, A Level and degree certificates (or equivalent)
• One form of identification for verification purposes (e.g. valid passport or drivers’ licence)
• Proof of current address (e.g. utilities bill, bank statement)

How school placements work

Placement Options

We have 27 secondary schools in the Devon, Plymouth and Cornwall, offering placement options for applicants. To view a map of our member schools click HERE or see list HERE

How placements are decided

Decisions about placements are lead by applicant preferences and needs. Applicants might want to train close to home. In some cases applicants want to train in a school where there is a particular curriculum strength; in other cases applicants may have been a TA at the school and wish to build on this relationship. Whatever the reason, one of our first conversations with you will be ‘where do you want to undertake your main placement?’. Of course, we cannot guarantee that we can find the perfect match, but our commitment is to try to find a school that matches your needs.

While every effort is made to find placement schools close to home for applicants, please note that where we have applicants applying late in the recruitment cycle for the year school placement options could become more restricted as other providers will have firmed up placements with schools as well. We are very supportive of late applications but just need to make applicants aware that this can at times be a factor.

Fees

The course fees for 2020 to 2021 are as follows:

UK students	£9,250
EU students	£9,250
International students	£18,500

Financial support

You could be eligible for either:

• a scholarship of £17,000
• a bursary of £15,000

To qualify for a scholarship you’ll need a degree of 2:1 or above in Geography 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.

Financial support from the training provider

You can find out the range of DfE bursaries and subject scholarships HERE

Requirements

Qualifications

Entry to the PGCE programme is conditional on:

• Graduate or equivalent status
• The relevance of an Honours degree content to the chosen specialist subject(s) (current University of Exeter students are allowed to take up to 30 credits outside of their degree programme, some of which may strengthen an application for a PGCE)
• Passes at GCSE in English and Mathematics at grade C or above or equivalent (or for GCSEs taken from Summer 2017 onwards, grade 4 or above) for those applying for Secondary.

Other requirements

• Selection based on the information provided on the UCAS
• Teacher Training application
• Selection based on successful interview
• Satisfactory medical report
• A Satisfactory Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) enhanced check
• It is the University’s policy that level 2 certificate in Adult Literacy/Numeracy is not acceptable as an equivalent to GCSE English/Mathematics
• DfE entry requirement to pass professional skills tests in literacy/numeracy has been removed for 2020/21 entry onwards. Instead PGCE trainees will be benchmarked during their training against Government-defined set of fundamental mathematics/English skills. Further details on this process are yet to be confirmed.

About the training provider

Dartmoor Teaching School Alliance is an alliance of primary and secondary schools servicing Devon and the wider area. If you are thinking about training to teach, we think we can offer you a superb range of inspiring courses. Whether you are a new graduate or you are considering a career change, our teacher training will equip you with the skills to be an outstanding teacher. Dartmoor TSA is led by Okehampton College, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. We work in partnership with the University of Exeter, itself rated Outstanding. To find out more watch our video HERE and visit our web site HERE

There are many great reasons to train with us:

• An outstanding partnership: Okehampton College and the University of Exeter offer trainees first class school placements and academic teaching.
• Train close to home: With 85 schools in our Alliance from the greater Devon area, we offer trainees greater control over where they complete their training.
• Matching trainees to placement schools: every effort is made to carefully match trainees to placement schools that will best develop their skills teacher
• Support into employment and beyond: We recruit trainees with the view to support them, through workshops and mock interviews, to secure their first post. Trainees that go onto teach in local schools are supported through our wide range of NQT and other programmes.
• Values-centred training: we are passionately committed to the values of co-operative schools that put people at the centre of everything we do.

About the accredited body

The University of Exeter is a leader in Initial Teacher Education, consistently graded as outstanding in all areas by Ofsted and ranked 3rd amongst university providers of teacher training in the Good Teacher Training Guide 2017.

It has an excellent graduate employment record.

The PGCE is uniquely characterised by innovative research-led teaching informed by professional practice and academic excellence. The tutors have real-world experience as teachers, senior managers or Ofsted inspectors. They also lead and innovate, developing the latest ideas in teacher education, leading research, writing textbooks, leading subject networks and advising government.

Training with disabilities and other needs

The University of Exeter provides comprehensive student services that include AccessAbility and Wellbeing teams, Student Learning Skills Service, Student Advice Unit, Counselling Service, Students’ Union Advisors, Student Health Centre, Family Centre and the Chaplaincy. For further details on the wealth of support available to you please go to Student Support Services web page HERE

PGCE trainees are assessed by an Occupational Health provider as part of the admissions process to ensure they are fit to teach in a school setting. If the Occupational Health provider recommends any adjustments, the University’s Partnership Office will ensure you are placed in schools where these adjustments can be made, providing they are logistically possible and reasonable.

We always seek to support teachers for whom special educational needs could be a barrier to teaching. We will openly discuss the accessibility of our courses and indeed various partner schools in terms of training.

Contact details

• Email: msmith@dartmoortsa.org.uk
• Telephone: 01837 650910 ext 380
• Website: http://www.dartmoortsa.org.uk
• Address: Mill Road; Okehampton; Devon; EX20 1PW

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