Devonport High School for Boys Biology (AW09)

Postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) with qualified teacher status (QTS)

• Accredited body: Plymouth Marjon University
• Financial support: Bursaries and 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 - secondary
• Course length: 1 year - full time
• Date you can apply from: 11 October 2022
• Date course starts: September 2023
• Website: http://www.dhsb.org

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Contents

Course summary

The course trains you in one year to become a Newly Qualified Teacher in a secondary school in the following subject specialism Biology. You will be based in two different secondary schools across the year, immersed in school life and taking an active role in the school team. You will work mainly out of a lead school of Devonport High School for Boys, with an additional placement for six to twelve weeks to give you breadth of experience.

Some training will be school-based, led by teachers and working with other trainees from other schools, and you will also attend university and be part of a broad cohort of university students Formal assessment for the School Direct programme takes place throughout the year in partnership with Plymouth Marjon University our HEI link partner.

School placements

If you are successful in being offered a School Direct placement with us you will be based in Devonport High School for Boys. In addition, you will be required to develop further in a second school identified by us as best suited to meet your training needs from the range of partner schools wishing to train in your subject. Unlike a university based PGCE the academic year runs from September to July following our school term dates. Each School Direct trainee will undertake two placements, a longer placement starting at DHSB and a second shorter placement usually taking place in one of our other partner schools to provide a contrasting experience.

Entry requirements

Qualifications needed

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

Your degree subject should be in biology 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 will not consider candidates who need to take a GCSE equivalency test.

Personal qualities

We are looking for committed and dedicated people who can demonstrate effective inter-personal and communication skills and who can work as part of a team. All applicants need the ability to use their initiative and be resilient when working under pressure. We are looking for trainee teachers who are passionate about making a difference and who think deeply about their practice, actively seeking advice and guidance in order to be the very best they can be.

Other requirements

All applicants will be subject to suitability checks. This includes a full enhanced disclosure and barring check for child and adult workforce, as well as clearance by your HEI Link Occupational Health department.

Fees and financial support

The course fees for 2023 to 2024 are as follows:

UK students	£9,250
International students	£12,000

About the training provider

Devonport High School for Boys, a happy and vibrant grammar school for boys aged 11-18 with a co-educational sixth form. Our vision, whatever your role in the school or personal ambition, is that ‘Everyone Succeeds’. We provide a disciplined, caring environment in which students achieve levels of excellence that reflect their tremendous potential and our high expectations. Examination results and university entrance records are among the best in the country. In addition, we provide a remarkable range of co-curricular activities. Mission statement: We inspire confidence so that all achieve the highest possible standard of academic success. We develop talents so that everyone is enriched. We support individuals in our school community to enhance their prowess and shape their future. As a student teacher at DHSB we commit to provide you with the experiences and support necessary to flourish and qualify as a teacher in your chosen subject area. You will also be given opportunity to develop your understanding and experience of pastoral care. We aim to do this by providing you with a school based subject tutor and in addition a school mentor from outside of your subject area who will provide support with pedagogy and non subject specific aspects of learning to teach.

Interview process

If you are invited for interview you will receive full details of what will be expected of you in a letter of invitation. We work closely with Plymouth Marjon University in the selection process. You will be expected to be familiar with key issues and developments in secondary schools - especially those in your subject area. It will help you to read the educational press and to talk to teachers and those currently undertaking teacher training. Our interview procedure is a rigorous and thorough process, designed to get the best match of applicant to the School Direct places available. It will also include an assessment / audit of your literacy and numeracy skills. The best preparation for interview is a visit to a school or schools. Talk to teachers and students; try to evaluate what is being learned and how the teachers encourage the learning to take place. You will be expected to discuss these observations in your formal interview; where we will be looking for your ability to analyse your experience and show a deeper understanding of the learning process. During interview the following points will be assessed:

• Appropriate qualities, attitudes, ethics and values
• Subject knowledge and understanding
• Intellectual and academic capabilities
• Suitability for the course

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

We welcome applications from candidates with disabilities and other needs and with our HEI partners make reasonable adjustments to ensure that the training programme is accessible to all. Please find detailed information about the support we provide in conjunction with our HEI partner below. University of St Mark and St John (Marjons) :(https://www.marjon.ac.uk/student-life/student-support-/disability—inclusion-advice-service/)

Contact this training provider

• Email: schooldirect@dhsb.org
• Telephone: 01752208787
• Website: http://www.dhsb.org
• Address: Devonport High School for Boys; Paradise Road; Plymouth; Devon; PL1 5QP

Support and advice

You can speak to a teacher training adviser for free, dedicated advice. They are all experienced teachers who can give you one-to-one support with your application. They can also help you get school experience, and find events where you can speak to training providers and teachers.

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).

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