Primary & SEN

This is a one-year, full-time course, specialising in teaching across the 5-11 age range with a focus on teaching in specialist provision for children with complex learning needs with recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) upon successful completion.

You will develop your skills and knowledge of the Primary National Curriculum and statutory requirements for working with children with Special Educational Needs with the help of an expert class mentor over the 37 weeks, enhancing your skills and expertise across Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 in mainstream and specialist schools.

Structure

Students attend regular training seminars which are delivered by experts in their field. They also undertake considerable personal research with specific reference to their particular professional training placement.

Each student has a personalised Individual Training Plan which reflects their individual strengths and areas for development and we personalise our training to suit these needs.

Placements

Students complete two significant training placements in two contrasting schools, carefully selected with their professional training needs and future aspirations in mind. This allows them to gain long term teaching experience in each of the two identified key stages, preparing them as they begin to apply for teaching posts.

September to February in a KS2 training placement
March to July in a KS1 training placement

All of our trainees gain enhanced experience, working in either Year 2 or Year 6 classrooms, enabling them to be part of the preparation for national tests at the end of key stages.

During the year our students also visit Priestmead and Harrow Teaching School Alliance in London, where they are accommodated within schools with a high percentage of children with EAL (English as an Additional Language). This gives them the opportunity to gain invaluable and enhanced EAL training experience.

Assessment

Students are assessed in an ongoing manner in a number of ways including:

Regular formative observations of teaching, learning and assessments;
Milestones and progress review at Training Placement 1 and Training Placement 2;
Submission of documentary evidence of meeting each Teachers’ Standard across two different age phases;
Successful completion of a Subject Knowledge Audit and personalised subject knowledge tasks and activities.