Overview of Accredited Providers
University of Roehampton
The University of Roehampton has been at the forefront of teacher education for over 100 years and has a long-established, international reputation as one of the principal providers of teacher education in the UK. Many members of the academic staff are at the cutting edge of research in teacher education, which has a positive impact on the quality of provision for all of their students and all tutors have extensive teaching experience in schools with many having served as consultants or as Ofsted inspectors.
The University of Roehampton has a long-established, international reputation as one of the principal providers of teacher education in the UK. They are part of a partnership of more than 200 schools. The key strengths of the secondary partnership as identified in the 2013 Ofsted inspection include:
- the partnership’s strong reputation locally that helps to maintain high employment rates,
- outstanding training in subject teaching that enables trainees to apply the best practice in subject-specific pedagogy, and
- the good quality of training overall that contributes to trainees’ strong professional
This course is for trainees following a non-salaried route. Training takes place at the University of Roehampton on the PGCE secondary programme and is followed by school placements within the South East Learning Alliance. The course is assessed against the teaching standards and by means of three assignments. These are closely linked to your work in schools and are designed to encourage reflection on the practical and theoretical perspectives of teaching and learning. 20 Masters credits are awarded for each assignment.
King’s College London
King’s College London have been training teachers for over 120 years and have developed and maintained a reputation for excellence in their training methods, the quality of their staff and the standards of the new teachers who graduate from their programmes. They currently specialise in secondary level Initial Teacher Education (ITE).
King’s seek to maintain a sensible balance between the two essential components of Initial Teacher Education – the theoretical foundations and the practical experience – whatever the route taken.
The College offers two Initial Teacher Training routes:
1. Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE + QTS)
Trainee teachers follow a programme closely modelled on the highly successful ‘traditional’ PGCE at King’s. Trainees obtain a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), which includes 60 credits towards a Master’s qualification, as well as obtaining QTS (Qualified Teacher Status). This is open to good graduates and is funded by tuition fees. Bursaries are available from the National College for Teaching and Leadership.
The Master’s level modules will require trainees to complete written assignments. Master’s level credits can be used towards gaining a Master’s level qualification at a later date. A full Master’s consists of 180 credits in total, so this course is the equivalent to one-third of a Master’s qualification.
2. Employment-based Training (QTS only)
This is an employment-based ITT course which is open to good graduates with at least three years’ work experience (work experience need not be in a teaching-related sector). Trainees on this route will earn a salary whilst they train.
Candidates should note that entry onto ITT courses at King’s College London is highly competitive, and that successful candidates’ qualifications usually exceed the stated minimum requirements.
e-Qualitas
e-Qualitas offer a salaried only teacher training course where your study is based on the distance learning resources on the eQ virtual learning environment (VLE). Training sessions are provided by experienced school staff, and you attend some training days run by eQ (up to about 10 days, mostly held in a venue in central London). You also have a subject-specialist visiting Tutor from eQ.
You will follow a course that leads to QTS. The course content is organised into six modules, the first three of which may be worked on concurrently.
Training Module 1A: Lesson planning
How to plan lessons well, including choosing the most appropriate teaching and learning strategies.
Training Module 1B: Behaviour
How to manage pupils during lessons, and motivating them towards learning.
Training Module 1C: Assessment
How to assess pupils’ learning in each subject, and use assessment information when planning and teaching lessons.
Training Module 2: Meeting needs of different groups of pupils
How to ensure that all groups of pupils do as well as possible eg those who speak English as an additional language, high attaining pupils, those with special educational needs.
Training Module 3: The wider context of teaching and learning in schools today
Barriers to learning ie why some pupils do not do as well as they should, and how teachers can make a difference to this.
Training Module 4: Subject teaching
Bringing everything together, how to teach really effectively. This builds on all the earlier training in how to teach effectively, and involves an in-depth study of an aspect of subject teaching.
Assessment
Your progress towards meeting the Teachers’ Standards is assessed formally at four points: when you start, after 10 working weeks, 20 working weeks and at the end of the training period. These assessments are carried out jointly by trainees, school staff and eQ Tutors. Your formal assignments are marked by eQ Tutors.
Goldsmiths
Goldsmiths has made an important contribution to the education of the nation’s teachers since the early 1900s, and has established a reputation for excellence in teacher training. You’ll be studying at an institution with a strong teacher training heritage and we’re renowned as a leader in the field.
Goldsmiths newly qualified teachers are highly employable – at primary level, for example, 9 out of 10 obtain teaching posts in London schools, and about two-thirds get employed by partnership schools.
The most recent Ofsted report highlighted that “[Goldsmiths] trainees have strong subject knowledge. They receive high-quality training from their subject specialist tutors. This is deepened and enriched by varied placements.”