During the week, your understandings of key concepts and classroom practice are also explored in Professional Studies sessions, which will give you the opportunity to reflect on your own teacher identity and progress as a developing teacher. You will engage in small group discussions about the weekly RRPP theme, subject knowledge enhancement and development of your practical skills in the classroom, in readiness for your main school placement.
Our partnership schools and your teaching placement
These university-based sessions complement the school-based experience you will gain in schools in the Durham University Schools Partnership, which will be a minimum of 120 days. The responsibility for training is shared between schools and the University, which together provide a supportive professional environment in which you can develop your knowledge, skills, understanding and expertise. Our School Training Centre Coordinators and Class-Based Mentors work in partnership with the University to give you the best possible encouragement and further development as you progress towards your Qualified Teacher Status. The School Direct Lead School arranges and oversees the placement aspect and provides workshops, support with teaching and guidance on teaching practice.
Your entitlement as a trainee teacher at Durham
We place a firm emphasis on your entitlement to the Core Content Framework throughout our PGCE course to fully prepare you for the Early Career Framework, which will support you during your first two years of teaching as an Early Career Teacher. In addition to a clear understanding of how to meet the Teachers’ Standards, we will ensure that you start your school placement with a sound foundation of pedagogy relevant to primary education.
What else does Durham University offer?
Our course prioritises the need to equip you with the ability to take advantage of the latest digital technology to enhance your teaching and learning skills. We also pride ourselves on the personal, constructive and friendly support which you will receive from your University Tutors and our Well-being Team throughout the course.
Academic and research-based assignments
The key academic element to our course underpins the year, with three modules that enable you to explore ideas in the field of education. Two of the three assignments are introduced by highly engaging conferences with expert speakers.
The Professional Issues assignment focuses on contemporary curriculum design in schools in an area of your choice, related to the primary curriculum.
The Teaching and Learning in the Curriculum assignment allows you to choose an area of interest from a series of keynote presentations by leading researchers in the field of education, and to explore this area in relation to the notion of a ‘successful learner’.
The Self-Directed Study assignment is a subject specialist piece (primary English, Mathematics, Science or Humanities). This overarches the academic year and draws upon research-based practice, ethics and your own small-scale study in your placement school.
For all your assignments, we offer strong support for you from the Module Convenor, your University Tutor, and the academic services within the University.
Students who have successfully completed the PGCE at Durham in the previous academic year have the option to use 90 credits they have accredited towards a part-time MA Education. These students only need to do the core modules, Education Enquiry, and the Dissertation over two years, to complete the programme.
Duration
The course is delivered full-time, starting in early September and continuing over 10 months. During this time, you will experience a blend of University teaching interwoven with school experience.
