Weekly Professional Studies
Professional Studies
Our training programme includes school-led training and weekly training sessions (predominantly in the autumn and spring terms) that teach key elements of subject knowledge and pedagogy. Ofsted rated our training programme as ‘Outstanding’ and trainees rate the sessions very highly.
Sessions are delivered by a team of national experts, educational consultants, lead practitioners and phase specific educationalists. We work closely with The University of Roehampton who deliver core English training for all trainees and Kingston University for the additional PGCE qualification.
What's included?
Subjects for all trainees include:
- Understanding learning
- Understanding curriculum
- Planning for learning
- Managing behaviour
- Assessment and effective feedback (including teacher well-being)
- Self-care strategies for staff and children
- Effective learning
- Artificial Intelligence in Education
- Special educational needs
- Disadvantaged children
- Safeguarding, Fundamental British Values and the PREVENT agenda
- Transition to the Early Career Framework and first year in teaching
- Supporting children with English as an additional language (EAL)
- Professional conduct
Primary:
- Knowledge will be developed across all National Curriculum subjects
- Core subject training in Maths, Science and English (pedagogy and subject knowledge)
- Foundation subject training (History, Geography, Music, PE, Art and Design, Design and Technology, Modern Languages Computing)
- Subject knowledge enhancement (spelling, grammar, punctuation and mathematics)
- Systematic synthetic phonics
- PSHE
- Religious education
- Early years foundation stage
Secondary:
- Trainees learn foundational knowledge, pedagogies and skills and engage with current research.
- Additionally, secondary trainees develop comprehensive subject knowledge and subject-specific teaching through Expert Subject Mentor training sessions.
Additional training
- Subject knowledge enhancement (maths, spelling, grammar, punctuation)
- Personalised coaching
- Enhancement opportunities to experience various specialist SEND provisions to consider barriers to learning
- Enhanced EAL experience opportunities
- Opportunities to experience additional Key Stages
- Opportunities to experience alternative provision such as education in prison and early years provision
- Maths mastery
- Early years foundation stage
What will we provide?
- An Induction programme
- Training plans to guide each step of the year – personalised to the needs of each trainee
- A gradual introduction to teaching – observation, small groups and small whole class leading (e.g. transitions, routines) before building to co-planning and co-teaching lessons to independently planning and delivering whole lessons.
- A steady increase in teaching across the year
- Personal and fully trained school-based mentor
- Appropriate and contrasting experience of two schools
- A specific focus on phonics and early reading both through training and the opportunity to engage in teaching phonics regularly during the programme in more than one partner school
- Strong focus on teaching mathematics, English and science through links with North East Hants and Surrey Maths Hub, Kingston University, The University of Roehampton, academic tasks and school visits
- Opportunities to develop supportive and professional relationships with trainees in other partnership schools
- Support from an external Support Tutor who visits regularly
- Full time, dedicated Director of ITT, Deputy Director of ITT, Cohort Leads and a Programme Coordinator to answer questions and to provide pastoral support
- Subject knowledge support and access to additional online training
- Access to a range of outstanding primary and secondary schools, including the lead school, South Farnham
- Support for each trainee throughout their application process for a first teaching post, either within the partnership or outside it
Trainees join the programme with a wide range of experience and starting points so we recognise the importance of supporting all trainees to breakdown ‘what it is that makes a great teacher’. A team of national experts, lead practitioners and primary educationalists run weekly professional studies sessions in venues across Surrey.
(Partnership Headteacher)