10-11_entry_candidate_information_booklet_

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INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION

GRADUATE TEACHER PROGRAMME

2010 – 2011

INFORMATION

FORCANDIDATES

S E C O N D A R Y

Revised May 2008



© Institute of Education, The University of Warwick

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The Graduate Teacher Programme is an employment-basedroute into Initial Teacher Training. It allows a trainee to beemployed as an unqualified teacher at a school while workingtowards the standards that all teacher trainees have to meetto gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). This booklet is a collection of information documents forcandidates who are considering applying for a place on theProgramme.

CONTENTS

Page

What sort of candidates are interested in GTP?

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What should candidates think about?

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Pre-training Guidelines

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Criteria for Selection of GTP Candidates

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Guidelines for selecting and de-selecting schools

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Definitions: Salary Grant Training Grant only

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What next?

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Graduate Teacher Programme

[email protected]

Melanie Pope GTP Course Leader 02476 523218Marion ScalesAlex Begbie

GTP Co-ordinatorGTP Co-ordinator

02476 52291802476 522918

Donna Jay GTP Course Support Co-ordinator 02476 524238

mailto:[email protected]






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What sort of candidates are interested in GTP?

The GTP is intended to broaden the nature of the workforce in teaching. It is also intended to increase the supply of high quality teachers for a range ofsecondary shortage subjects – i.e. Mathematics, Science, Modern Foreign

Languages, ICT, Religious Education. The majority of our places are for thesesecondary subjects, but we do also offer a smaller number of places for othersecondary subjects (Business Education, History, Drama and English). Please notethat we do not offer combinations of subjects. Through GTP we regularly train candidates who are ‘career changers’ and who couldnot afford/would not wish to train through PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate inEducation). Career change is one of our priority selection criteria. TheProgramme is particularly attractive to candidates who are already employed inschool in cover assistant, teaching assistant, learning mentor and technician roles. We also prioritise high quality candidates from groups which are under-represented

in teaching – for example, from ethnic minority groups who would make particularlygood role models and candidates with disabilities.

Candidates who have recently had a prolonged period of University study for a post-graduate degree may also be attracted to GTP as they may want a change of sceneand want their training to be predominantly away from the University base.

What should a candidate think about? PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

Be self-directing and enquiring. You will need to get support from very busy peopleso you must be diplomatic.

Be prepared to reflect on your own work and to be sensitive to what teachers do tobe effective. Many trainees have moved from careers where they had considerableresponsibility – humility and self-awareness are essential, as is the ability to learnfrom other practitioners, who may be younger than you, and from example.

Have the ability to identify gaps in your subject knowledge, to find appropriateresources and to work to remedy any areas of weakness.

Be efficient at collection and management of information - you have to produceevidence of meeting all the Standards (there are lots of them!)

ABOVE ALL – you need to genuinely like children and young people, want tospend a lot of time with them and be committed to their learning,

SELECTION Please read the section entitled Criteria for Selection of GTP Candidates as thiswill give a clear indication of what we seek when selecting candidates for theProgramme.




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NUMBER OF PLACES The number of places on GTP courses is considerably fewer than those for PGCEcourses and therefore competition for places is high. We are usually able to offeronly up to four places for each subject area and so advise candidates to apply widelyand to PGCE courses. IS THE QUALIFICATION OF EQUAL VALUE TO A PGCE?

On the whole yes, in England and Wales. It is not seen as equivalent to a PGCE inScotland and some people have reported that it is not recognised in some parts ofAustralia and the USA. WILL I HAVE ACCESS TO UNIVERSITY FACILITIES? You will have access to library facilities such as loans and e-journals, and theelectronic resources of the Institute of Education. WILL I BE ABLE TO GAIN MASTERS LEVEL CREDITS?

Yes. One module (equivalent to 30 CATS points) is integral to our course and therewill be an opportunity to complete another unit if you wish to do so. A master courserequires you to study six modules and gain 180 CATs points. Our course will enableyou to gain either 30 or 60 CATs points at Masters level. As you may be aware, theGovernment proposes that teaching will be a Masters level profession andopportunities are currently being developed for new entrants to the profession tocontinue with Masters study both in school and at university after they havecompleted their initial teacher training. The completion of the first (integral) module isfree of charge to Warwick GTP trainees. DO I SPEND THE WHOLE OF THE TRAINING PERIOD IN ONE SCHOOL?

No. You will spend approximately 20 days in another school which will be chosen foryou by the University of Warwick. We aim to allocate you to a school which will offeryou a contrasting experience and it may therefore be necessary for you to travelfurther than the distance travelled to your host school. The placement at this secondschool usually takes place in the second term of your training year. Developing a broad range of experience is important and this is one of thereasons why we advise candidates not to return to the school at which theywere a pupil for their training year.




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SCHOOL EXPERIENCE

The GTP is not an easy route into teaching. Make sure you have been into a schoolor schools in the phase (age-range) you are interested in. Both you and theemploying school need to be sure you have a realistic view of what teaching entails.Education has been through a period of substantial and rapid change so yourexperience as a pupil is not sufficient. During the training period it is important

that you develop a breadth of perspectives and we strongly suggest you do notreturn to the school where you were a pupil. Additionally, training at theschool where you yourself have children, siblings or close friends/relativesmay well create embarrassments or tensions and we therefore regard this asinappropriate.

Whilst we require that candidates have a minimum of 2 weeks experience in ageneral and departmental setting before commencing GTP training, this can begained at different stages in the selection process. If you are thinking of teachertraining and have no recent school experience, you will need to make arrangementsto spend from 2 or 3 days in a local state secondary school. We are unlikely to beable to take your application forward until you have completed this. Please read

‘Pre-training Guidelines section – Finding a pre-training placement’. You can makearrangements for this initial school visit independently, or seek assistance throughthe TDA’s1 Open Schools programme by telephoning the Teaching Information Lineon 0845 6000 991 for details. We will begin to consider you for selection once you have this initial experience. At alater stage you will be required to build on this experience by assisting and observingin ‘your’ subject area. The GTP team will advise in this respect as the selectionprocess proceeds. However, please see the ‘Pre-training Guidelines’ section whichoffers advice on how to get the most out of your school experience.

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Training and Development Agency for Schools




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Pre-training Guidelines Finding a pre-training placement:

The OFSTED website can be very helpful here – search for ‘OFSTED’, andthen ‘reports’. There is a search facility which helps locate schools within afixed radius of a postcode. Reports for schools can be opened and you

should take note of the general comments at the beginning of the report, and,if appropriate, of the comments relating to your chosen subject area. Grade3 indicates a satisfactory performance, Grade 2 is good and Grade 1 isoutstanding.

If the situation looks helpful from a training perspective, write formally to theHeadteacher asking if it would be possible to spend a period of time – up totwo weeks is ideal – in the school, with a view to considering a career changeinto teaching. Attach an up-to-date copy of your cv.

Bear in mind that sometimes a school, in recognising potential, will offer tohost your training year once they have met you and seen how you perform inthe classroom situation, so research carefully and present yourself well.However, do not be disheartened if this does not happen; there are manyreasons why schools cannot accommodate GTP trainees.

Before the placement:

Find out about the school and its educational priorities by referring to theOFSTED website, and any prospectus or website material provided directlyby the organisation itself.Take an early look at National Curriculum and National Strategy materialsrelevant to the age groups you hope to teach. (Check out the website for‘National Curriculum Online’, and search for the National SecondaryStrategy. Exam specifications can be checked on the web once you have

ascertained which board is used by the school in your particular subject area.The DCSF Standards site is also a very useful source of web-basedinformation (http://www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk).Ask for the name of the contact person you will meet on your first morningand fix an exact time and place of arrival.Ask for precise directions on how to get to the school. It may be worthwhilehaving a trial run as schools in residential areas are often difficult to locate.Punctuality is important.

During the placement:

Plan for an observation programme in your subject area which will cover theage and ability ranges taught within the school. Look for opportunities toassist with group work and work with individuals in the classroom situation.(Staff who work in practical subjects must consider safety and insuranceimplications and therefore it will be necessary to work within the closeguidance of the classteacher.)

If possible, try to find an opportunity to give some instructions to the group asa whole to see how it feels being in front of a class. Clearly, close liaison withthe class teacher will be required.

Keep an observation record book and make notes on key areas such as:

helpful features of teacher’s style of presentation; ways of managing




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behaviour; how information and tasks are adjusted to various age and abilitygroups; how the teacher prompts learning by the questions s/he asks.

Discuss issues with staff and find out how the curriculum and delivery haschanged over the last five years.

Find out about National Curriculum key stage assessment requirements andexam syllabi/assessment routes for pupils of differing abilities. As you find

out, try to deepen your awareness by accessing appropriate web-basedreading materials.

Consider the full range of teacher responsibilities by attending assemblies,shadowing a member of staff on statutory duty, enquiring about marking andpossibly attempting some marking yourself, assisting with an extra-curricularactivity and attending a team meeting, enquiring how lessons and longer termplans are prepared and implemented.

After the placement:

If the school expresses an interest in supporting you for your training year,enquire if the person you have been working with most closely will fill in a verybrief feedback request for you. If s/he is willing to do so, advise the GTPOffice at the University of your name, the name of the colleague and theschool address. A proforma will then be sent out by the University and thiswill form part of the information considered by the GTP Selection Team.




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Criteria for the Selection of GTP Candidates

Places Available

The TDA provides funding for a relatively limited number of initial teacher trainingplaces through the Graduate Teacher Programme. In 2010-11 we will be able totrain approximately thirty-five secondary candidates through this scheme.

Selection Criteria

General Requirements:All candidates seeking to enter an initial teacher training course forprimary/secondary teaching in England and Wales must have a degree, and theymust also have GCSEs at Grade C or above in English and Mathematics – orequivalent qualifications. (NB Adult Literacy and Numeracy Level 2 qualificationsare not regarded as having Grade C equivalence.) The Graduate Teacher Programme meets specific needs in teacher recruitment.These needs may change from year to year. At present, the TDA requires that GTPproviders seek fixed numbers of candidates to meet the following priorities:

applications for training in priority subjects ie where there are current shortages;other high quality secondary applications for non-priority subjects;applications to secondary from under-represented groups (ethnic minority groupsand candidates with disabilities).

Requirements for GTP at Warwick Institute of Education: Subject Knowledge:

applicants selected for interview will normally hold an Honours Degree, atGrade 2.2 or above;

if the candidate’s undergraduate degree is not at this level, consideration maybe given to knowledge which has subsequently been obtained through post-graduate study or through the workplace;applications from candidates from overseas whose degree is not equivalent toa UK honours degree will be considered on their own merits; It is essentialthat NARIC equivalence is sought at an early opportunity by the candidate asthis process may take several weeks;

the candidate’s degree will need to have a substantial component (aminimum of 50%) that is relevant to the subject they wish to teach. (Thesubject they wish to teach must be a National Curriculum subject or asubject taught to public examination level at KS4 as well as post-16.) Iftheir degree does not meet this requirement, it may be necessary toundertake preparatory reading or further study in order to give them thenecessary starting points. They should seek further advice from theGTP team at an early stage. (In the case of ICT, knowledge ‘at degreelevel’ can sometimes be acquired in the workplace.) We require that secondary candidates who do not hold English or MathsGCSE qualifications at Grade C or above or an equivalent (or a higher level

qualification in these subjects) take an equivalence test at the Institute ofEducation if they are successful following subject specialist interview at theUniversity of Warwick. The Institute’s GCSE equivalence tests are based on




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past GCSE papers and marked to GCSE standards. Candidates maytherefore wish to take GCSE study prior to taking an equivalence test as re-sits are not permitted. Further information about the WarwickEquivalence Tests can be found on the website:http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/wie/itt/pgce/faqs/.

We reserve the right to decline applications from candidates who do nothold GCSE Grade C (or equivalent) in Maths or English at the time ofapplication.

School Experience:

we require that all candidates have obtained recent classroom experienceprior to making application, two days being the absolute minimum;candidates may be employed in school as an unqualified teacher or inanother professional support role, but we require that other candidates spenda period of two weeks, and more if possible, in a local school observinglessons and assisting with individuals and small groups, prior to thecommencement of their training year.

Other factors affecting selection:

we give priority to candidates who are making a career change to enterteaching. Other candidates will be considered but must be able to make astrong case for consideration based on successful involvement in school;we look for evidence of a genuine, long-term commitment to working withchildren and young people;

secondary applicants: we look for a balance of subject specialisms in oursecondary GTP groups and usually take only 3 or 4 trainees in each subjectarea. (Our specialist subject tutors cannot usually supervise larger groups oftrainees;)

communication skills are a factor – candidates must show evidence of clearexpression, correct spelling and a good command of the English language(when speaking and when writing);candidates’ references must include indicat ions of academic potential andsuitability for teaching.

Training Grant only applications:

Whilst most of our GTP places are backed by salary and trainingfunding, schools at times request ‘training grant only’ places for candidates who are already experienced and teaching in school. Inthese circumstances evidence of existing achievement is also taken into

account. Priority will be given to ‘training grant only’ applications from schools in

the Warwick Partnership for Initial Teacher Training. Candidates for the ‘training grant only’ route must have been teaching

for at least 14 weeks, prior to the start of their course.




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Guidelines for University Decision re. GTP Schools To be considered as an appropriate training environment for a Warwick GTPtrainee, secondary schools must have the following:

a sound report from their last OFSTED Inspection or any subsequent

inspection which takes place during the training year, or good practice whichis recognised by the LEA;

for salary grant trainees, the trainee must be a supernumerary member ofstaff whose presence is, for the most part, not essential to the staffingof the school timetable. The school must be able to provide significantopportunities to work with experienced members of staff in the earlystages of the training programme. Where this is established as not beingthe case, the school must be willing to work with the Institute of Education todevelop a timetable which (a) offers adequate training opportunities, and (b)does not place unduly stressful teaching demands upon the candidateconcerned. There should always be some flexibility to change arrangements

if they prove inappropriate for training.

sufficient depth and breadth of timetabling in the subject area within which thecandidate is training to teach, to support their training requirements. Pleasenote we do not offer training in combinations of secondary subjects;

timetabling in two consecutive key stages in the subject area within which thecandidate is training to teach;

experience in initial teacher education (ITE), ideally within the Warwick PGCEor GTP schemes;

positive feedback from previous ITE training experience – particularly withinthe subject department in which the GTP trainee would be based;

a trained ITE subject mentor who will play a key role in the day-to-daymanagement of the candidate’s training, or a member of staff with sufficientteaching skill and experience who wishes to gain mentoring skills for thispurpose and who will have access to support from another colleague inschool who is experienced in ITE;

a member of the senior leadership team with responsibility for ITE, who willbe in a position to guide the trainee on issues connected with teaching and

assessment, and who will facilitate whole school experiences and inter-schoolvisits. This role is referred to hereafter as Professional Mentor;

a Professional Mentor and the Subject Mentor who, as key personnel in

training, are established in post prior to the commencement of thetraining period;

the ability to facilitate the attendance of the Professional Mentor and SubjectMentors at all update sessions arranged by the University of Warwick;

the ability to allocate adequate time to Mentors for their training role;




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stability of staffing: the department should be ‘well staffed’ and notexperiencing high staffing turnover. It is usually preferable if the GTP traineeis the only new member of staff in the department at the beginning of thetraining year;

a whole-school policy for initial teacher training;

a contingency plan in place prior to the commencement of the trainingprogramme so that focused training can continue even if a mentor isunavoidably absent from school for a significant period of time

to ensure objectivity of judgment in the assessment process, it is importantthat the trainee has no family relationship or personal ties with any member ofstaff in the training school

We also give consideration to the following points:

the location of the school (travel time and costs are usually impractical for

either the trainee or WIE tutors if the school is more than twenty miles’ driveaway from the University campus in Coventry);

the school’s existing commitment to PGCE and other ITE schemes: it is vitalthat the school does not over-commit to ITE as this could jeopardise trainingprogrammes in the event of mentor absence or adverse reaction fromteaching groups.

Where a salary grant is being provided to assist with all, or a large partof the trainee’s timetable, it is the accredited provider’s (in this case, theUniversity of Warwick’s) responsibility to ensure that the arrangementsfor school-based training are appropriate throughout the training period.Schools are required to meet all of the above criteria to ensure that thiswill be the case. Where any of the above criteria cannot be met, or difficulties ariseduring the course of the training period, the accredited provider willwish to defer salary grant funding or seek an alternative school base forthe trainee if a satisfactory solution cannot be found.

Additional circumstances where changes may be made to the location of the trainingprogramme:

where serious problems with staff relationships, not felt to be theresponsibility of the trainee, exist.




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Definitions: Salary Grant Training Grant only

Salary Grant funding

A place on the Graduate Teacher Programme which is referred to as being a ‘salarygrant place’ attracts two types of funding, salary grant funding and training grantfunding: salary grant funding is paid across from the TDA to the University of Warwick and isthen transferred to the school at which the trainee is employed, as a contribution tothe trainee’s salary costs. For a three-term salary grant in 2009-10, this fund is£14500; training grant funding is paid across from the TDA to the University of Warwick andis used as a contribution to training costs. For a three-term training grant, this fund is

approximately £5000. Part of this grant - £1500 per trainee for a three-term place - istransferred to placement schools as the Partnership Support fee. The breakdown isas follows:

£1250 to main placement school£250 to complementary school

Candidates who will be filling a teaching vacancy and are therefore not, for the mostpart, supernumerary to the school’s staffing, are not eligible to apply for a salarygrant funded place on the Programme. Schools in the independent sector are not eligible for salary grant funding. Forthis reason, a trainee will usually be required to fill a vacancy and train at the same

time. There are significant costs involved for the school in this situation and wetherefore advise contact between the school and the GTP team at an early stage.

Training Grant only funding A place on the Graduate Teacher Programme which is referred to as being a ‘traininggrant only place’ attracts training grant funding only, as outlined above. There is,therefore, no contribution from the TDA towards the trainee’s salary costs. Such places are offered to candidates who are, for the most part, filling a teachingvacancy and who have been teaching for a minimum of fourteen weeks.

Payment of the Partnership Support Fee is on the same basis as for salary grantplaces.




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THE TRAINING YEAR All GTP trainees must have a minimum of 60 days’ training during the course of their training year. Training sessions can be at school and at university. At the Universityof Warwick, compulsory sessions on basic teaching skills and teaching issues run onFridays from September until February half-term along with up to three days ofsubject enhancement input. All these sessions count towards the 60-day

requirement. School-based in-service training can also be counted as well as othertraining courses which trainees may need to undertake with regard to their teachingsubject eg health and safety courses. The usual expectation is that applicants will commence training in September. Inrecent years, all places have usually been allocated resulting in no availability forJanuary or April commencement.

WHAT NEXT? Although there are no closing dates for application to the Graduate TeacherProgramme at the University of Warwick, places are limited and we aim to allocateplaces to suitable candidates throughout the recruitment year. Interestedcandidates are therefore advised to apply early. Please note that the applicationprocess for the Graduate Teacher Programme takes considerably more time thanthat for PGCE because of the need for the development of an ongoing school link forthe training year. For this reason, it can be difficult for applicants applying after Aprilin the year prior to the September commencement of training, to be taken forward. If, having read this booklet, you think you have the necessary starting points fortraining, and have completed/arranged at least the minimum period (two orthree days) advised in school, please complete a GTP Application Form, whichcan be downloaded from the University of Warwick website or is obtainable by

emailing [email protected]. Once you have submitted your application form, you should receiveacknowledgement of receipt of your application from a GTP colleague by email, whowill then forward your form to the GTP Selection Team. Suitable candidates will beinvited to attend a ‘First Steps’ session (part information-giving, part selection event).These usually run once a month from November to April/May and are held in theevening from approximately 6.00-8.30 pm at the Westwood Campus, Coventry.Please note, however, that First Steps sessions will only run while GTP fundingplaces remain available. Applicants who receive favourable feedback from First Steps will be invited to attend

a subject knowledge specialist interview in due course.

Please note that it is important to complete all sections of the application formto avoid delay.

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