Postgraduate School Direct

There are essentially two pathways within the School Direct course. All students are automatically on the Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) course but all students have the opportunity, in consultation with their school partner, to opt into the School Direct PGCE pathway.

QTS Pathway – all students

 The majority of your time on this course is spent in school. It is a requirement of all QTS courses that you get at least 60 days (or equivalent) training through the year. You will get at least 15 days taught sessions from the University and a course of professional development provided by the school. Your development in school will be supported by a mentor who will help you in your progress towards meeting the standards for QTS. You will be required to undertake a period of placement in a second school that provides a contrast to your base school.

School Direct PGCE Pathway – an option for all students

The School Direct PGCE pathway is a mixture of work based learning and academic assessments. All students on this pathway will study the aspects described above in the QTS pathway. In addition, Student Teachers who opt in to this pathway will be required to undertake academic study and write academic assignments. There are additional taught sessions and tutorial support to support students studying on this pathway.

Professional Studies
Professional Studies sessions aim to inform you about aspects of professional practice which are central to your work, whatever your subject or phase, including how do we learn, how do we include all children, how is teaching a professional activity, how can education be organised and how can learning be assessed.

Curriculum Studies
This module involves work in studying key concepts that underpin the various curricula and syllabi for your subject or phase. The sessions allow discussion of different pedagogies and allow reflection on differing school approaches to the subjects or phases.

Enhanced Studies
The module enables you to choose an area on your School Development Plan and study this in more depth through a research project based in your school.

AWARDS

There are two possible awards from your School Direct course:

• Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) Pathway, all successful student teachers will achieve the recommendation for QTS.
• School Direct PGCE Pathway, successful student teachers who (in consultation with their school partner) decide to opt in to the School Direct PGCE (as described in “What will I study?”) will be awarded a PGCE.

The majority of the learning on this course happens in schools. Student teachers will learn in a variety of ways in school, including from experienced mentors, through observing others and through experience.

There are 15 days taught in university at the Canterbury Campus. The teaching on these days will be a mixture of lecture and seminar and workshop activity.

There is a high level of individual support for learning offered in this course through the mentors in school and the university tutors.

Fees

2017/18 tuition fees for this course

Students may self-fund their course or a sponsor may fund or part-fund. Bursaries, scholarships and fee discounts may also be available.

Further information

• See information about financial support available for postgraduate studies
• If you would like information about paying your fees, please contact finance@canterbury.ac.uk
• For specific fee queries, please contact fees@canterbury.ac.uk

Additional course costs

Although we aim to minimise any additional costs to students over and above the course tuition fee, there will be some additional costs which students are expected to meet.

Costs applicable to all students

General principle policy

The University’s general principles policy for additional course fees are set out here

School Direct (unsalaried)

Bursaries

Generous, tax-free funding is available to the best graduates training in a range of subjects. For instance, if you teach secondary maths, you could get £30,000 – a £20,000 tax-free bursary while you train and a further £10,000 after tax once in teaching.

You do not need to apply for a bursary – if you are accepted on to a non-salaried postgraduate course and meet the eligibility criteria you will receive information on the bursary prior to your enrolment on the course.

Scholarships

If you have the potential to be an inspirational teacher and are passionate about your subject you could apply for a scholarship to support your training.

Scholarships of up to £28,000 are awarded to the most gifted trainees in a range of areas and in partnership with highly regarded professional subject associations.

Subject scholarships are available in:

• Physics
• Computing
• Chemistry
• Geography
• Languages
• Secondary maths

View the Department of Education’s Get into Teaching pages to see details about the bursaries and scholarships available.

School Direct (salaried)

If you are studying on the School Direct (salaried) programme you will be employed and paid a salary by your school. The salary rates will vary depending upon the location of your school and what you are training to teach. You will be paid on the unqualified teacher pay scale, students training in maths, physics and computing can earn up to £25,000.

For more information, please visit Get into Teaching.

Loans and other funding

With or without a bursary or scholarship, you could receive a tuition fee loan and maintenance loan to help fund your teacher training year. Alternatively, you could earn a salary while you train.

Visit GOV.UK and use the student finance calculator to estimate student loans and extra funding that may be available, e.g. if you’re disabled or have children.

QTS Pathway – all students
Throughout the course you will be assessed by your mentors and tutors who will grade you at key points to help you understand how well you are meeting the standards for QTS. At the end of the course you will have a final assessment. This will take the form of a review meeting to formally assess whether you have met the standards for QTS.

School Direct PGCE Pathway
In addition to the above assessment process for the recommendation for QTS students who have opted for the School Direct PGCE Pathway will be required to submit three 4,000 word assignments, spread across the year, which will be assessed at Masters Level.

Applicants to School Direct courses will need to apply, via UCAS, to a school partner for a School Direct place. Canterbury Christ Church University is not able to offer these places directly.

For more information please see the UCAS website.

SCHOOL DIRECT TEACHING SCHOOL ALLIANCE PARTNERS

All applications for School Direct are made via UCAS. Places are not listed under Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU), but under the lead schools who have these places. The list below gives all the main partners working with CCCU in 2017/18. You may want to look at their webpages to see what they say about training to teach with them (and CCCU).

TSA = Teaching School Alliance