Teacher Training

Newman has an established reputation for producing high quality teachers, who understand the needs of the children they teach, and develop creative and effective practice. Newman offers a range of teacher training courses at early years, primary and secondary level through our undergraduate, postgraduate and school direct programmes.

Undergraduate three or four year programmes:

• Primary Education Early Years (age 3-7) 
• Primary Education (age 5-11) with specialism

When you apply for one of the programmes above, you decide at the end of the second year whether to remain for three or four years, based on progress to date. Specialist curriculum modules are studied each year but the specialism will only be part of the degree title for students taking the four year route.

If you take the 4-year course you will have the opportunity to add an international dimension to your degree by studying overseas for one of your placements and to study for Master’s level modules in your fourth and final year.

Postgraduate PGCE one year courses providing QTS:

• Primary
• Primary with English as an Additional Language
• Primary with French, German or Spanish
• Secondary Citizenship (QTS)
• Secondary Computer Science and ICT
• Secondary English (QTS)
• Secondary Mathematics
• Secondary Modern Foreign Languages
• Secondary Physical Education (QTS)
• Secondary Religious Education (QTS)
• Secondary Science (QTS)

All PGCE routes at Newman will provide two opportunities:

• A Professional Graduate Certificate of Education which will prepare applicants for teaching and offers full QTS, or
• A Postgraduate Certificate of Education which will include 60 credits at Masters level and full QTS.

The latter option will be offered to applicants with an outstanding academic record or significant relevant experience. There will be an opportunity to discuss the details of the programmes and the work required for the Masters level route at your interview. Applicants should clearly state in their personal statement whether they want to apply for the professional or postgraduate course. 

School Direct
Newman offers two School Direct routes – training with salary programme and the training programme.

Assessment Only Route
This route is aimed at experienced graduate teachers who have taught in at least two schools or colleges.

Training in partnership
Teachers trained by Newman are present in our Partnership schools and they will support your training programme, helping to increase your classroom confidence, as you gain valuable experience in different learning environments. There are Partnership schools throughout the West Midlands and surrounding counties, but you should be prepared to travel for some placements in order to gain experience in a variety of schools.

Skills Tests
All applicants applying to start a teacher training course in September 2013 will be required to pass literacy and numeracy skills tests before 1st May 2013. Late applicants (applications received after 15th April 2013) must pass the skills tests before applying. These tests are carried out to ensure you have the expertise to meet your professional responsibilities. Currently, trainee teachers were unable to take the skills tests until their final year of study; this requirement was removed from 1st September 2012. The numeracy and literacy tests cover the core skills that teachers need to fulfil their wider professional role in schools, rather than the subject knowledge required for teaching.

To register for a skills test visit the Department of Education. We advise that you practise the tests beforehand as these are timed tests. You can access practise tests here. Applicants must submit an application before taking the tests as evidence must be provided when attending the test centre.

The number of resits allowed will be limited to two per subject. Candidates who fail after two resits in either numeracy or literacy will not be able to take any more skills tests, in either subject, for 24 months from the date of the second resit.

The interview process
Teacher training courses at Newman are competitive with nearly all courses substantially oversubscribed. If you are invited to attend an interview for a teacher training course, your interviewers will be looking for you to demonstrate a number of qualities expected of an ITE student throughout the day, including:

• Evidence of recent and relevant work or voluntary experience in British schools, which allows you to demonstrate your understanding of the role of the teacher both inside and outside the classroom;
• An awareness of developments in education and in the National Curriculum, and within your individual subject area;
• An ability to speak confidently and communicate effectively with individuals and groups; 
• A commitment to ensuring that children achieve their full potential, and an ability to build supportive, trusting, respectful relationships with them and evidence of how you have

Newman University uses a number of methods to assess these qualities in students being interviewed. The interview day is made up of 3 main components:

• English and mathematics tests
• Teaching a small group of other candidates
• Formal interview

English and mathematics tests
For the mathematics test, you will be given 20 minutes to answer 15 questions, using a range of basic mathematical skills, calculations and concepts that are applied within the classroom. Take the time to practise your skills.

PGCE Secondary Mathematics candidates will be asked to complete a 45-minute test comprised of three tasks involving calculations, teaching a particular topic and problem-solving skills.

For the English test, you will be asked to identify and correct a number of errors (spelling, punctuation and grammar) in a written extract, and will also complete a written task in a 20-minute time slot.

Teaching Session
You will be asked to prepare a short (5-minute) teaching session. You will be in small groups along with three or four other candidates and will not be permitted to use props or IT equipment (including PowerPoint) for your presentation – it is about you and your communication skills. The choice of subject is up to you – it could be a particular interest or hobby that you have but you must teach your audience something.

Preparation is the key to any good teaching episode, and the interviewers will be looking for you to include:

• a brief introduction;
• a main body, making good use of the time available and engaging the audience;
• and a definitive ending summarising the learning

All PGCE Secondary applicants (except PGCE Secondary PE) will be required to undertake a group task. This is designed to show the interviewers that you can work collaboratively with other professionals.

The interview
The interviewer will use your personal statement as a starting point, and will want to find out about you as a person – your interests, enthusiasms, personality, experiences and skills. You will be asked a series of questions related to you and your school experience.

If you have applied for an undergraduate primary or PGCE Primary course, you will be expected to read an extract from a children’s book during the interview and provide some suggested appropriate activities which could be undertaken as follow up work.

Applications for modern foreign languages courses
If you have applied for a modern foreign languages course (PGCE Primary with French, German or Spanish, or PGCE Secondary MFL) then part of the interview will be in the foreign language that you’ve chosen, as an oral test. You will also be required to undertake a short written test in order to show your grasp of grammar and written conventions of the language.

Applications for PGCE Secondary PE
If you have applied for a PGCE Secondary PE course, your interview day will also incorporate a one hour practical test, observed by PE tutors.

Other courses of interest:

Teaching and Learning Support Assistants	Foundation Degree	3 years part-time
Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies (CCRS)