The academic year for our secondary teacher training programmes begin with enrolment on campus.

Lectures begin with an introduction to the team and their responsibilities as well as signposting to important services. September will continue as a teaching block and will see an introduction to the dedicated Library Service Team, Student Services Team, professional associations including national teaching unions, members of Birmingham’s Catholic Partnership and your Students Union.

The end of the first week will culminate is a chilled get together of secondary trainees across all subject areas to catch-up with each other and share any thoughts over a barbeque as provided by our excellent Catering Manager, Ahron, here at Newman University.

Teacher training courses are a full-time commitment. When you are on placement you will be expected to attend all day Monday to Friday.

For on campus activities students are split into groups at enrolment. For some activities these will be subject specific groups, other will be mixed subjects. Required attendance will be Monday to Friday 9am-4pm.

Full details of your individual academic timetable will be available on mynewman after you have completed online enrolment and set up your student login.

We will be sharing further subject specific reading with you in September however if you wish to start reading now we would like to suggest the following:

Learning to Teach in the Secondary School – A Companion to School Experience Edited By Susan Capel, Marilyn Leask, Sarah Younie (2019)

PGCE / School Direct (tuition fee) Training Bursary 2023 – 24

The Department for Education has set out guidelines to which ITT providers are obliged to comply. In order to receive a PGCE / School Direct (tuition fee) training bursary, a trainee must attend an eligible course and also be personally eligible.

Applicants may be eligible for a bursary if they have a 1st, 2.1 or 2.2, or if they hold a masters or PhD.

During the online enrolment process you will be asked to sign a declaration to confirm that you have read, understand, and comply with these criteria.

You will also be required to provide your bank account details. Payment of the training bursary will be made by BACS into your nominated bank account no later than the 5th of each month, commencing October 2023 to July 2024 inclusive whilst you are enrolled and actively engaging with the course.

Please note: you will also be required to provide your photo ID to the Admissions Department during induction week. Failure to provide photo ID may result in a delay in bursary payment.

In order to receive a Training Bursary, a trainee must attend an eligible ITT course and also be personally eligible.

Eligible Course

To be eligible to receive a bursary, the trainee must be recruited to a qualifying postgraduate or undergraduate ITT course in England. A qualifying course must:

• lead, upon successful completion, to a recommendation, on behalf of the trainee, to DfE for the award of QTS;
• be delivered by an institution accredited by DfE as an ITT provider which may be in partnership with a lead school for School Direct courses (tuition fee) courses
• have been granted an allocation of places and/or permission to recruit from DfE, in accordance with the ITT allocations methodology for academic year 2023 to 2024. Lead school and ITT providers will only attract funding in the subjects identified in Annex A

Personally Eligible 

In order to be personally eligible for a training bursary, trainees must:

• be eligible to receive student support
• hold a UK first degree or equivalent
• be taking a qualifying postgraduate or undergraduate ITT course in England
• be notified by their ITT provider in writing that they are eligible;
• comply with the terms and conditions of the bursary scheme; including
  • promptly informing the ITT provider of any changes in bank account and address details
  • promptly informing the ITT provider of their intention to withdraw / suspend from the course
  • signing a declaration of understanding to the effect that they expect to seek a teaching post in England on successful completion of their course.
  • not be in possession of, or eligible for QTS
  • not be undertaking paid teaching work which contributes to their training when in receipt of the bursary
  • not be simultaneously undertaking any other ITT course, training scheme or programme that leads to QTS

Eligibility for UK Student Support

In languages and physics, trainees starting courses in the 2023 to 2024 academic year will not need to be eligible for student finance to be eligible for a postgraduate bursary or scholarship. For all other subjects and routes, trainees are only eligible for a bursary or scholarship if they are entitled to support under the student finance criteria.

For further information please visit the Department for Education website

Payments

Bursaries and scholarships are available to trainees on tuition fee-based teacher training courses in England that lead to the award of qualified teacher status (QTS).

Receiving a bursary or scholarship depends on:

• highest relevant academic award
• ITT subject

The bursary awards are not taxable; however they may be treated as capital income for the purposes of assessing income for trainees in receipt of state benefits, as with student maintenance loans.

Bursary / scholarship awards are paid in ten equal monthly instalments from October 2023 to July 2024 for full time ITT students.

Part time ITT students will receive the applicable bursary split equally over the 2 years of the course payable in ten equal monthly instalments October to July each year.

To receive the bursary / scholarship payments, the trainee must:

• Be actively engaged on the ITT programme

Trainees must be present on the course on the first day of the month following their start date to be eligible to receive the first payment, and on the first of each subsequent month throughout the ITT programme to receive subsequent instalments.

Eligible trainees who withdraw / suspend from a course will be entitled to be paid the training bursary for each month up to, and including, the month in which they formally withdrew / suspended.

Failure to attend school placements and / or university or to communicate reasons for non-attendance may result in the suspension of bursary payments.

Annex A: List of subjects eligible for a bursary

Biology

Chemistry

Computing

Design & Technology (including engineering and food technology)

English

Geography

Secondary Mathematics

Languages

Physics

This list is exhaustive; DfE will not provide bursaries for any subject that does not feature in this list.