Graduate Teacher Programme
Why choose this course?
- In February 2012, Ofsted judged this course to be 'outstanding' in its capacity to improve further and/or sustain high quality, and 'good' for its overall effectiveness - with four out of six of these elements judged to be 'outstanding'. Find out more.
- This course will give you a qualification to become a primary or secondary school teacher.
- You'll train in a school environment, so you can earn while you train.
- It's an ideal choice if you've already got some experience of working in a school.
- We're one of the major providers in the East Midlands for Initial Teacher Education with opportunities to extend and develop your role as a teacher in today's society.
Fact file
Start date: September
Course length: This course can be started at any time of the year, but most students start in September. You can study it for one year full time, but if you've already got considerable experience it may be possible to complete it in less than a year. You can also study this course part time.
Campus: Derby Campus
About this course
This course will prepare you for the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Your training will be mainly in school and will be led by your school based mentor, so you'll train to become a teacher as you work.
With guidance from us, you and your mentor will take into account your previous teaching experience and identify your training needs to produce an individual training plan.
You'll carry out a subject knowledge audit of the subjects you're intending to teach. If you're training in a primary school, this will be in the core subjects: English, maths and science. If you're training at a secondary school, the audit will cover your main subject. You will identify areas of your subject knowledge that you feel need developing.
Although this course is mainly work based, you'll come into the University for about 20 days during the year. During these workshop sessions you'll cover a broad range of educational issues including planning, assessment, learning styles, assessment for learning, special educational needs and inclusion and behaviour management.
We currently offer places for primary and secondary teaching of maths, English, science, physical education, religious education, geography, modern foreign languages, Spanish and French.
What you will cover
As you progress through the course, you'll build up your teaching so that by the end of the course 75% of your time will be spent teaching. As well as your school based training, which will cover both curriculum and professional issues, you'll also complete workshops to develop your knowledge.
This course will give you the opportunity to develop your subject knowledge, observe good practice and work alongside other teachers.
In school, your teaching will be observed by both your mentor and your University tutor, giving you constructive feedback that will help you to continue your development.
You will produce termly reports and complete tasks that will form part of your ongoing assessment.
Your final assessment will include an observation of your teaching, review of your portfolios of evidence against the Quality to Teach Standards and an oral assessment focusing on key aspects of the Quality to Teach Standards.
Entry requirements
This is a popular course and we're only allocated a limited number of places each year by the Training and Development Agency for Schools. So we encourage people to apply who have already developed a working relationship with a school. You must submit a joint application with your school.
If you hold at least a 2.2 Honours Degree, and Maths and English GCSE Grade C or equivalent you may be suitable for this programme. If you're looking to train in a primary school you also need Science GCSE Grade C or equivalent.
If you're applying to work in a secondary school, you should have at least 50% of your degree, or equivalent, in the national curriculum subject, or a subject taught at public examination level in a secondary school.
You and your school can get more information about the programme and the funding available, from the Training and Development Agency for Schools - visit www.tda.gov.uk - or by contacting the Graduate Teacher Programme Administrator, gtpadministrator@derby.ac.uk, for a copy of our Frequently Asked Questions on Guide for Potential Teachers and Schools.
Fees and finance
Please contact us for details of the fees for this course.
Careers and employability
By choosing teaching as a career, you'll have chosen an important and satisfying profession as well as a challenging and rewarding journey through life. When you successfully complete this course, you'll gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), so you'll be well placed to progress onto employment as a Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) at secondary or primary school level.
What our students say
Alan Newland, General Teaching Council for England
"The students were a credit to how you trained them - sharp, incisive, intuitive."
"Initially I wanted a full-time University programme but couldn't afford to leave my job."
"I really feel prepared for my NQT year because I have already had responsibility for a class."