The Curriculum Explained
The trainee curriculum is founded on the phases of development. Trainees move from Anticipating Practice, through Beginning Practice, Consolidating Practice, Developing Independence and (in some cases) Extension and Enrichment. Each phase has a descriptor (in the Programme Handbook and the IDP). These outline the declarative (know that) and procedural (know how) knowledge that trainees are expected to develop in each phase. These descriptors define the content of the curriculum.
Progress through the phases is assessed via Formative Reflections on Achievement and Progress (FRAPs).
The curriculum incorporates the DfE mandated Core Content Framework for ITT which forms a āminimum entitlementā for trainees, but goes significantly beyond it.
Sequencing
Term 1
The curriculum is sequenced to foreground declarative knowledge in term 1, with trainees learning how children learn, research-inspired subject-specific pedagogy, the principles of planning and assessment, and some aspects of adaptive teaching. Procedural knowledge also starts to build through peer teaching and interaction / microteaching in the autumn term beginning practice placement.
The sequence of the history subject specific content and the Education and Professional Studies content is contained in the History Curriculum Sequence and CCF Map and the History Study Guide below
Terms 2 & 3
In terms 2 and 3, procedural knowledge builds on the foundation of declarative knowledge laid in term 1. Links are made between declarative and procedural knowledge through:
In term 3, traineesā procedural knowledge is particularly developed through a focus of applying their learning in a new, contrasting context (school 2).
Education is a complex and intellectually challenging process, the fundamental purpose of which is to prepare young people to take a full part in a changing, pluralist and democratic society. Good teaching promotes effective learning. Throughout the PGCE year you will develop a personal and professional rationale for teaching and learning. The programme enables you to acquire the values, commitments, knowledge, understanding and skills that all teachers need. It also offers you opportunities for the development of personal transferable skills (self-management, learning skills, communication, teamwork, problem-solving and data-handling skills) and will provide you with the first stages in your profile of continuing professional development as a teacher. The programme contributes to both your immediate and your continuing professional education. At the end of the programme you should be an effective classroom teacher, able to demonstrate your competences and to become an integrated member of the school community wherever you work. You will be equipped to work collaboratively and in dependently, with commitment to the all-round education of children. In the longer term, the PGCE course lays the foundation for lasting professional development. The PGCE programme leads into the MA Education programme, which we hope most of you will continue to during your first years of teaching. The Secondary PGCE programme been designed to meet the requirements for Initial Teacher Education as set out in the Teachersā Standards (DfE 2012) and ITT Criteria (DfE 2020).
The History PGCE course is concerned with theoretical and practical classroom approaches to the teaching of history. This involves examining a range of appropriate learning and teaching strategies through Key Stages 3-5 in the varied classroom situations you will encounter. You will develop a rigorous understanding of when and where particular activities might be appropriate. The course is underpinned by the belief that history teaching is a stimulating, creative activity that gives pleasure to both teachers and pupils and educates young people to take a full and active role as citizens. The course draws heavily on current and recent research findings from both the Graduate School of Education and other researchers at the forefront of history education.
To achieve this, the aims if the Secondary History PGCE are:
The Curriculum Sequence
Our curriculum does not separate out the Teachersā Standards and address them one by one. This is because we recognise how interrelated many of the standards are, and that trainees will be constantly developing understanding and skills across all of the standards.
We support progress towards the standards through our phases. There are different expectations within each phase ā for example, of how much classroom contact time trainees have, or which training tools they use to evaluate and reflect. This scaffolds progress in a gradual sequence which moves towards independent practice.
The āprofile descriptorā of each phase describes the knowledge, understanding and skills that we expect trainees to be able to demonstrate at the end of it. The movement through the phases is flexible, depending on trainee needs. Meeting the āDeveloping Independenceā phase indicates that trainees have met the standards required for the award of QTS.
You will find the phase profile descriptors in the IDP and in the programme handbook. Traineesā progress will be formatively assessed against the profile descriptors through the Formative Reflection on Achievement and Progress (FRAP) process.
The Core Content Framework
The Department for Education has published recommended āCore Contentā for Initial Teacher Training which offers a framework which should be considered a āminimum entitlementā for all trainees, presenting the content atomistically against each standard: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/initial-teacher-training-itt-core-content-framework. In the History Curriculum Sequence and CCF Map, there is a table which presents the DfE core content, and shows the key areas where we integrate this information into our course ā through topics, tasks, assignments and seminars. The table also indicates some of the ways in which our course goes beyond this minimum entitlement, outlining some additional ideas that trainees explore.