International Teacher Education Conference 2014 1

International Teacher Education Conference 2014
The current government agenda to shift teacher education from universities into schools and allocate a large
number of training places to the new School Direct route has re-awakened the debate on how best to prepare
student teachers for their role in the classroom. This has also led to a realisation that the roles and
responsibilities of those involved in teacher education are changing.
THE LOCAL CONTEXT – YORK ST JOHN UNIVERSITY
York St John University was founded in 1841 as a Church College for Teacher Training and has now been
training teachers for over 173 years. The institution gained University status in 2006. It is an accredited provider
of primary and secondary programmes of initial teacher education. A variety of awards are available for those
wishing to train as teachers. For those wishing to train as primary school teachers there is both a three year
undergraduate programme Bachelor of Arts degree with qualified teacher status (BA Hons QTS) in primary
education, and a master’s level postgraduate qualification, Postgraduate Certificate of Education with qualified
teacher status (PGCE). There is in addition an ‘exit’ award of Graduate Diploma with QTS for those students
who choose not to pursue the M level qualification. For those wishing to train as secondary school teachers only
the PGCE route is available. The Primary PGCE can be studied either on a full-time or part-time basis, the
Secondary PGCE on a full-time basis.
Whilst historically these programmes have been university-centred in conjunction with partnership schools for
separate teaching experiences, the university via its PGCE programme now offers the award through schoolcentred
routes (School Direct) where the vast majority of training takes place in partnership schools with much
reduced input taking place within the university itself.
Hence currently we offer the Primary PGCE full time via both university and school centred routes. Secondary
PGCE subjects currently offered are in Religious Education (university based) and English, Mathematics and
Biology (School Direct). In 2014-15 secondary subjects will also include Modern Foreign Languages, Physics,
Chemistry and Computer Science which will be school centred routes.
Whichever route is followed there is a commitment on the part of all involved within the YSJU partnership to
ensure the development of high quality student teachers who will have the knowledge, understanding and skills
to continue to develop to become outstanding teachers of the future with a focus on raising standards of
attainment for pupils in our schools.
However, whilst positive and supportive of new developments in ITE the reallocation of a greater number of
training places to School Direct rather than university-centred routes has undoubtedly had an impact on
university ITE provision. Quite simply, fewer trainees on PGCE programmes at YSJU mean that fewer members
of university-based staff are needed.
TEACHERS’ STANDARDS IN ENGLAND
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