International Programme Frequently Asked Questions

The enrolment deadline for the international programmes is Wednesday 20 August 2025
By this deadline you are required to have met all of the conditions of your offer by no later than this date and be enrolled onto the programme.

Once enrolled you will have access to course materials which include asynchronous induction material and activities.

• Thursday 28th August 2025 9.50 am-2.30pm (UK British Summer time)
• Friday 29th August 2025 9.50 am-2.30pm

• Tuesday 2nd September 2025 9.50 am-2.30pm
• Thursday 4th September 2025 9.00am to 1.30pm

Additional asynchronous activity must be completed during this induction period.

You will be provided with a full timetable and a link to our Pre-course information pages once you have accepted a conditional offer for a place on the programme.

Yes, induction is an integral part of the course and must be attended.

You will need to be available from approximately *10 am - 2.30pm (BST).

*Timing is subject to change - Specific timings are sent to enrolled students.

Part 1 of

Part 1 of induction is your opportunity to get to know us, to get to know each other, and to get to know the course. Sessions cover everything from the details of the programme itself (how and when you’ll be assessed etc), the appropriate teaching standards, your motivations for teaching, what good teaching looks like,

and safeguarding training.

Part 2 of the induction includes a series of lectures delivered by experts in their field looking at the history of education, child development, character education and learning theories linked to how children learn. Knowledge of these key areas will ensure that you are well informed to make a great start to your teaching practice

There will also be a range of others are asynchronous material to work through between enrolment and the first 'on course' session the week following induction.

Induction is tough, but fun. You’ll finish the days tired but energised and inspired for the year ahead. You’ll also have begun to develop strong bonds with your fellow students and will have got to know the course team. All of this supports a strong and collegial learning community and is part of what makes the Warwick programme special and so highly valued.

Attendance at these online sessions is a compulsory element of the course.
The timetable of sessions is currently under review and will be share as soon as confirmed.

Sessions are generally planned for a Thursday between 11 am and 1.30pm.

Each session is different, though all are interactive and engaging. Some sessions focus on the theory needed for course assignments. Others focus on aspects of the teaching standards, discussing how outstanding pedagogy might be achieved. Some weeks we might focus on updates, course information, and the sharing of experiences between trainees.

The sessions are delivered by the Programme Lead and by other Warwick staff. We also have a range of guest speakers, including former and current Heads of international schools.

Yes, absolutely. The workshops are a highlight of the course. Each session allows for time in breakout rooms, giving you the opportunity to catch up with other students and to chat about your individual situations.

During the year there will be three online student conferences. Conference themes will include Research in Action, Inclusion, and Sustainable education issues. These days will involve attending a range of guest lectures and seminars from expert practitioners. There will also be opportunities to engage with trainee teachers from the UK in all age phases.

Conference days will typically run from 9:00 – 5:00 (UK time) time but will also include some asynchronous sessions.

You’ll need a strong and reliable internet connection and to be based in a quiet setting with no disruptions.

The university uses an online platform to deliver the sessions with the advantage of additional educational features (virtual shared whiteboards etc). The platform works on most devices and most browsers. You should access sessions from a desktop or laptop computer rather than tablet or phone to ensure you have access to all functions.

The two Masters’ assignments are due towards the middle and the end of the course, allowing time for you to reflect on the course themes and for your teaching to inform this reflection.

These deadlines will be published in the pre-course information, issued after enrolment.

We have a wealth of materials to support you with academic writing, as well as one-hour 1:1 tutorial focusing solely on the assignments.

Course feedback from previous cohorts shows that all trainees have felt supported with how to approach and write their assignments.

We understand that there may be a number of reasons why trainees ask for an extension (which can be granted up to a maximum of four weeks) and each application for extension is looked at on a case-by-case basis.

Requests for longer extensions need to be applied for by declaring mitigating circumstances and will be referred to the Mitigating Circumstances Panel for consideration.

You will be given a chance to resubmit.

Detailed written feedback and tutorials will support you with a resubmission. You have up to a year to resubmit, but most trainees do so in June to allow them to qualify ahead of the coming academic year (although those who had an extension with a later assignment might not find this possible).

Resubmissions are capped at a pass mark of 50, although feedback will indicate where an essay would have gained a higher mark. Should a trainee fail a resubmission at Masters Level, the essay will be marked at Honors Level.

If the assignment passes at Honors level an alternative qualification (the PCE – Professional Certificate in Education) will be awarded assuming all other elements of the course have been successfully completed.

University-led ITaP specific activity

Intensive training and practice (ITaP) is a specific and focused element of the teacher training curriculum.
It is intended to help consolidate your knowledge of key evidence-based principles for effective teaching, and to enable you to practise your application and integration into your developing professional practice.

The ITaP programme will be run (online) by the university during your course, and will take place during the working week.

The finalised calendar will confirm when these compulsory sessions take place, but as a guide the sessions will be run as follows:

Behaviour to Learn (B2L) - Sept/Oct
Preparation for Learning and Teaching- Oct/Nov
Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) Literacy - Nov
Adaptive teaching - March

Your school will be expected to support you with the in school elements of the ITaP programme (more details in the 'Teaching Component' section below)

Yes.

Each trainee is assigned a Personal Tutor who is available to talk through any issues. Support programmes may be put in place to enable a successful outcome. Tutors may on occasion suggest an extension to your placement or a temporary withdrawal. You would be responsible for securing any additional or extended placement arrangements.

Yes. Both the PGCEi and the PGCE-iQTS programmes require teaching placements.

Your school must return a School Statement of Support confirming that they are able to support you on programme before a formal application can be considered.

• PGCEi candidates will require at least a 90 day placement of no less than 140 hrs in total.
• iQTS candidates will require at least 120 day placement plus an additional 12 days to complete Intensive Training and Practice (ITaP) in school Elements - a second placement setting is also a requirement of the iQTS programme.

If you are not currently employed at a school, you will need to find a school willing to support your placement. These arrangements must be in place prior to undertaking the stage 1 process (and will, in any event, be required before the University will accept a formal application).

We have a small but growing number of ‘Warwick Training Schools’ who are able to offer placements. If you do not have a placement secured, please e-mail us to enquire whether we have a Training School in your location.

To note, placements are unpaid, and schools will not generally assist with visa or work permit regulations; it is assumed that you already have the right to work in your location. To be accepted by a Training School you would need to undergo an interview and vetting process; any decision whether to support you on placement is entirely at the school’s discretion.

We have no specific requirements for the type of school the placement must be undertaken in. More important than the type of school is the availability of a suitably qualified Mentor and that the context allows you to meet the appropriate teaching standards. If you teach in a school which strictly prescribes teaching methods this may make meeting the standards challenging.

Class sizes must also be large enough to require classroom management; small group tutoring or support would not allow sufficient breadth of practice to evidence progress against the teaching standards.

International schools and bilingual schools are both acceptable contexts, as are (subject to meeting the Mentor requirements) local schools teaching in English. Language centres do not qualify as a suitable context.

For the PGCE-iQTS programme, the iQTS component requires trainees to gain experience in a second context. Ideally, this would be in the age range above or below the one in which you are training. Second placements may take place in other international or local schools or within sister schools/departments.

The length of this second placement will be determined by the amount of prior experience you have obtained before joining the iQTS programme, but at a minimum it will be expected to be between one week and four weeks in length. Virtual or remote training experiences may be appropriate. If undertaking a second placement requires a period of leave of absence, this should be agreed with your employer before enrolling on the course.

Previous experience prior to starting the course may be acceptable in meeting these conditions.

These conditions do not apply to the PGCEi course.

Yes. MFL and local language teachers working in appropriate schools are more than welcome to apply. So long as you meet the various admissions requirements, and assuming your context allows you to demonstrate the appropriate Teachers' Standards, your teaching need not be wholly in English.

Yes. If you meet the various admissions requirements, and assuming your context allows you to demonstrate the required standards, with a significant proportion of your lessons taught in English, bilingual contexts are acceptable.

Yes, and in many regards broadening your teaching experience will help your progress against the teaching standards – and will make you more employable. You cannot piece together an ad hoc practicum, with occasional lessons taught to different groups, but you are encouraged to teach sequences of lessons to different year groups.

Ideally you should be teaching a range of regular classes that require you to demonstrate a variety of different pedagogical skills and different subject knowledge. Groups should be large enough to require classroom management (6+ is the minimum requirement) and you should be engaged in teaching not tutoring (i.e. you must be managing the classroom environment and proactively planning, assessing, and guiding learning as opposed to simply offering tutoring or support).

You may have other adults e.g. your mentor, a TA, or a colleague assisting or observing in your lesson, but you will be expected to be responsible for leading the teaching of the students in the class for a good proportion of the placement.

For PGCEi and PGCE iQTS in the Primary age range you are required to observe and teach a minimum 15 maths sessions and 15 phonics sessions in your school over the course of the academic year.

No. The teaching period needs to reflect the daily, weekly, and termly rigors of ‘normal’ teaching; your experience during the assessment period should mirror as closely as possible the routines of a full-time teacher.

The practicum may be interrupted by holidays (and other school events) but you cannot accumulate ad hoc days over the course of the year – the required hours/days must be achieved in continuous blocks (allowing for holidays and other school events).

School holidays do not count as part of the practicum.

Being a teacher involves much more than classroom teaching.

So, if you are involved in school activities (exam weeks, expeditions, sports days etc) in the same capacity as a ‘normal’ teacher, these days can count as part of the practicum – you can also include evidence from these activities in your digital portfolio. That said you do need to ensure that you have spent sufficient time in the classroom to demonstrate progress and you do need to meet the MINIMUM number of formal lesson observations and teaching days/hours.

So, whilst non-classroom-based days can count, the majority of your time should be spent in the classroom.

The course requires that the school provides a Mentor who:

• Is a qualified teacher (though this need not be UK qualified);
• Has 3+ years’ experience, with a record of effective teaching;
• For the PGCE-iQTS course, your mentor must submit a copy of their CV to Warwick verifying the above.

Across the practicum period, the mentor observes your lessons, identifying your strengths and development needs against the Teachers’ Standards. The development needs become targets for future observations and areas where the mentor may/should offer support and guidance.

Ideally, the mentor observations would fall across a range of teaching (subjects or ages), enabling them to assess how you handle different subjects or groups of learners.

Specifically, your mentor:

• Becomes familiar with the Teachers’ Standards and the overall aims of the programme;
• Arranges a programme of lesson observations, providing written and verbal feedback;
• Undertakes the majority of these observations, giving you honest, constructive, regular and recorded feedback, including judgements about your performance.
• Liaises with the Moderation Tutor, making arrangements for their visit to the school, co-observing a lesson with the Moderation Tutor on this visit such that a jointly moderated assessment of overall performance can be made.
• Communicates any concerns promptly to the University of Warwick.

Plus, for PGCE-iQTS your mentor will need to:

• Complete a compulsory 6-hour Mentor training programme. Some of the training material will be asynchronous, accessible at the Mentor's discretion. Other sessions will require live attendance
• Be available to meet with you for 3 hours of guided support each fortnight. This will require some observation of your teaching (though not necessarily for full lessons), assisting you with regular formative training and reflection activities.
• Observe you fortnightly throughout the 120 days.
• Meet termly with you and your university tutor to discuss progress toward the iQTS Teachers’ Standards and complete 3 formative assessment summaries during the 120 days.
• Obtain any additional training to meet DfE requirements (your mentor will be notified of this before the course starts).

Or, for the PGCEi:

• Complete an optional 2.5 hour Mentor training programme. If your mentor chooses to attend this session, it will require live participation.
• Be available to meet with you for 1 hour of guided support each fortnight.
• Observe you 8 times over the 90 days, completing Warwick Lesson Observation Forms on each occasion.
• Complete 3 assessment summaries during the 90 days.

Please note the specific requirements for the PGCEi and PGCE-iQTS can be found on our International Key Differences page.

The practical realities of schooling may mean that on some weeks you are observed twice, on other weeks not at all. Key is that you receive regular formative feedback from colleagues.

Lesson planning and observation forms are provided. If your school uses suitable alternatives, you are NOT required to use the Warwick forms day-to-day; use of school planning documentation is perfectly acceptable assuming it offers a similar level of detail to the Warwick forms.

However, for the formal observations, a Warwick lesson plan template and observation form are required.

Yes. Lesson observations can be undertaken by a range of experienced colleagues; indeed, you are encouraged to invite a member of Senior Management to observe you, and to provide feedback.

If you select the In Person Assessment Variant, you will be visited by an approved representative of University of Warwick. This visit would ideally take place as late in the practicum period as possible, though, dependent on Moderation Tutor availability and on your location, this may not be possible on all occasions.

In the event of difficulties during the assessment period you or your Mentor may request an earlier visit by a Warwick representative; note though that you (or your school) would be responsible for bearing the costs of a visit of this nature.

If you select the Online Assessment Variant, The University of Warwick will assess your lesson via a recording or pre-arranged live stream of your lesson. Please be advised that if you select the live stream option, the lesson would need to take place during the working hours of our UK based tutors. The lesson will not be recorded.

Recording a lesson can be one of the most professionally revealing (and scary) things you can do. Warwick does not require submission of recorded lessons (unless you have opted for the online assessment route) though we do encourage you, if possible, to record yourself teaching. These recordings can provide an excellent basis for reflection on your teaching practice.

You are encouraged (but not required) to undertake a full range of professional responsibilities (duties, tutor/registration classes etc.) and to engage, where possible, with the co-curricular life of the school.