Timeline of Teaching Experience

Second School Placement

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 within, above or below the one in which you are training. During the course you will be asked to secure experience in alternative context/s and or settings.

The length of this placement will range between 5 and 20 days long (1-4 weeks), depending on the amount and type of prior teaching experience you have gained before joining the iQTS programme.

Experience of more than one setting during this course is an essential part of trainees’ development. There can be flexibility in how this experience is achieved for example you may arrange to visit a sister school which teaches your subject to a different age range (e.g. moving from secondary high to middle school). Where a physical second placement may not be possible for you, you may wish to explore other options such as observing a peer trainee and their colleagues teaching remotely and then delivering sessions remotely to particular groups.

You could choose to complete this experience in one block, or across a longer period of time, but this should be completed before you begin the last six weeks of your main placement.

At the end of this second school placement you will be required to provide a headteacher's report from this school and you may be asked to provide evidence of any lessons you have observed/taught, along with any lesson plans you have used.

If you have any concerns about this placement please do contact us at pgcei@warwick.ac.uk

An outline of the various placement lengths that you could be assigned is as follows:

Second Placement Requirements

Type of School Requirements:

There are no rules about which type of school you undertake your placement. It can be an international or government run establishment.

You should not undertake your placement within the same school as your main placement. You can undertake your placement in a sister school provided that this is on a different site with a different leadership team.

Previous trainees have undertaken a range of placements including the following:

· Placements in another country e.g. their home country or UK

· Placement exchange with another trainee

If you have exhausted all other possibilities, it may be possible for us to help you arrange digitally remote placements e.g. with a sister school in another country. Please contact your Personal Tutor to discuss this in the first instance if you are struggling to secure a second placement.

When does my second placement need to take place? One Week

One week training experience in a different school

The main aim of this placement is to observe different colleagues in an environment which is different than your own. You may wish to support learning and teaching in some sessions but there is no requirement for you to provide extensive evidence of this.

You should observe/support a minimum of 10 lessons over this week.

Two Weeks

Two weeks in a different school– including some teaching responsibilities.

You should not feel any pressure to begin teaching in the first few days of this short placement. Take that time to observe expert colleagues. By the end of the 10 days, you should aim to have observed a minimum of 10 lessons as well as contributed to the planning and teaching of additional sessions. This may include acting as a teaching assistant for a group using planning and resources you have developed. You should also aim to lead a minimum of four or five sessions.

Three Weeks

Three weeks in a different school – including some teaching responsibilities.

You should not feel any pressure to begin teaching in the first few days of this short placement. Take that time to observe expert colleagues. By the end of the 15 days, you should aim to have observed a minimum of 10 lessons as well as contributed to the planning and teaching of additional sessions. This may include acting as a teaching assistant for a group using planning and resources you have developed. You should also aim to lead a minimum of 8 sessions.

Four Weeks

Four weeks in a different school – including some teaching responsibilities.

You should not feel any pressure to begin teaching in the first few days of this short placement. Take that time to observe expert colleagues. By the end of the 20 days, you should aim to have observed a minimum of 15 lessons as well as contributed to the planning and teaching of additional sessions. This may include acting as a teaching assistant for a group using planning and resources you have developed. You should also aim to lead a minimum of 12 sessions.

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