For Fundamental English, trainees must be able to demonstrate competence in the following areas:
Teachers should use Standard English grammar, clear pronunciation and vocabulary relevant to the situation to convey instructions, questions, information, concepts and ideas with clarity. Teachers’ writing should reflect the high standards of accuracy their professional role demands. They should write clearly, accurately, legibly and coherently using correct spelling and punctuation.
For the most part your competence in these areas will be assured by the admissions process for gaining a place on your teaching training programme (the interview, written task and group task) and via your completion of the various unassessed and assessed tasks which make up your studies. These will include participation in group tasks, discussions and presentations during taught sessions and the completion of assignment tasks (both oral and written), and during School Based Training as part of your class teaching, talking to parents, carers and colleagues in school and writing plans for and evaluations of your own teaching.
If at any point during your studies or School Based Training you are assessed as not meeting expectations for standard spoken or written English, support is available to you from the university and our partnerships schools, which will support the development of either your spoken or written English, or both, as is required.
For Fundamental mathematics, trainees must be able to demonstrate competence in the following areas:
Teachers should use data and graphs to interpret information, identify patterns and trends and draw appropriate conclusions. They need to interpret pupil data and understand statistics and graphs in the news, academic reports and relevant papers. Teachers should be able to complete mathematical calculations fluently with whole numbers, fractions, decimals and percentages. They should be able to solve mathematical problems using a variety of methods and approaches including: estimating and rounding, sense checking answers, breaking down problems into simpler steps, and explaining and justifying answers using appropriate language.
During your teacher training programme it is important that your competency in mathematics is assessed against the above criteria. If you have achieved A/A*/7/8/9 at GCSE, A-C at A Level, in the last 3 years, or have a degree in mathematics it is anticipated that you will demonstrate competence in fundamental mathematics.
However, we expect all trainees to engage with and complete the National Numeracy Challenge. This is a free online assessment tool which is designed to help improve your mathematics skills and build your confidence. You will start off by completing a ‘Quick Check’ which consists of answering 20 questions. At the end of this you will be able to review your answers and revise any areas that were less familiar. There are links to useful support materials. After this you are directed to a ‘Find your level quiz’ where you will complete a further 20 questions.
On completion of the National Numeracy Challenge a score will be awarded. Achieving 16/20 or 80% or more in the challenge shows that you have demonstrated proficiency in mathematics. You will be awarded a certificate which must be kept as evidence and this will be uploaded to your e-Portfolio when you start your programme. We appreciate that many students will not achieve this threshold score. Please do not worry as we have put in place a number of support mechanisms that you can access during the programme.
If you do not gain a mark of 16/20 (80%) or more at your first attempt you can review the answers that were incorrect and then either retake the test or follow the links to some supporting resource materials to refresh your memory. You are able to retake the test at any time to see if you have improved, and as many times as you wish. The test will show you the level you are working at, your strengths and weaknesses and set you a target to work towards.
If you do not feel confident to retake the test at this point then we will provide support sessions for you. These will be in the key areas of
- Whole Numbers, Fractions, Decimals and Percentages
- Data and graphs
- Solving mathematical problems
Please be reassured that not everyone is confident at mathematics and the numeracy challenge together with support provided by the university will improve your confidence and skills. Follow this link to get started. Good luck!
https://www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk/challenge
What you need to do now
Complete the National Numeracy Challenge. It’s free to complete. After completion you will be awarded a level and a certificate if you achieve over the threshold. You will also be directed to other free online resources where you can practise and improve your skills.
If you pass the threshold please save your certificate to upload to your PebblePad E-portfolio once you are enrolled and on the course. If you are not able to meet the threshold, please keep a note of the questions you found difficult and you will be offered support in the Autumn term to enable you to improve your understanding and capabilities.
Audit your English subject knowledge, here: English Subject Knowledge Audit | Online Resources (sagepub.com). As necessary, revise your understanding and use of grammar, syntax and punctuation with the support of this website: http://englicious.org/ and the UoB English course companion. We have often found that trainees are unaware of what constitutes a proper sentence, and this holds them back considerably in their academic writing and teaching of English. Before the course starts, make sure you know the difference between a main clause, phrase and subordinate clause, so that you are able to write properly and correct subordinate clauses written as sentences.