Supporting our trainee teachers

Throughout the three years of their teacher training programme at the University of Brighton all students are tracked both academically and professionally.

The final year of the course is an important one, so before teacher trainees embark on their final phase of school-based training, interventions are put in place for any students going into a Key Stage for the first time as well as those who gained a majority of grade 3’s in their previous experiences. The aim is for all trainee teachers to achieve the highest grade possible.

The interventions involve guided, coached observations and post lesson analysis in our partnership schools. Bespoke help is also given to identify where additional support may be needed.

These interventions have proved to be very successful and last year’s cohort all exceeded the minimum standards and 69% attained a grade 1 at the point of gaining QTS. Particular highlights are that 78% of trainees attained a grade 1 in TS8 (fulfil wider professional responsibilities) of the Teachers’ Standards.

We have worked hard to ensure the final year is well organised so that assessments are spread out wherever possible – this allows trainees to submit their best academic work to go towards gaining an excellent degree.

We also run a programme, prior to the final school-based training phase, so that all trainees are fully prepared. This academic year a number of Head Teachers and other education professionals will be sharing their expectations and expertise in: planning and pupil progress, working with parents, managing behaviour, using data to maximise pupil learning, working with children where English is an additional language, BME pupils, and children in care. We will also be running resilience workshops and planning sessions.

Here are just some examples of student’s comments from our end of course survey:

“The course is of an exceptionally high standard and I think that any feedback students give is listened to and acted upon. I have really enjoyed my time at the University of Brighton”.

“The training has been of very high quality and I definitely feel prepared for my NQT year”.

“The training at Brighton has been incredible and I have loved being part of the course and now being able to say that I was a trainee at Brighton”.

“The staff are inspirational and go out of their way to help and support. The resources and access to these has been really good and feedback every year has been taken on board, which has meant the course is constantly improving and taking student voice into account”.