Our first school placement

Undergraduate primary trainee teachers are nearing the end of their six-week school placement – this is the first of three they will experience during the three years of their course.

The school placement enables students to gain specific experiences in order to develop and demonstrate professional attributes, skills, knowledge and understanding linked explicitly to the Teachers’ Standards. It also enables the students to reflect on and evaluate their experiences to identify their strengths and development needs.

The students have gone from working with small groups in week one to taking the whole class by week six, showing their skills in planning, subject knowledge, classroom organisation and professionalism.

Ashleigh, Alex and Erika gave us an update on their first week – Erika and Alex are in the same school.

Erika
“On placement, you get to build experience, knowledge, and confidence in all areas of teaching at your own pace. I began by working in groups, then built up to whole-class teaching whilst learning so much from the continued support and guidance of the class teachers.

“The teachers welcomed us into their year team and made sure that we had every opportunity to develop as trainee teachers.

“Whilst working in year 6, I had the opportunity to work with groups and individuals; help with after-school clubs; teach lessons prepared by the teacher, and even plan and teach my own ideas. My mentor made sure that I also had every opportunity within the school community, meaning that I was able to visit other year groups and help support teachers in Year 2 and Early Years.

“My first-year placement enabled me to observe how each area of teaching and collaborating in a school community works and begin to develop my own teaching strategies and approaches.“

Ashleigh
“The children have read quite a few high-quality texts, such as Supertato, Coming to England, Greta Thunberg and Andy Warhol’s autobiographies. They will sometimes do ‘helicopter stories’, where the children draw their own story and will talk to an adult about their chosen theme and why.

“Phonics on placement has been really good – they are following the scheme Supersonic Phonic Friends, which is great because it is multi-sensory.

“I’m really loving placement!”

Alex
“Erika and I are having such a brilliant time. It’s an amazing school and the staff and children are incredible.

Interested in training to teach? We offer a range of undergraduate courses and postgraduate courses.