Subject area: Primary Teacher Training

About Primary Teacher Training

Our primary teacher education programmes are designed for graduates who are interested in becoming primary teachers. These programmes which include the Postgraduate Certificate in Primary Education (PGCE) are intended to increase opportunities for students, particularly from culturally diverse groups and men to train as teachers.

UEL is making a significant contribution to meeting the teacher supply requirements in our local area and many of our students are offered teaching posts by our partner schools.

We also offer the PGCE in Primary Education programme with a modern languages specialism, which enables you to teach French or Spanish.

If you are a trained teacher from overseas and would like to gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England, we offer the Overseas Trained Teacher Programme (OTTP) in this subject area. The OTTP will provide you with an individual training and assessment programme, which will lead to your qualification to teach in England permanently.

We also offer the Assessment Only (AO) Route to QTS which enables unqualified teachers with considerable teaching experience to be assessed for QTS.

Our programme team are experienced primary practitioners who have worked in a range of primary and early years settings across London as classroom teachers, curriculum co-ordinators, advisory teachers and school leaders.

Primary Programme Calendar

Key information about Primary Teacher Education at UEL

In 2010-2011, 90% of trainees from minority ethnic backgrounds completing the Primary PGCE, UEL secured a teaching post. This exceeds the percentage of trainees from minority ethnic backgrounds in post from other London providers (73%) and across the ITT Sector (73%)
92% of male trainees completing the Primary PGCE, UEL secured a teaching post. This exceeds the percentage of male trainees in post from other London providers (78%) and across the ITT Sector (79%)
94% of trainees completing the Primary PGCE, UEL (2010-11) were in a teaching post within six months of completing the programme. This is above the percentage of trainees in post within six months from other London providers (86%) and across the ITT Sector (85%)
In 2011 91% of trainees on the Primary PGCE, UEL were recommended for Qualified Teacher (QTS) Status. This is above the percentage from other London providers and the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) sector
This year, 32% of Primary NQTs recruited in Redbridge came from UEL (2012)

Ofsted Report 2012

The key strengths of the primary partnership are:

a strong sense of community-based partnership which meets a local and national need for high quality teachers and fully reflects the diversity of the local community

the preparation of trainees to work in a culturally and linguistically diverse community

highly effective subject-specific feedback on trainees’ teaching of mathematics and phonics (letters and the sound they make) facilitated through the consistently good use of detailed lesson observation documentation
very effective school-based and central training with a good focus on teaching the core subjects of English, mathematics and science and the wider curriculum, leading to effective teaching, pupils’ positive attitudes to learning and their good progress
the rapid and effective action taken by the partnership to support trainees’ well-being and professional development rigorous processes to recruit enthusiastic, reflective and committed trainees, eager to listen to advice and improve their practice
the commitment of schools and the ITE partnership to work collaborativelyto prepare for changes in teacher education and sustain high quality training for teaching.