The Masters in Teaching and Learning is designed specifically for Newly Qualified Teachers and new Heads of Department in the London Region working in National Challenge Schools or Schools facing Challenging Circumstances. While this programme is initially targeted at Newly Qualified Teachers and new Heads of Departments, it will, subject to National roll out, be aimed at a wider audience including NQTs across London.

The programme will engage participants in key educational processes underpinning the development of learning and teaching:

• critical analysis, reflection and enquiry;
• evidence informed practice;
• collaborative learning.

Engagement in these processes will enable participants to:

• Develop their understanding of current thinking in relation to research and professional policy and practice;
• Develop their ability to analyse, critique and develop their own and others’ practice;
• Develop intellectual, organisational, personal, communication and professional skills; and
• Develop their practice to improve the outcomes for all children and young people
• Plan and sustain their professional development throughout their career

Through engagement in critical, analytical and reflective processes, participants will be able to:

• Develop their understanding of current thinking in relation to research and professional policy and practice;
• Develop their ability to analyse, critique and develop their own and others’ practice;
• Develop intellectual, organisational, personal, communication and professional skills; and
• Develop their practice to improve the outcomes for all children and young people
• Plan and sustain their professional development throughout their career

Applicants must:

• have a degree (normally honours, normally 2:2) awarded by a UK University or a recognised degree-equivalent qualification
• have Qualified Teacher Status
• be working within a London Region National Challenge School or School facing Challenging Circumstances

Accreditation of Certificated Learning (ACL)

The protocols on how much credit can be brought into the MTL are summarised below. They have been determined by the TDA national Development team to retain the coherence of the MTL.

Phase 1 – only 30 M credits, almost certainly from a PGCE that they have just done

Phase 2 – possibly ACL 20 credits against any one of the phase 2, 20 credit modules. This may be subject to any source of the 20, ( i.e. another programme delivered by a HEI in conjunction with DCSF such as primary maths specialist programme) being vetted and approved as matching MTL phase 2 module learning outcomes

Phase 3 – possibly ACL’ing 30 credits only against module 7 on proviso that previous learning directly relates to the foci of the participants action research activities for phase 3 as a whole , i.e. the learning from whatever was ACL’ed for module 7 directly led to and supported the school-based work done in module 8
The above scenarios are also subject to an overall limit of ACL’ing as follow:

• Only a maximum of 60 credits in total can be ALC’ed
• No more than one module can be ACL’ed at any phase
• In Phase 1 only module 1 can be ACL’ed
• In phase 2 any module can be ACL’ed
• In Phase 3 only module 7 can be ACL’ed

The exception to these processes is where credit is being ACL’ed from another MTL programme. In this case up to 120 credits, i.e. Phases 1 and 2 can be ACL’ed.

The accreditation of prior experiential learning (AEL) is not permitted on this programme.

It is the role of the Assessment Board to recognise credit awarded by another UK Higher education institution.

The MTL Programme enables the Professional Standards for Teachers to be addressed, while being personalised to meet teacher’s individual needs in the context of their schools. Therefore, the professional learning opportunities are focused on the four content areas below which will be covered by the end of the programme:

Content area 1

• teaching and learning, with particular attention to personalisation and applied learning (in the light of 14-19 developments)
• assessment for learning, diagnostic skills, including the use of performance data for pupil tracking

Content area 2

• subject knowledge for teaching
• curriculum and curriculum development, literacy, numeracy, 14-19 developments and ICT

Content area 3

• how children and young people develop, how they learn, and the management of their behaviour
• managing additional needs and inclusion, including socio-economic background, disability, G&T, SEN, BME, EAL, narrowing achievement gaps and contributing to social mobility

Content area 4

• leadership and management, including for subjects or curriculum areas
• working with others, collaboratively, in and beyond the classroom – the school workforce, employers and the children’s workforce, including FE and working with parents and carers

The MTL programme is structured in three phases:

Phase 1: Developing

• builds on ITT, or previous professional learning
• for NQTs, aligns with induction
• develops the teacher’s professional attributes, knowledge, skills and understanding, in relation to the four content areas, together with enquiry skills in their practice
• prepares participants to move on to the next phase in the programme

Phase 2: Broadening and embedding

• builds on Phase 1
• where applicable for NQTs, aligns with induction
• continues to be based on the four content areas, enabling the participant to broaden

and embed their professional attributes, knowledge, skills and understanding, together with their enquiry skills, in their practice

Phase 3: Deepening

• builds on Phase 2
• gives the participant opportunities to:
  • develop their specialism(s), drawn from the content areas
  • link with specialist networks, providing a basis for the next stage in their professional development.

Participants will have the opportunity to engage in face to face seminars, workshops and lectures as well as collaborative activities and discussions in a virtual learning environment.

All 20 credit modules are assessed by the submission of a single portfolio of 4,000 words or equivalent. 
All 30 credit modules are assessed by the submission of a single portfolio of 5,000 words or equivalent. 

All modules are marked on a pass/fail basis and a Pass in the Masters in Teaching and Learning will be awarded on successful completion of all modules within the programme. All modules are core and there are no optional modules.

This is a TDA funded programme for Newly Qualified Teachers and new Heads of Department working in National Challenge schools or School facing Challenging Circumstances. Module design and content focuses on national priorities for professional development for teachers in schools.

The Masters in Teaching and Learning offers opportunities to develop skills of enquiry and evidence informed practice. Participants will be able to develop their knowledge, understanding and practice in an area that is relevant to their role in their school and to engage with this in depth, through research and enquiry, in modules 7 and 8.

The Masters in Teaching and Learning supports development and demonstrates achievement in relation to:

• General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) Teacher Learning Academy;
• Induction standards;
• Performance threshold standards.

Academic support is provided by module tutors whilst the participants are undertaking each module. The Programme Leader can also offer academic guidance about the programme and progression.

Participants will also be supported with their independent and directed-tasks by school-based coaches. These colleagues will not be responsible for the provision of the academic elements of the participants’ overall experience but will provide support in identifying how these materials can be used effectvely within the participants workings context. In addtion, case studies and exemplar materials that are age phase and subject related will support individual context-related learning and assessment needs.