e-Qualitas Primary – General (Fees) Course Ref. 24PV
CTSA UCAS Entry Profile Ref. 1N4
Why train with us?
The Catholic Teaching Schools Alliance (CTSA) of which St Joseph’s Catholic Primary is the lead school would welcome your application for this course.
We believe this route to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) is ideal if you want to spend most of your time in-school while you study to become a teacher.
You will be placed at our main site or a partner school within the CTSA, the majority of schools being in Hampshire.
The course is overseen by e-Qualitas and students benefit from their tried and trusted approach and wealth of experience. Students will also benefit from the input of a visiting tutor from eQ at their placement school. More details are available on the e-Qualitas website at www.e-qualitas.org.uk
An intrinsic part of the course is the experience of teaching within an environment based on Christian values and ethos.
You can find out more details about the CTSA on our website at www.thectsa.org
About this training programme
Course content
You will follow a school based course that leads to QTS, working with experienced teachers and guided by a mentor throughout.
The course content is individually tailored to ensure the whole Primary subject spectrum is covered. You will initially carry out lesson observations and participate in team teaching sessions leading to opportunities for independent teaching.
Support on a 1-1 basis will be provided as well as in-house training sessions delivered by experienced school staff.
Your study includes participation in the distance learning resources on the eQ virtual learning environment (VLE) as well as attending training events run by eQ during the year – usually in Central London.
The VLE includes the following 6 modules:-
1. Lesson Planning
2. Behaviour Management
3. Assessment - of pupils’ learning
4. Meeting needs of different groups of pupils
5. Wider context of teaching and learning
6. Subject teaching i.e. bringing everything together and how to teach really effectively.
Your experience will be complemented by a placement of about 6 weeks in a different school within the Alliance (usually in Hampshire or Surrey) as well as other tailored and structured visits.
Assessment
Your progress towards meeting the Teachers’ Standards is formally assessed at four points during the year:
- At the start of the course
- at the end of 10 working weeks
- at the end of 20 working weeks
- at the end of the training period
These assessments are carried out jointly by you as the student, by school staff, your mentor and eQ tutors. Your formal assignments are marked by eQ tutors.
Fees
You will be charged a fee of £8,000 + VAT.
Applications for support in the form of tuition fee loans and maintenance grants/loans should be submitted to the Student Loans Company. The maximum student loan is £6,000 for teacher training with CTSA/e-Qualitas.
You may also be eligible for a tax-free training bursary, payable in monthly instalments during the course. This does not have to be repaid. Details about bursaries are on the NCTL website.
About this training provider
Accommodation
You are responsible for your own accommodation. Make sure it is within reasonable travelling distance of the school in which you will be based.
Child Care Facilities
There are child care facilities available at our main site. Individual requirements can be discussed with potential students.
Disability Access
All schools within the CTSA are able to cater for disabled students. A full discussion of individual needs would be undertaken to ensure any additional support is in place.
Public Transport
The CTSA main site is close to Aldershot railway station. Other school locations within the Alliance can all be reached using public transport.
Special Features
You will be school based ensuring plenty of actual first hand teaching experience. You will also benefit from a mixture of tutor visits to your placement school, distance learning material and courses run by your course provider.
You will also gain from the experience of working in a school environment based on Christian values and ethos.
Study Facilities
You will be provided with a study space within the school in which you are placed and all 1-1 meetings will be held in a designated area.
Where to Find Us
See our website at www.thectsa.org
Entry requirements
Minimum degree
We give priority to applicants who have at least a 2.1 honours degree.
If your degree is lower than a 2.1, you must explain why and demonstrate that you have the potential to become an excellent teacher.
GCSE
You must have achieved a standard equivalent grade C in the GCSE examinations in English, Mathematics and a Science subject.
If you do not meet the GCSE requirement, you can do an equivalence test. We recognise the tests offered by Equivalence Testing. Details can be found on their website at http://www.equivalencytesting.co.uk
Other qualifications and experience
You will need to have passed the Skills Tests before entering initial teacher training.
You would be expected to have had some in-school experience from school visits and/or voluntary work to demonstrate your understanding of the teaching role and its responsibilities.
Suitability for teaching
All offers of places are subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) enhanced disclosure with list check. If you are offered a place, you will be asked to provide a signed declaration relating to any police record. Contact CTSA if you need guidance on whether or not an offence or conviction may preclude you from teaching.
All trainee teachers must also meet the Secretary of State’s requirements for physical and mental health. In practice, few health problems preclude applicants from teaching, and so we welcome applications from people with disabilities.
Further advice on any aspect of the entry requirements and teacher training with CTSA can be obtained by contacting us via our website on www.thectsa.org
What we are looking for
Potential to teach
We are looking for applicants who have the potential to become outstanding teachers, who are able to think and work independently on their studies who would enjoy and benefit from training in a school environment.
Your personal qualities should include:-
- a high level of personal motivation to want to become an outstanding teacher;
- willingness to learn from experience and to receive and act on feedback;
- an analytical mind to better understand and overcome challenges;
- a creative and imaginative outlook to apply different ways of teaching;
- ability to work hard as teaching is a demanding role;
- perseverance for the tough times;
- good organisational skills; and
- a good understanding and liking of young people
How we select our trainees
Initial Selection
Following an initial review of the application by the CTSA and e-Qualitas the decision on who to take forward to the next stage is made and the applicant informed.
School placement and interview
Successful applicants from the initial selection process will be invited to spend a 3 day placement in the proposed school setting where the applicant will have an opportunity to observe lessons and obtain some practical experience of the school environment.
This will be followed by an interview conducted by a panel including the Head of the proposed placement school and a representative from e-Qualitas.
Applicants must take the following items to the interview:-
- their qualifications certificates;
- identity documents (photo id e.g. passport and evidence of residence e.g. a mobile phone or bank statement);
- evidence of having taken and passed the practice skills test;
Overseas applicants must provide evidence of their eligibility to live and study in the UK.
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