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Keele University has a long established reputation in Initial Teacher Education. The Keele Partnership Secondary School Direct Programme is a one year (36 weeks) full-time course. You will spend a significant amount of time (minimum of 120 days) in school. The University modules are designed to give you experience of the main areas you will be expected to teach.
The Keele Geography School Direct is a research-based course, which draws on current thinking and good practice in teaching Geography. The principal aim of the course is to prepare you to teach Geography to pupils and students in the 11-16 age range; however, all Associate Teachers are provided with opportunities to gain experience of teaching at the 16-19 level. You will be encouraged to think about the relationship between Geography and pedagogy, to question the appropriateness of the subject in relation to the everyday lives of young people, and to explore how to create enquiry-based, thinking Geography classrooms. In particular, the course will help you to explore the terms ‘geographical’, ‘imagination’, ‘identity’ and ‘representation’ and to develop ‘geocultural literacy in pupils’. We are particularly interested in how you translate your thinking and ideas about Geography and education into your own teaching style.
'The aim of the programme at Keele is to develop outstanding, critical and creative teachers for the 21st century classroom'
The School Direct Programme at Keele has been designed to be both academic and vocational and is predicated on the requirement to provide challenging expectations of you as Associate Teachers to create a teaching and learning environment which will engage your interest and motivation. The broad aim of the main curriculum component of the School Direct programme is to:
• develop your subject knowledge and teach you how to put that knowledge into practice (pedagogy) in order to thrive in the culture of our schools;
• enable you to become a highly motivated, outstanding effective, creative and reflective practitioner;
• prepare you for a career in teaching that will prove to be successful and rewarding;
• develop in you a commitment to and enthusiasm for continuing professional and personal development;
• provide you with sufficient information, experience and opportunity in order that you might achieve the QTS Standards.
Entry to the School Direct programme is conditional on:
- Achievement of at least a 2:2 and preferably a 2:1 honours degree (or recognised equivalent);*
- Passes at GCSE in English Language and Mathematics at grade C or above (or equivalent);
- Selection based on the information provided on the NCTL application;
- Selection based on a successful interview (part of the interview is conducted within a partner school);
- A medical report which is deemed satisfactory;
- A completed DBS enhanced disclosure which is deemed satisfactory by the University;
- Successful completion of the Teaching Agency’s Professional Skills Tests in Literacy and Numeracy (these are a pre-entry requirement).
- Successful completion of a minimum of 10 days Geography teaching experience in a secondary school/college during the last two years , either before or after selection (before strengthens your application);
- For the SD (Salaried) route, you must have three years of work experience (not necessarily in an educational setting) to be eligible to apply.
This one-year course is a rewarding and challenging programme. It is the beginning of your development as a secondary geography teacher, and as such opportunities for reflection and critical evaluation are embedded in each module. A minimum of 120 days is spent on professional placement in at least two schools. There may be opportunities to engage in other educational settings as appropriate.
All course participants undertake modules in:
Learning and Teaching in Geography: You are given substantial preparation for teaching your main subject but there also also opportunities to work with specialists in other subjects to reflect cross-curricular work in schools. The Geography course places great emphasis on the future. We believe that a Keele Geography teacher is a teacher of tomorrow; someone who will take risks, bring new ideas, and base their thinking upon a critical understanding of the teaching and learning process.
The Geography course is structured around a number of key themes.
These include:
- Becoming a professional Geography teacher
- Classroom and Field management
- Geography and the school curriculum
- Lesson planning
- Planning for the medium and long term
- Teaching and learning strategies
- Resources
- Assessment
- Geography's contribution to the wider curriculum
- Professional development
- The use of ICT to support learning in Geography
One of the strengths of the School Direct Geography course at Keele is the use of Fieldwork. Associate Teachers are involved in a number of residential and non-residential Fieldwork activities. Associate Teachers leave the School Direct with this element of their work certificated (“Health and Safety in Geography Fieldwork”) by the Field Studies Council.
The fieldwork component of course will enable trainees to gain a first aid certificate important for emergency procedures for out-of-classroom activities and school work.
Subject Knowledge for Learning and Teaching: Trainees are expected to be members of the Geographical Association and much of the work of the GA underpins the Keele programme. Many trainees become joint members of GA and RGS. This membership is highly valued by future employers who seek to appoint teachers who demonstrate up-to-date knowledge of contemporary developments in their subject(Teachers’ Standards 2012).
Education and Professional Studies: This module covers fundamental educational issues, which contribute to professional knowledge and understanding. Key areas addressed include: inclusion, special needs, behaviour management and equality and diversity. In addition, you have the opportunity to focus on developing your knowledge, skills and understanding in respect of the organisation of children's learning within your chosen specialist curriculum area.
Teaching Practice: The University has excellent working relationships with its partnership schools, all of which have mentors trained by the University who are responsible for Associate Teacher’s learning and development.
Course participants are assessed through written academic assignments and portfolios of evidence. Throughout your placements you will be assessed against the Teachers’ Standards (May 2012).
The Keele Partnership recognises that our ATs come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences and have already completed degree level study or higher, and are in a position to learn from each other. Thus the programme makes use of lead lectures, seminars, group activities, individual and group tutorials, practical workshops, field visits, directed activities in professional contexts, school based placements, support self-study and the use of IT to support learning via the website.
