Student teachers on this programme complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) of 60 credits. The PGCE is awarded alongside a recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
Our vision is to develop highly skilled, motivated and informed teachers, with a passionate commitment to ensuring that all their learners access the high- quality education to which they are entitled. The Curriculum we offer is discussed and co-delivered in Partnership with our schools. It is designed to be purposefully integrated and sequenced across a wide range of settings. It is carefully considered, in order to support our student teachers in gaining expertise in the subject(s) they are learning to teach. We focus on high quality subject teaching to all pupils, adapting learning (where necessary) for those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an Additional Language (EAL) whilst maintaining high expectations for all: equality of opportunity is central to our partnership, and we work closely with a diverse range of schools and their communities. The curriculum for all LJMU student teachers includes and extends the entitlement set out in the ITT Core Content Framework.
Assessment on the Postgraduate Primary Initial Teacher Education (ITE) courses is continuous with module and teaching assessments spread over the year at intervals appropriate to the phases of training. All student teachers must pass the 7118PBEC Becoming a Professional Teacher Module and pass Phase 3 at Triangulation, in order to be recommended for QTS.
Formative assessment, by both school-based and university-based staff, is an important element of the Postgraduate Primary courses. This includes formal lesson observation, analysis and feedback, which support on-going evaluation, review and target setting by the student teacher. The Weekly meeting and Target setting document is completed each week during the placement experience, to capture training and review and set targets. Five Review Forms are completed during placement experiences, by the General Mentor (ITT Mentor) in conjunction with the student teacher and Professional Mentor. The QTS Training and Development File contains a record of the school-based curriculum, along with student-teachers' Placement Experience File(s). Student teachers are NOT required to collate a separate QTS file/portfolio, and are discouraged from doing so, as part of LJMU's commitment to reducing teacher workload.
All LJMU ITE Programmes operate a 'phased' approach to curriculum design and placement experience. The focus of the curriculum and expectations for each phase are as follows:
Phased Expectations: Context and Implementation
At LJMU, we adopt a holistic approach to the monitoring and assessment of trainees whilst on professional practice. This is based on:
- Lesson Analysis Forms
- Weekly Mentor Meetings
- Keeping in Touch Meetings with Lead Mentors and Personal Tutors
- Interim and Final Placement Reviews
- Additional Support Forms (where required)
- Within university taught sessions
- Trainee reflections and evaluations
- Trainee file scrutiny
These phased expectations are used to guide, support and monitor the progression of student teachers through the three phases of the LJMU ITE curriculum. The phased expectations are framed around ten key questions.
- How do I set high expectations and create a safe and inclusive classroom environment that supports all pupils, such as those with SEND? [Slide 2]
- How do I show understanding of and apply evidence of how pupils learn effectively, including cognitive load, memory and retrieval practice? [Slide 3]
- How do I develop strong subject knowledge and deliver a coherent, sequenced curriculum that builds on pupils' prior knowledge? [Slide 4]
- How do I implement evidence-informed approaches to early reading, literacy, and oracy that enables pupils to access all areas of the curriculum? [Slide 5]
- How do I plan and teach well-structured lessons that use effective modelling, explanations, and questioning techniques? [Slide 6]
- How do I adapt teaching to meet the diverse needs of all pupils, working efficiently and maintaining high expectations? [Slide 7]
- How do I use assessment effectively to understand pupils' learning, provide quality feedback, and inform my teaching decisions? [Slide 8]
- How do I establish and maintain positive behaviours for learning that result in a productive learning environment? [Slide 9]
- How do I develop as an evidence-informed reflective practitioner and act on feedback? [Slide 10]
- How do I demonstrate the professional knowledge and behaviours of a teacher, collaborating with colleagues, parents and other professionals? [Slide 11]
These ten questions form the basis of the LJMU ITE curriculum and have been designed to encompass all aspects of both the Teachers' Standards and ITTECF Framework as a minimum entitlement, and so the focus of attention should be upon these. During each phase of their training, student teachers should be able to articulate their response to each question and their responses should develop as their training progresses.
The phased expectations should be used to support the weekly meetings with mentors, inform student teacher reflections and the interim/final placement reviews. In the interim/final placement reviews, mentors will make judgements against the phased expectations, based on the student teachers' current practice. In doing this, the phased expectations should be holistically used to assess whether the student teacher is on track or not meeting expectations for their current phase. The student is expected to have the majority of the statements highlighted in their current phase to be meeting expectations. Where gaps in knowledge/skills/experience are evident, the phased expectations can help target set to address these.
What happens when a student teacher is not meeting the phased expectations?
If a student teacher is not meeting the expectations for their current phase in the course, an Additional Support Form (ASF) should be completed by the General Mentor and Lead Mentor. In the ASF, SMART targets should be provided to ensure that the student teacher can quickly get back on track.
When are student teachers assessed against the Teachers' Standards?
Assessment against the Teachers' Standards only takes place as a summative assessment at the end of the programme of ITE, through a review of key sources of evidence within the Triangulation. This final judgement as to whether a trainee has met the Teachers' Standards is a holistic one, which takes into account engagement and response to all elements of the programme of ITE i.e., in both university and settings/schools.
Phase review forms must be completed by the General Mentor on Abyasa and uploaded by the student teacher to their QTS folder.
| Phase | Completed by Mentor for: |
|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Friday 24th October 2025 |
| Phase 2 interim | Friday 19th December 2025 |
| Phase 2 final | Friday 13th February 2026 |
| Phase 3 interim | Friday 8th May 2026 |
| Phase 3 final | Friday 19th June 2025 |
Setting, monitoring and reviewing targets, in discussion with those training to teach, is key to supporting a cycle of continuous improvement in their professional training and development. The following document outlines the target setting process.
For each subject there are six key observation questions for mentors to consider when undertaking a teaching observation of their student teacher. There is also guidance for target setting for the observation in relation to student teacher's sequencing and choice of teaching methods, use of assessment (including questioning) and developing subject knowledge and pedagogy in the subject specific document.
- Guidance for Observation and Target Setting: Early Years
- Guidance for Observation and Target Setting: Primary Art & Design
- Guidance for Observation and Target Setting: Primary Computing
- Guidance for Observation and Target Setting: Primary Design & Technology
- Guidance for Observation and Target Setting: Primary English
- Guidance for Observation and Target Setting: Primary Foreign Languages
- Guidance for Observation and Target Setting: Primary Geography
- Guidance for Observation and Target Setting: Primary History
- Guidance for Observation and Target Setting: Primary Mathematics
- Guidance for Observation and Target Setting: Primary Music
- Guidance for Observation and Target Setting: Primary Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education
- Guidance for Observation and Target Setting: Primary Physical Education
- Guidance for Observation and Target Setting: Primary Religions and Worldviews (RaW)
- Guidance for Observation and Target Setting: Primary Science
