Geography ITE Programme Overview
Age Range:
11 to 16 years (Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4) with 16 – 19 years enhancements (Key Stage 5).
ITE student teachers on our Geography teacher training course, will teach Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 pupils across all three placements, with opportunities to teach Key Stage 5 students as they successfully progress through their course.
Wonder Curriculum
To support the delivery of the ITE Core Curriculum, the Wonder Curriculum focuses on providing subject knowledge enhancement opportunities and delivering a carefully sequenced programme to allow the content, skills and application of the ITTECF to be regularly revisited and embedded.
The Wonder curriculum includes:
In addition to subject days with YSJ you will also experience our own Wonder Geographical subject knowledge enhancement days, which include:
- Geographical enquiry and approaches to data collection in KS3 – KS5
- Professional training in Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
- Urban fieldwork training with the Geographical Association
- Coastal fieldwork training with expert secondary lead.
- Attendance to Geographical Association Conference
Wonder Training Session facilitated by experts that seamlessly integrate:
- A focus area from the ITTECF
- Pedagogical knowledge and contextualised application for classroom practice
- The development of professional behaviours
Wonder conferences with workshops that focus on the fundamental developments and current challenges facing our education system.
These include:
- Reading for pleasure
- English as an Additional Language (EAL)
- Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
- Closing the disadvantaged gap
- Use of technology in the classroom to enhance learning and reduce workload.
Wonder diversity short placements providing opportunities for you to experience different educational setting and phases which may include:
- Alternative Providers
- Primary settings
- High EAL school settings
- Pupil Referral Units
Wellbeing training aimed to equipped you with the necessary skills and strategies to support you as you transition from being a student teacher to an Early Careers Teacher.
To ensure you receive the best possible experience, we work in partnership with expert colleagues from local schools and recognised centres of excellence including the Bell Foundation, York STEM centre, the Geographical Association, The Royal Geographic and the Field Studies Council.
Placement
This PGCE is a school-centred route, that requires you to spend 120 days in a school setting. We follow an ABA model for your school placements. This essentially means that you spend your first and third placement in the same school, which is known as your base school. Your second placement is spent in a different school, that is contextually different to your base school, to allow you to experience as many contrasting environments as possible.
During your school placements you are supported by a mentor and other school staff, as well as university tutors, who are all committed to your education and training and work together to secure your progress and development.
You will be involved with:
- observing other teachers
- planning and teaching small groups and whole classes
- planning and teaching elements of lessons and whole lessons
- evaluating and reflecting on your teaching
- receiving developmental feedback on your teaching
- gaining experience in a range of pastoral responsibilities as a class teacher
- engaging with all aspects of school life and the wider school setting
- learning the values of what it means to be a professional within a school context.
Placement Opportunities
We are able to offer placements at the following secondary schools depending on the subject course chosen.
- Woldgate School and Sixth Form
- Longcroft School and Sixth Form
- Pocklington School
- Whitby School
We also work with other schools in York and the Beverley and Hull area to offer you a wide range of placement opportunities.
