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About

The Department of Secondary and Further Education is comprised of three academic teams who are comprehensively supported by a team of administrative colleagues. The three academic teams are: 1) Initial Teacher Training; 2) Further Education and Training; 3) Education Studies

  1. The Initial Teacher Training team provide courses for those students aiming to become secondary school teachers in the 11-16 age-phase. At undergraduate level, we train teachers in English, Mathematics, and Religion. At postgraduate level, we train teachers in Biology, Computing, English, Geography, History, Mathematics, PE, and Religion.
  2. The Further Education and Training team provide courses for those students who wish to train to teach in a wide variety of disciplines, age-phases, and settings including (but not limited to) the 14-19 curriculum in schools, Sixth Form colleges, Further Education colleges, work-based learning, adult and community learning, offender learning within prisons, as well as educators within the armed services and the public service sector.
  3. Our Education Studies team provide a range of courses that blend the academic study of education (including the history, philosophy, psychology, and sociology of education) with other disciplines such as English, History, Religion, and Sociology. These courses are particularly popular with students who may not be certain that they wish to commit to a career in teaching or education but who wish to keep that option open.

Partnership

The Department of Secondary and Further Education fosters very close working relationships with a host of schools, colleges, and other institutions and organisations across the North West and further afield. Far from seeing these relationships as a one-way affair in which we simply place trainees in settings for the purposes and duration of their training, we endeavour to foster real partnerships that grow and evolve over long periods of time that far outlast the duration of a single school placement. For us, partnership means that there is a free flow of information, advice, support, and critical friendship as well as a sharing of experience, expertise, and vision.

It is our aim, in developing and maintaining this partnership between our Department and schools and colleges, to ensure that not only is the Department able to understand the needs of our partners and the challenges faced by them, but also that our partners can challenge and inform the ways in which we train and develop the teachers, educators, and leaders of the future.

To learn more about our Partnership work.

Living Research and Knowledge Exchange

A key way in which we endeavour to enrich our relationship with our partners is through the development of our expertise in a wide variety of different academic disciplines as well as in areas such as education policy, practice, and theory. Our hope is to use this expertise to facilitate our students in acquiring the latest knowledge and skills within their chosen area of specialisation, as well as facilitating our partners, bearing in mind their incredibly busy working environments, in keeping abreast of new developments and ideas in the realm of education, teaching, and learning.

Where research may be seen as the generation of new knowledge and approaches or the critique of existing practices and beliefs, knowledge exchange is the transmission and application of new knowledge and skills to as wide an audience as possible such that its impact can be maximised. Knowledge exchange is about ensuring that the benefits of research are not confined within the walls of the university but are rather broadcast to the public in as many different formats as possible such that the whole of society can benefit, directly and indirectly, from the intellectual effort, time, and money that is invested in universities.

To learn more about our staff.

Secondary

Trainees and mentors receive excellent support, particularly from their course and link tutors. They are inspiring role models and subject experts who spare no effort in meeting trainees’ personal and professional needs very well.

The very high-quality training in trainees’ subject specialisms equips them with skills that enable them to provide relevant and exciting learning for their pupils and learners.” OFSTED 2014

“The excellent support provided by course leaders and link tutors, especially for the development of trainees’ subject knowledge. This leads trainees to apply theory to practice with a demonstrably positive impact on their pupils’ learning and on their own outcomes.” OFSTED 2014

How we can help

There are many factors which would make Edge Hill University your first choice in undertaking your teaching career. The Faculty of Education has an outstanding reputation for providing the very highest quality of initial teacher training programmes. Within secondary education we have a comprehensive suite of programmes to meet your learning needs.

Pre-course support

Whether you are aiming for PGCE or Undergraduate teacher training we can support you in your application. If you need support to enhance your subject knowledge prior to undertaking your course we can support you with that with either our Subject Knowledge Enhancement programmes (for PGCE candidates) or Fastrack (for Undergraduate)

“Trainees and Early Career Teachers who spoke with inspectors were overwhelmingly positive about the quality of their training and the strong support they receive from their tutors.” OFSTED 2014

Initial Teacher Education

Within Secondary Education we offer a comprehensive suite of both postgraduate and undergraduate courses designed especially to meet your personal needs, to help ensure that you achieve your full potential in becoming an outstanding teacher. Whether you want to train full time or flexibly, all of our high quality programmes are school-led and whichever route you choose, you will benefit from high quality, individual support from our dedicated school and university based staff who work in partnership to support you at every step of your training journey. We have a growing reputation for school-based research which impacts directly on classroom practice, to ensure that what you learn is not only completely relevant to current development and theory in education, but is cutting edge and shapes curriculum improvements.

“Trainees and Early Career Teachers told inspectors that communication, especially with their course leaders and link tutors, is excellent and they saw course leaders as experts in their subjects at the cutting edge of research.” OFSTED 2014

Post-ITT

Once you have qualified we believe this is just the start of your journey, and to support you we have bespoke events designed to guide you through your Early Career Teacher year. Once in service we offer a range of opportunities for you to continue your professional development  and courses designed to support and equip you to address with confidence the ever-changing educational landscape.

Further Education

Further Education and Training refers to the broad range of teaching, learning and assessment in the following provision:

  • 14 – 19 curriculum in schools
  • Further Education colleges
  • 6th Form colleges
  • Work-based learning
  • Adult and community learning
  • Offender learning within the prison service, and
  • Armed services / public service sector

Edge Hill University has developed programmes designed to assist both intending and practising teachers to become outstanding practitioners within the sector. There are initial teacher education courses for those wishing to enter the sector at the start of their career or for those who are already working in the sector but are not yet qualified: the University Higher Diploma in  Further Education and Training (for non-graduates) and the PGCE in Further Education and  Training (for graduates). In addition there are professional development opportunities for those who have achieved their initial qualifications and are active in the sector. This suite of Further Education and Training programmes aims to:

  • Provide an outstanding initial teacher education award for unqualified staff working within the sector or for those wishing to work in the sector
  • Introduce, and establish, a proven variety of innovative approaches to teaching , learning and assessment that facilitate learner achievement
  • Ensure all participants are supported by outstanding subject mentors and personal tutors throughout their studies and practice
  • Enable teachers within the sector to develop a broader professional model of their role, particularly in relation to curriculum design, implementation and evaluation
  • Provide professional development experiences which ensure progression within curriculum delivery and management

Please note that for the purposes of this site the term teacher has been used generically to represent teachers, tutors, trainers, lecturers and instructors in the Further Education and Training Sector.

For ITT applicants

As part of your programme of study, you will undertake a placement based on your current training and educational needs.

Edge Hill University works in partnership with a variety of schools, colleges and settings across the UK. This means that your placement could be anywhere within this Partnership across the UK ensuring that you are placed in the most appropriate setting for your needs.

As you are a student studying on an Initial Teacher Training programme, the delivery of the academic content of your programme and timing of placements is designed to replicate the requirements of teachers in practice and runs over a typical College year, rather than a University academic year. The start and end dates of placements will vary depending on the setting you are allocated to for your placement. On occasions, placements may need to be changed or the start of placements may be delayed at short notice due to external factors such as availability of placements or changes in settings which provide placement opportunities.  You, therefore, need to ensure that you are available until the end of July to complete the placement phase of your training.