School Based Work Placements
School-based work is an important part of our PGCE Programmes and all of our partner schools have specially trained school-based tutors who assist trainees in learning to teach.
The university currently has partnership arrangements with over 300 schools in the south west and a small number in London.
All partner schools are committed to Initial Teacher Education and school staff working with trainees attend a series of induction and development meetings to ensure that the training provided is of a high standard.
The wide geographical spread of partner schools affords trainees the opportunity to experience the varied charms of the west country from Penzance to Bournemouth; seaside schools in North Devon and Cornwall with great surfing beaches, smaller rural schools on Dartmoor and Exmoor, as well as larger urban schools in Exeter, Plymouth, Bournemouth, Taunton and Torbay.
Where trainees have personal reasons to be placed in a specific area, for example those with young children, we do our utmost to accommodate these needs, whilst other trainees should be prepared to live away from Exeter for at least some of the course.
Trainees undertake a period of preliminary school based work at the beginning of the course (two weeks for Secondary trainees and one week for Primary trainees). This is usually undertaken in the trainees home area and ideally involves a variety of key stages. Details of this and the tasks to be undertaken in these schools are sent to the trainees after their acceptance on the course.
The excellent support I have received from staff in both schools, and from my UVT has made a challenging year far easier than it might otherwise have been. Dave Stone
Wearing full veils in school
If you are accepted on the course, the University will make reasonable efforts to find a school within the usual placement area. You will be required to comply with the placement provider’s policies, which may include dress codes. For example, some schools may have a policy on students wearing the full veil. Should you wish to wear the full veil and it is not reasonably possible for the University to find a school in the usual placement area that will permit this, you may instead suggest a school within reasonable distance outside the usual area (for example, London or Birmingham) in order to fulfil the placement requirements. You will need to meet any additional costs incurred either by yourself (e.g. accommodation) or by the University (e.g. additional travelling costs to observe/supervise in the classroom). Any such placement would need to be approved by the University as suitable for the course being undertaken.
Some schools may be happy to accommodate a woman wearing a full veil outside the classroom, but not inside the classroom and, hence, should you wish to wear it at all times you may experience limited career options. Please contact the Graduate School of Education at any point before or after your application/acceptance to discuss any concerns or queries.
Please feel free to contact us if you are a school who would like to apply to be in partnership with University of Exeter Initial Teacher Training.