Alexandra New, Principal Lecturer and PGCE Lead for the Primary Phase, London Metropolitan University
At London Metropolitan University, our PGCE attracts a diverse cohort of trainees from many walks of life, reflecting the varied school communities that they will go on to teach. We also welcome applicants from a range of London Metropolitan undergraduate routes, including BA (Hons) Education and BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies. This diversityThe recognition of individual differences in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, physical ability, religious beliefs and other differences enriches our programme, enabling trainees to learn with and from peers who bring a wide range of experiences, perspectives and cultural backgrounds to the course. Our strong moral imperative for social justice, which runs as a golden thread throughout our curriculum design, is central to our programme and includes the themes outlined in the UN Convention on Rights of a Child.
What are some of the key challenges you face in developing new teachers?
From the outset, our focus is on ensuring that our trainees are well prepared for their teaching placements. With much to cover in a relatively short space of time, our key priority is the development of teacher professionalism. Our trainees are ambassadors for London Metropolitan University, and we want them to be exemplary role models in the diverse and challenging school settings in which they are placed.
A key challenge when preparing trainees is linking educational theory with classroom practice, so that they are well versed in the delivery of lessons to groups of pupils. With this in mind, we carefully integrate theory and pedagogical techniques with practical activities and micro-teaching opportunities, enabling trainees to practise, model and provide peer feedback in a supportive and collaborative environment.
A second challenge for us is ensuring that school mentors remain well supported and aligned with London Metropolitan’s vision for high-quality teacher training. We work with a variety of schools across London, so maintaining consistency in mentoring is an ongoing focus. The strong school partnerships we have developed further strengthens mentor development. This collaborative work continues to evolve in the current context—excellent mentoring is a fundamental part of our trainees’ journey towards becoming successful and reflective classroom practitioners.
How do Chartered College of Teaching resources support the development of trainees?
Ahead of the course, all trainees receive a pre-course booklet to complete in preparation for the key elements of the programme. As part of this, all trainees sign up to the Chartered College of Teaching and are encouraged to explore their online platform prior to September.
In the first week of the course, trainees are introduced to the Chartered College of Teaching resources in greater detail. They receive a walkthrough of the materials that will support them, including the strands of the initial teacher trainingAbbreviated to ITT, the period of academic study and time in school leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and early career framework (ITECF), as well as articles to support future research and assignments. The resources provided by the Chartered College of Teaching align with London Metropolitan University’s inclusive approach and are referenced in a dedicated session on social justice within our context. The article Levelling the playing field and promoting social mobility through education reflects and reinforces these key themes.
The Chartered College of Teaching has developed excellent resources, which we fully utilise and embed throughout our intensive training and practice (ITAP) delivery. For example, during our Behaviour ITAP, which focuses on the fundamental skills required to establish effective classroom routines, teacher educators share and discuss The Chartered College of Teaching’s classroom practice videos. Routines in a primary classroom enables trainees to observe a primary practitioner managing a carefully practised routine for the pupils to transition from the carpet to their tables. This is carried out with meticulous clarity and serves as a powerful tool to share with trainees before their teaching placements. The article Reflecting on classroom routines is also an excellent resource to embed and review the teaching points of the session.
Trainees are also immersed in a range of curriculum models. For example, in science sessions, trainees are supported to identify opportunities to explore diversity within the primary curriculum. Why decolonise and diversify the curriculum? is an excellent video, featuring a school leader who explains the key drivers for decolonising and diversifying the curriculum within her school setting.
Our PGCE offer includes the Early Years phase, so outdoor learning and the exploration of oracy tools are fully embedded within our university-led sessions. Outdoor learning: Supporting early language and communication is an excellent resource to share with trainees, highlighting the numerous opportunities that outdoor environments can provide.
A key focus in our PGCE programme is the effective deployment of scaffoldingProgressively introducing students to new concepts to support their learning techniques, with a specific focus on ‘ITAP 2: Explaining and Modelling’. Maths mastery in a primary classroom is a resource used to demonstrate the modelling of scaffolds using worked examples. This video also provides insight into how teachers can address misconceptions, supporting future lesson planning and subject knowledge development.
How do you plan to use the Early Career Hub in the future?
Moving forward, we plan to embed the strands of the ITTECF within the Early Career Hub to further support school-based mentors. Where mentors may require additional support, Lead Mentors and Link Tutors will be encouraged to make further use of these resources to support specific areas for development.
The Chartered College of Teaching’s trainee handbook provides an excellent scaffold for research engagement and goal setting. It would be useful to incorporate this into our pre-course information package, as well as used to enhance our ECT booklets that are shared at the end of the PGCE.
At London Metropolitan University, we offer a Becoming a Teacher module for BA undergraduates. This module offers an introduction to teaching and to our PGCE programme. Articles from the Chartered College of Teaching’s Impact journal are used for pre-reading and as discussion points in this module. For example, in a session where we explore classroom climateThe social, emotional, intellectual and physical environment of a classroom and exploratory talk, we use an article that highlights the importance of explicit teaching of oracy as a means to close the disadvantage gap.
As this module is further developed for the next semester, these articles, along with others from Impact, will be shared as valuable resources to support teaching and assignment activities.
Our team of Senior Lecturers are unanimous in their agreement that the Chartered College of Teaching resources are fundamental to the ongoing development of our programme. As the resources are up to date and grounded in research, there is no need to spend additional time locating reliable materials from other sources. The ‘one-stop shop’ model of the Chartered College of Teaching website therefore makes a significant contribution to supporting staff workload and efficiency.
Top tips for ITTInitial teacher training - the period of academic study and time in school leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) providers
Here are my three top tips for making the most of the Chartered College of Teaching resources. I hope these will be helpful to other ITT providers.
1. Begin with the Video Hub. This hub offers a wealth of insightful interviews with school leaders from a diverse range of settings. These videos also provide access to cutting‑edge tools and case studies, such as the use of AI in schools to support teacher wellbeing and workload.
2. Explore the Classroom Practice Video Archives. By using the provided filters, you can select videos that are pertinent to your phase and setting. These clips are extremely valuable when deconstructing lessons with trainees and supporting their understanding of behaviour routines.
3. Make full use of the Early Career Hub Archive. It provides a wide range of resources covering all ITTECF strands — a fundamental element of all teacher training programmes. These include articles to support planning of sessions for trainees, structured discussion points, and materials to assist with mentor development and training.
