ITT School Experience Handbook

St Mary’s University is proud to support students to become the next generation of outstanding teachers.

We collaborate closely with schools and mentors to deliver the Core Content Framework to ensure students are able to make progress against the Teachers’ Standards in an environment which encourages self-reflection and excellence. 

This handbook is designed to provide an overview of school experience for all students on initial teacher education (ITE) courses at St Mary’s University. Programmes leading to qualified teacher status (QTS) include:

• BA (Hons) Primary Education with QTS
• BA (Hons) Primary Education with QTS (work-based route)
• PGCE Primary with QTS
• PGCE Secondary with QTS (including School Direct Salaried)
• Post Graduate Teaching Apprenticeship (PGTA) QTS
• International Qualified Teacher Status (iQTS).

Our vision

St Mary's ITE curriculum serves to prepare the next generation of Early Career Teachers who are expert in evidence-based disciplinary and phase-specific pedagogical practice; who effectively manage the demands of the profession and exemplify the highest standards of professional conduct and embody the University's values of inclusiveness, excellence, respect, and generosity of spirit.​

Being educated to teach at St Mary's University will ensure trainee teachers are confident subject and phase specific practitioners in the pedagogy of behaviour for learning, planning for learning, assessment, and adaptive teaching, with a deep understanding of the relationship between educational theory and practice​.

St Mary's University has a proud legacy of teacher training, and we are at the forefront of educating the next generation of teachers.

Wellbeing on placement

St Mary's are committed to promoting the wellbeing of our students while on placement. Our Wellbeing on Placement handbook has been designed in collaboration with colleagues across the University to provide our trainees with guidance and support while completing school-based training. 

Strategic Partnership Board

We are proud to work closely with our partnership schools, including those that sit on our Strategic Partnership Board (SPB). The purpose of this network is to engage in regular dialogue with expert colleagues to shape our provision in line with current context. We welcome those interested in joining the SPB to contact Mary Nkune, Head of Education Partnerships (mary.nkune@stmarys.ac.uk).

Handbook Content