-
Term Dates for all schools until July 2013
-
Dates when Year 6 pupils will sit the papers during 2011/12
-
Find out which catchment school your child will go to
-
Contact details
-
Secondary/Post 16/All-age Schools
Contact details
-
Your guide to Higher Education funding
On-Island graduate teacher training programme
We are committed to recruiting locally residentially qualified teachers wherever possible throughout the service. Locally-based initial teacher training (ITT) provision is an important aspect of our teacher recruitment strategies.
On-Island ITT course provision has been maintained for two main reasons:
1. To provide for more mature students for whom an off-Island training option is difficult e.g. because of family commitments;
2. To help fill the Island shortfall of teachers
On-Island teacher training courses have proved to be extremely successful over the years since they were first introduced in the 1990s first through distance learning with the Open University and then through a partnership with the University of Brighton. The structure of such on-Island ITT courses has had to change over the years as the UK Government's revised agenda for the teaching profession required ITT institutions to amend their teacher training programmes. Through this period of change we have maintained strong links with the University of Brighton and through a partnership with the University's School of Education have managed to maintain on-Island teacher training programmes and develop a professional development framework for Teaching Assistants.
The GTP Programme
We have just launched a new on-Island Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP) to replace the previous on-Island Primary PGCE programme and provide a new route to train as a secondary teacher.
This Graduate Teacher Programme is an employment based route leading to Qualified Teacher Status (Guernsey). The programme will normally take a year.
Who Can Apply?
To apply for a place on the On-Island Graduate Teacher Programme you must:
- Possess a recognised degree or equivalent;
- Have passes of A*-C in English Language and Mathematics or equivalent and, if you intend to teach in primary or Key Stage 2/3 (ages 7-14), it is also necessary to have achieved a standard equivalent to a Grade C in a GCSE science subject.
The number of places on the GTP may vary from year to year.
What is involved?
You will be employed for one academic year as an unqualified teacher or instructor in a designated school and will be paid on Point 1 of the Unqualified Teacher scale. You will be bound by the same terms and conditions of any regular member of staff and will be expected to participate in the duties expected of all teaching staff.
All GTP trainees are placed in schools as a supernumerary. As the GTP is a training route, you are not expected to teach a full timetable; you will need time to undertake professional development activities such as lesson observations, to plan and assess and to collect evidence to meet the required standards for QTS.
You will be supported by a school mentor and supervised by the appropriate Education Officer during your training. General administration of the GTP will be managed on a day to day basis by the Education Department.
Whilst a significant part of your training will be in your designated training school you will also need to attend specific training modules delivered by the University of Brighton. This will involve a number of trips off Island which will be funded by the Education Department as part of the GTP.
The Standards for Qualified Teacher Status
All trainees preparing to gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) Guernsey through the GTP must demonstrate that they are able to meet the required national standards for QTS and be able to demonstrate competence in two adjacent Key Stages e.g. Key Stages 1 and 2 for primary and Key Stages 3 and 4 for secondary, in order to satisfy the requirements.
This means that you will carry out, together with your school based mentor and supervising Education Officer, an audit of your knowledge and experience against the Standards. This will indicate both areas of strength and areas to be developed, providing all those concerned with an overview of the actions and targets for the GTP. All the QTS standards must be met and evidenced before you will be awarded QTS.
You will also need to have an initial audit of your subject knowledge followed by ongoing audits. Subject knowledge is also assessed through formal observations of teaching by your schools-based mentor, your subject tutor from the University of Brighton and your supervising Education Officer.
Individual Training and Development Programme (ITDP)
Following the audit process, you, together with the University of Brighton, your school mentor and supervising Education Officer, will formulate an Individual Training and Development Plan. This ITDP is at the centre of the GTP and provides the changing and developing targets that you need in order to meet the QTS Standards. It is revised as the programme progresses so that you can develop all the necessary subject knowledge and teaching experience.
All trainees must work in two schools over the course of the programme and you are required to spend a minimum of six weeks working in the second school in order to broaden your teaching experience.
For the GTP to be both compliant and in line with national teacher training expectations, you will be required to engage in 60 days training. This training is distinct from your teaching commitments and will normally take place in your placement schools and through the University of Brighton and the Education Department.
A final assessment of your achievements against the Standards for QTS is undertaken by Brighton University.
What Qualification will I eventually achieve?
GTP trainees who successfully satisfy the Standards for QTS are awarded Qualified Teacher Status (Guernsey) by the Education Department with the accreditation of the award through the University of Brighton. Please note that QTS (Guernsey) is currently only recognised in Guernsey and so may restrict your opportunity to work off-Island in future.
