PGDE Primary placements

In order to ensure a high-quality, consistent student experience across placements in schools, we would like to share programme handbooks with partner schools.

Programme Email address: edpgdep@ed.ac.uk

The next dates of the next PGDE Primary placement are:

• Teaching in School 1 (Early Years): Monday 28 October – Friday 6 December 2024
• Teaching in School 2 (Middle Years): Monday 27 January - Friday 14 March 2025
• Teaching in School 3 (Upper Years): Monday 21 April - Friday 30 May 2025

On successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Apply knowledge and understanding of appropriate curricular content to plan purposeful learning for children
2. Apply knowledge, skills, and understanding of pedagogy when teaching small groups and whole classes
3. Engage in reflective and reflexive praxis to ensure how, why and what we teach aligns with our individual and collective professional values and action
4. Use a range of communication skills to professionally interact with children and sustain learning conversations
5. Work collaboratively under guidance in a collaborative relationship with qualified practitioners and other student teachers

Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly. (Wenger-Trayner and Wenger-Trayner, 2015, p.2)

During the students' induction to the PGDE course, we explored the rationale for teachers being part of Communities of Practice (CoP) as part of their engagement with professional learning. CoPs can provide opportunities for connection, collaboration and reflection which can inform and enhance teaching and learning. As the student begins the EY placement, the PGDE team will continue to engage with you and support the students professional learning through a series of online learning sessions. The schedule below outlines the content of each session and provides relevant links for joining. Please refer to the individual curricular area sections for pre-engagement tasks.

Thursday 31st October 4.30pm - Optional Drop-In A Q&A opportunity about placement.

Thursday 7th November 4.30pm - Optional Drop-In A Q&A opportunity about placement. 

Thursday 12th November 4.30pm - Maths Twilight

Thursday 21st November 4.30pm - Health and Wellbeing Twilight

Thursday 26th November 4.30pm - Literacies Twilight