School Direct – Course Structure & Support

School Direct PGCE Course Structure

Academic sessions take place on a Wednesday afternoon and these sessions are either led by York St John or Hope Sentamu Learning Trust staff. We use outstanding teachers within our school network to facilitate our sessions. These sessions aim to give you an academic understanding alongside pedagogical strategies to deploy in the classroom. You can then deploy these strategies in the classroom the next day as the majority of your time is spent at your placement schools. 

Academic and Mentor Support

Support is an integral part of developing and nurturing Hope Sentamu Learning Trust training teachers to be outstanding practitioners. Through weekly mentor meetings, as well as regular feedback on your teaching, you will be supported by your school Subject Mentor as well as your York St John University Link Tutor. You will also have a school Professional Mentor who will lead induction days in school and provide you with specific ITE school based training. In addition, you will also be allocated an academic tutor from the York St John University to support with writing at Masters Level. Student teachers have full access to the Student Support Services offered by the University

Induction is a key part of the programme and each placement as we feel it is important for you to feel welcome in the school community and valued as members of staff from the start. You will attend school meetings such as staff meetings, participate in school training days and other professional development events as appropriate. You are given the opportunity to participate in all aspects of school life and the wider school context. This helps you to understand your own professional identity and be a fully committed member of a school community.

Want to find out more?

If you have any questions about the programme, please don’t hesitate to contact us.