Early Years & Primary Core Subjects
English
This course is designed to enable trainees to develop into well-informed, confident, inclusive and reflective teachers of English. A series of lectures, seminars and practical workshops, differentiated accordingly for early years and primary trainees, support understanding of the four language modes reading, writing, speaking and listening. The course explores exciting, innovative and creative ways to engage children with literacy learning from an early age.
At the heart of the course is literature for children. As well as considering what is written for children in various genres (picture books, novels, poetry, non-fiction texts, and digital and multimodal texts, for example), prominence is also given to strategies for enabling children to become more fluent, enthusiastic, discriminating and adaptable readers. Ways of helping children achieve their potential in writing is another central strand of the course. The development and transition of children’s writing from emergent mark making in the early years to a fluent style in primary and beyond is explored. Practical workshops support investigations into the writing process.
The course further emphasises the vital role that language plays in all children’s learning and looks at how children become competent users of language. Lectures and workshops investigate age-appropriate strategies for supporting speaking and listening skills, including learners for whom English is an additional language, and draw on elements such as how to inspire and elicit children’s oral responses to texts and film. Trainees are prepared to teach within the context of Communication Language and Literacy in the Early Years Foundation Stage and the current Primary National Strategy for Literacy.
Mathematics
The mathematics course places great emphasis on increasing trainees’ confidence in, and enthusiasm for, mathematics. We aim to educate teachers who enjoy teaching mathematics and are able to convey their enthusiasm to pupils. A central aim of the course is to develop in trainees a knowledge of mathematical pedagogy which is underpinned by a ‘deep knowledge’ of relevant mathematics. Trainees are helped to use and develop their own mathematical knowledge and to appreciate the way in which this underpins the mathematical learning of children.
The range of mathematics, which trainees will address, will prepare them to teach children in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 (early years trainees) or Key Stages 1 and 2 (general primary trainees). Throughout the course tutors draw on research into the teaching and learning of mathematics as well as on practice in schools. National guidance and recent reviews, such as the Cambridge Primary Review, the Rose Review and the Williams review, all inform the content and teaching approaches addressed during the course.
The early years course is taught through a series of lectures and seminars that address early mathematical learning in both the indoor and outdoor environments. With strong links to the professional studies course, this course enables trainees to develop an understanding of the importance of promoting early mathematical learning through experiences which are playful and meaningful to young children. Sessions will explore the importance of handling real objects and using strong imaginary contexts before eventually developing abstract mathematical thinking. Trainees will learn to deconstruct tasks, identifying the individual mathematical skills and concepts required, in order to provide effective teaching and support individual learning.
The primary course is similarly taught through lectures and workshops or seminars. The lectures focus on developing ‘deep subject knowledge’ and knowledge of pedagogical approaches or strategies in relation to particular content areas of primary school mathematics e.g. ‘multiplication and division’ or ‘shape and space’. These are usually followed by workshops in which trainees try out, and reflect on, teaching/learning activities in the same content area. The workshop activities are selected to introduce trainees to a creative approach to mathematics teaching that is likely to engage children and promote the development of relational understanding. These workshops or seminars promote the use of teaching and learning approaches such as dialogic teaching, mathematical enquiry, collaborative working, problem solving and the use of innovative and relevant resources.
Science
This course is designed to build confidence and competence in the teaching of science, an area of study central to children’s experience in the Early Years and in Primary schools. Trainees are introduced to approaches to scientific enquiry, to science ideas that form the basis of work with young children and to ideas about teaching and learning that underpin activities inside and outside the classroom.
Linking strongly to the work carried out on placements in partnership schools, the Early Years science course addresses the teaching of science within a holistic age-appropriate curriculum. Sessions look at areas of knowledge such as materials, forces and ‘ourselves’, and generic topics such as science through play, creative science and science through performance.
The Primary science course similarly considers the planning, teaching and assessment of science; the use of ICT in the teaching of science; wider professional issues that affect teaching and learning in science (such as inclusion and working with children with English as an additional language); and links with other curriculum areas. Individual sessions look at topics such as the human body, light and sound, and electricity and magnetism.
A highlight of the year for both Early Years and Primary science course is the ‘Environment Day’. This extended experience places science firmly within a cross curricular context as trainees discover how a wide range of creative arts - including work with clay, textiles, printing and photography - can be brought together within a study of the natural environment.
The course therefore intends to develop informed professionals ready to face the many challenges inherent in the teaching of science in Early Years and primary settings. Above all, the science course aims to inspire and enthuse trainees to become confident, competent and creative teachers of this important subject.