module specification

NB: Teaching Period is a statutory period of currently 36 weeks, set by the Department of Education. Term dates are set separately to the standard university dates, with an earlier start and later finish than other postgraduate courses.

The Curriculum Studies module aims to ensure that all students have appropriate knowledge, skills and understanding to teach their chosen specialism as an effective practitioner, in fulfilment of all relevant aspects of the Core Content Framework.

To support the student:
● to develop an understanding of the curriculum knowledge and pedagogical knowledge that they will require as a teacher, including the ability to interpret this to plan, teach and assess engaging lessons which promote pupil progression.
● to develop their own subject knowledge to ensure they are confident to teach their chosen specialist subject and/or phase, through a combination of assessment, self-assessment, target setting, personal study and engagement with university teaching and learning sessions.
● to develop a critical appreciation of the relevant traditions in pedagogy, assessment and children’s rights related to the areas they will be required to teach, and to use this knowledge to make decisions about planning, teaching and assessment which promote pupil progression.

Graduate (and must be enrolled on PGCE)

The Curriculum Studies module will enable students to access all aspects of the DfE Core Content Framework as a minimum course requirement. The module will focus in particular on
• The curriculum – the National Curriculum and the taught curriculum, including age-specific syllabus requirements
• Planning learning – lesson planning; medium-term planning; constructive alignment
• Assessment – formative and summative; formal and informal; examinations
• Pedagogy – teaching approaches, health and safety, children’s rights, pedagogic research.

Student teachers are responsible for their own learning, with the support and guidance of university tutors via scheduled teaching and individual tutorials and through the ongoing support and guidance of school-based mentors.

• Students will complete subject knowledge audits throughout the training programme and devise individual action plans to plan to make progress in areas where this is required.
• Individual and group tutorials will be provided to help guide students through this process.
• Peer teaching enables students to share areas of subject knowledge strength.
• Compulsory university-based workshops will address the curriculum, adaptive teaching, assessment and subject related pedagogy in the following areas:

Primary (3-7, 5-11, 7-11, SEND)
• English and language development, including phonics and oracy;
• Maths and numeracy;
• Science;
• Foundation subjects

Secondary (11-16 or 11-18)
Individual secondary subject specialisms, currently
Computer Science with ICT (11-16)
Computer Science with Maths (11-16)
English (11-16)
English with Drama (11-16)
English with Media (11-16)
Mathematics (11-16)
Maths with Computer Science (11-16)
Modern Foreign Languages (11-16)
Science with Biology (11-16)
Science with Chemistry (11-16)
Science with Physics (11-16)

Where courses are designated 11-16, there will be consideration in addition as to requirements for teaching at post-compulsory level (16-19)

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

• LO 1 Demonstrate that they are able to critically review their own professional development needs and plan a training programme that will enable them to make progress in their own subject knowledge.
• LO 2 Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the curriculum / assessment frameworks for their specialism to enable them to plan engaging and effective lessons and sequences of lessons.
• LO 3 Understand how to use formative and summative assessment methods to support their judgements in relation to children’s attainment in key areas of the curriculum.
• LO 4 Identify and justify appropriate pedagogical strategies, adapting teaching to address specific learning intentions, using experience, relevant research and wider literature where appropriate.
• LO 5 Demonstrate a thorough understanding of children’s rights and how they are embodied in the curriculum that they will teach
• LO 6 Demonstrate how their teaching has an impact on pupils’ learning and progress and how they critically apply of skills of reflection and evaluation to ensure this.

Reading will reflect the route and will be detailed in course handbooks and in the VLE. An indicative list includes the following key texts:

Core Texts

DfE Core Content Framework
Bryan, H., Carpenter, C., & Hoult, S. (2010) Learning and Teaching at M level: A Guide for Student Teachers, Sage Publications Ltd.
Pritchard, Alan (2005) Ways of Learning: Learning Theories and Learning Styles in the Classroom, London: David Fulton
Stobbart, Gordon (2008) Testing Times: The uses and abuses of assessment, London: Routledge

Primary and Early Years Mathematics

Barnbury, P., Bolden, D and Thompson, L. (2014) Understanding and Enriching Problem Solving in Primary Mathematics, critical publishing
Haylock, D. with Manning, R (2014) Mathematics Explained to Primary Teachers (5th edition) Sage
Haylock, D (2014) Student Workbook for Mathematics Explained for Primary Teachers, Sage
Haylock, D and Cockburn, A (2012) Understanding Mathematics for Young Children: A Guide for Teachers of Children 3-8, Sage
Hansen, A et al (2014) Children’s Errors in Mathematics, Sage.
Mathematic Mastery (2012) http://www.mathematicsmastery.org/our-programme/primary/
Newell, R. (2017) Big Ideas in Primary Mathematics, Sage.
Southall, E. (2017) Yes, But Why? Teaching for Understanding in Mathematics, Sage.

Primary and Early Years English

Browne, A. (2009) Developing Language and Literacy 3-8. 3rd edn. London: SAGE.
Goouch, K. & Lambirth, A. (2016) Teaching Early Reading and Phonics. 2nd ed.: Creative Approaches to Early Literacy, London: SAGE.
Graham, J.& A. Kelly (eds) (2010) Writing Under Control: Teaching Writing in the Primary School, London: David Fulton.
Graham, J.& A. Kelly (eds) (2008) Reading Under Control: Teaching Reading in the Primary School, London: David Fulton.
Marsh, J & Hallet, E (2010) Desireable Literacies , London: SAGE.
Perkins, M (2017) Observing Primary Literacy. 2nd edn. London: SAGE.
Waugh, D & Joliffe, W  and  Allot, K. (2017) Primary English for Trainee Teachers. 2nd edn. London: SAGE.
Wyse, D, Jones, R, Bradford, H   & Wolpert. M (2013) Teaching English, Language and Literacy. 3rd edn.  Routledge.
National Curriculum for English Key stages 1 & 2  EYFS Development Matters – Communication & Language/ Literacy  https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/596629/EYFS_STATUTORY_FRAMEWORK_2017.pdf http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/assets/0001/9202/Curriculum_Review_and_Planning_Tool.pdf

Primary and Early Years Science

Beeley, K., (2012), Science in the Early Years, London: Featherstone
Brunton, P & Thornton L (2010) Science in the Early Years, London: Sage
Cooke, V & Howard, C. (2014) Practical Ideas for Teaching Primary Science. London, Critical Publishing
Davies, D. et al (2014) Teaching Science and Technology in the Early Years (3-7): Abingdon, Routledge
Harlen, W. and Qualter, A. (2009) The Teaching of Science in Primary Schools (5th Ed). Abingdon, Routledge
Peacock,G.,Sharp,J., Johnsey,R., & Wright,D. (2012) Primary Science-Knowledge and Understanding. London, Learning Matters (Sage)
Wenham, M., & Ovens,P. (2009) Understanding Primary Science. London, Sage
National Foundation for Education Research (NFER 2013) various publications are available on-line at www.nfer.ac.uk

Secondary Mathematics

Ollerton, M (2009) The Mathematics Teacher’s Handbook , Bloomsbury
Baoler, J (2015) Mathematical Mindsets, Wiley and Sons
Conteh, J (2015) The EAL Teaching Book, 2nd edition, Sage
Chambers, P and Timlin, R (2013) Teaching Mathematics in the Secondary School, Sage

Secondary Science

Biology Suggested Reading:

Reiss, M. (ed) (2011) Teaching Secondary Biology, 2nd Ed., London: John Murray for the ASE
Ross, K., Lakin, L., Callaghan, P. (2004) Difficult ideas in biology in Teaching Secondary Science: David Fulton, pp. 106-114.

Chemistry Suggested Reading:

Tabor,K.. (ed) (2012) Teaching Secondary Chemistry, 2nd Ed, London: John Murray for the ASE
Johnson, P. (2002) Progression in children’s understanding of a ‘basic’ particle theory: a longitudinal study in Amos, S. and Boohan, R (eds) Teaching Science in Secondary Schools: Routledge Falmer pp. 236-249.
Ross, K., Lakin,L., Callaghan, P. (2004) Difficult ideas in chemistry in Teaching Secondary Science: David Fulton, pp. 88-98.

Physics Suggested Reading:
Boohan, R. and Ogborn, J. (1996b) Differences, energy and change: a simple approach through pictures. School Science Review, 78 (283), 13-20
Frost, J. (2005) Physics and Astronomy in Frost, J. & Turner, T. (eds) Learning to teach Science in the Secondary School: Routledge-Falmer pp. 72-81
Shipstone, D. (2002) A study of children’s understanding of electricity in simple DC circuits in Amos, S. And Boohan, R (eds) Teaching Science in Secondary Schools: Routledge Falmer

Secondary English with media

Green, A (Ed.) (2011) Becoming a reflective English, McGraw-Hill Education/OUP
Brindley, S (1994) Teaching English, OUP
Davison, J and Dowson, J (2014) Learning to Teach English in the Secondary School, 4th edition
McCallum, A (2012) Creativity and Learning in Secondary English, Routledge

Secondary English with Drama

Arts Council England (2003) Drama in Schools second edition Arts Council England http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/publication_archive/drama-in-schools-second-edition/
Boal, A. (2002) Games for Actors and Non-Actors (2nd Edition): Routledge
Chadderton, D. (2008) The Theatre Makers: How Seven great artists shaped the modern theatre, Studymates
Davis, D. (2014) Imagining the real: towards a new theory of drama in education Bloomsbury.
Fleming, M. (2003) Starting Drama Teaching Second Edition London: David Fulton Publishers 
Kempe, A. & Ashwell, M. (2000) Progression in Secondary Drama Oxford: Heinemann 
Kempe, A., & Nicholson, H. (2007) Learning to Teach Drama 11-18 second edition, London: Continuum

Green, A (Ed.) (2011) Becoming a reflective English Teacher, McGraw-Hill Education/OUP
Brindley, S (1994) Teaching English, OUP
Davison, J and Dowson, J (2014) Learning to Teach English in the Secondary School, 4th edition
McCallum, A (2012) Creativity and Learning in Secondary English, Routledge

Secondary Modern Foreign Languages

Pachler, N et al (2009) Learning to teach Foreign Languages in the Secondary School (4th Edition) Routledge
Pachler, N and Redondo, A  (2014) A Practical Guide to Teaching Foreign Languages in the Secondary School (2nd Edition), Routledge
Smith S and Conti, G (2016) The Language Teacher Toolkit 2016, Createspace Independent Publishing