Post Graduate Certificate in Education
Post-compulsory Education and Training (PGCE PCET)
hello+welcome
Pre-induction Tasks and other information 2014-15
Dear PCET Trainee,
Congratulations on gaining a place with UWE on the PGCE PCET. We are
really looking forward to meeting you again in September, but in the meantime
we thought you might like some more information about the course structure
and what to expect.
I have also outlined a Pre-induction Activity for you to complete, which will
form part of your first assignment and help us get to know you better. This
exercise is aimed at saving you time in your first weeks at UWE, as you get to
know your new course and placement. It will also offer you some areas for
reflection as you move into your new career.
Term dates
Autumn:
8 September to 19 December 2014
Spring:
5 January (placement may be earlier) to 28 March 2015
Summer:
21 April (placement may be earlier) to 19 June 2015
Attendance
After the first week’s induction (see the provisional programme below), the
University-based part of your programme is normally delivered on Thursdays
and Fridays from 10.00-3.00pm.
In the first and final terms you will normally attend your college placement on
whichever two days of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday allow available
teaching and are agreed by your personal ‘Curriculum Mentor’. The third day
is for independent study and preparation. Although you will be visiting your
college and observing teaching from the week beginning 15 September
onwards, you will not be expected to teach until the week of 13 October. The
second term is slightly different as you build more confidence and experience
on placement, teaching over three days with attendance just on Thursdays
from 10.00-3.00pm at UWE this term.
Residential
However, the pattern is different in the second week, beginning 15
September. As mentioned at the interview we have arranged a three day, two
nights residential visit for course members, from 10.00 am on Friday 19
September till approx 1.00 pm Sunday 21 September. Everyone is expected
to attend this. We shall be based at Dean Field Study Centre near Lydney in
the heart of the Royal Forest of Dean, which is about fifty minutes’ drive from
the Frenchay campus. You will be asked to contribute £50 to the cost of the
residential including food and admissions. Please let the Programme Leader
know at Induction if there are any problems. The residential programme is
planned to offer a chance for students to improve acquaintance, get some
teaching inspiration, visit the Royal Forest of Dean College together and to
enjoy themselves! In previous years the residential has been evaluated as
one of the best parts of the whole course.
Induction Week
Your first day will be on Monday, 8 September 2014. Please come for
10.00am to the Department of Education, S Block, Frenchay Campus. Follow
your instructions, which will be displayed at the faculty’s reception.
We suggest you arrive in good time. Traffic can be very busy at certain times
of the year, so please ensure you allow yourself plenty of travelling and
parking time!
PROVISIONAL INDUCTION PROGRAMME
Week beginning Monday 8 September (10-3pm each day)
Monday
 General Introductions (Please arrive with note paper and a pen!)
 Follow-up activities
Tuesday
 Registration
 Programme Induction continued and meet the Student Advisor
 Theory of Communication
Wednesday
 Introduction to Library, ICT and MICE!
 Preparations for the residential
Thursday
 Resources in teaching
 Lesson planning introduction
Friday
 (10-12pm only today) Your placements arrangements
(Please bring a large lever arch file and dividers to this session)
Placement
You may now know which is to be your likely placement college. If you have
any doubt about this, please contact the University for confirmation. However,
as you have already been told, we cannot rule out circumstances beyond our
control resulting in our having to seek an alternative placement for you.
Placements may involve travelling.
Pre-Induction Activity
1. Curriculum Vitae
This must contain:
 Personal/contact details (briefly)
 Education
 Employment/work experience
It should also contain the following, although the emphasis you place on these
is up to you:
 Skills acquired
 Additional information, e.g. hobbies, interests where relevant
 General statement e.g. career/life objectives
You probably compiled something at university which can be edited for this
purpose. We aim to give you feedback on making it a useful document when
seeking employment.
2. Brief autobiography (between 400-500 words) starting at birth and
leading up to what brought you here. Consider influences, turning
points, inspirations and your professional values. You should read Liz
Keeley-Browne (2007) ‘Training to Teach in the Learning and Skills
Sector’ Pearson Longman Chapters 2 and 3, to inform your writing.
3. You will find the following link very useful in terms of brushing up and
developing your academic study skills, including Harvard
referencing, numeracy, literacy and IT. The PGCE PCET includes a
40 credit module at Masters level, as well as embedded numeracy so
this will be invaluable as the course progresses:
http://www.uwe.ac.uk/library/resources/hub/
4. If you are not so confident with Information Technology maybe use
this time before the course to update your skills. Later in the course
software, hardware and other resource issues can be tackled with
support from our own IT development team (TSL)
5. You should have received some targets from interview, which you
should now be starting to address and evidence.
Suggested reading
You will want to expand your personal library later, but we suggest you initially
purchase or ensure access to the following books:
Armitage, A., Bryant, R, Dunhill, R. Hayes, D., Hudson, A., Kent, J., Lawes,
S., and Renwick, M. (2003) ‘Teaching and training in post-compulsory
education’ (2nd edition) Buckingham: Open University Press
Bell, J., (2010) ‘Doing your research project: a guide for first time researchers
in education, health and the social sciences’ (5th edition) Maidenhead: Open
University Press
Cottrell, S., (2008) ‘ The Study Skills Handbook’ Palgrave: Basingstoke
Keeley-Browne, L., (2007) Training to Teach in the Learning and Skills Sector’
Pearson: Essex
Wallace S. (2007) ‘Getting the buggers motivated in FE’ London: Essential FE
Toolkit Series,
We also suggest you acquaint yourself with the Times Education Supplement
(TES), especially the ‘FE Focus’ supplement. However, if you are a Guardian
reader, you will also find the Education (and within it the ‘Further’ education)
section in the Guardian every Tuesday, useful and interesting reading.