Secondary PGCE
Interview Day
Guidance for Candidates
2017 /2018
We are delighted that you have decided to apply to Edge Hill University for a place on our Secondary PGCE programme. This document contains general information about the programme with subject specific guidance provided as an appendix. Its purpose is to give you an outline of the interview process that you will experience. You should read the document in conjunction with the subject specialism appendix. We hope that these materials will enable you to prepare thoroughly and to present yourself well at your interview.
Your interview has three main purposes:
1. to enable you to present yourself well in a supportive and open, but challenging context
2. to establish whether you have the knowledge, skills, experience and aptitude necessary to cope with the professional and academic demands of an intensive course, to achieve recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and to become a teacher with outstanding potential
3. to inform you about the programme so that if you are offered a place, you can make appropriate decisions and plans.
The Secondary PGCE Secondary programme is an innovative, challenging and inspiring and has been specifically designed to provide you, as a trainee teacher, with opportunities to develop your knowledge, understanding and skills as a secondary teacher within your chosen curriculum area(s) as well as a professional within the whole school community. Successful completion of your course will lead to the award of a PGCE and a recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
Edge Hill University enjoys a national reputation as one of the largest quality providers of Initial Teacher Training (ITT) in England and has been at the forefront of Teacher Education for more than 100 years.
As well as the high expectations Edge Hill has of you, there are also national standards and requirements for ITT which can be downloaded from the DfE website: https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/DFE-00066-2011
Arrival at Edge Hill University
Information for Ormskirk Campus Arrival
You will have received a time for your arrival in your invitation from Admissions. It is important that you make every effort to meet this requirement.
When you arrive at the campus, please report to the Reception area in the Main Building where you will be directed to the sign-in area. You can download a campus map here.
Car Parking on Campus
Parking at the Ormskirk campus is likely to be extremely limited. We would strongly advise candidates to travel by public transport wherever possible. There is an Edge Hill bus which runs from the bus station in Ormskirk to the Edge Hill campus every 20 minutes.
If you do travel by car, please print and bring with you a parking permit. Please display this on your dashboard as you enter the campus main entrance, so that it is clearly visible to our parking attendants. They will then direct you to the nearest available space, if any are available. We must emphasise that possession of the parking permit does not guarantee you a space and we are not in a position to guarantee that parking spaces will be available on any given day. If the campus is full, you can find several car parks in Ormskirk Town Centre.
You can download a parking permit here: Interview Parking Permit
What To Bring With You On The Day
There are various documents you will need to bring with you on the day. We have provided a list of the important things you need to bring with you below.
If you wish to download this checklist you may do so here:Secondary PGCE – what to bring with you
Original certificates:
GCSE qualifications – particularly in English Language and Mathematics
Degree award or equivalent qualification
Skills Test passes (if achieved prior to interview)
Photocopies of certificates– to ensure we can check you in for your interview quickly please bring photocopies of the qualifications listed above, as well as your original certificates.
Please note:
· If you have changed your name since the certificates were issued, please provide evidence of your name change (e.g. marriage certificate, change of name deed pole etc.).
· If you do not bring photocopies of your certificates on the day and are successful following your interview, we will withhold the offer until we have verification of your original certificates.
Photographic ID– you will be unable to proceed to interview without this. Your ID will be checked by your interviewer.
For your interview – please bring with you: a pen, If you use any normal aid to help you write correctly, such as a dictionary or spell-checker, please bring this with you.
You may wish to bring additional supporting evidence with you. Some subjects require additional evidence (such as a portfolio) and such requirements are outlined in the individual subject sections.
Parking Permit- If you are travelling by car you will need to display a parking permit clearly on your dashboard and you will be directed to any available spaces by our Security Staff when you arrive at the main entrance.
You can download the parking permithere:Interview Parking Permit
If you would like to use any acceptable aids to help you with your written work e.g. a dictionary or spell-checker please feel free to bring them along to help you with some of the interview tasks.
You may wish to bring additional supporting evidence with you. Some subjects require additional evidence (such as a portfolio). These requirements are outlined in the subject specific appendix. For example, portfolios, samples of work and other materials that can demonstrate your suitability for the programme.
The Structure Of The Day
Your invitation will indicate the location and time for your arrival. It is important that you make every effort to meet this requirement.
For Ormskirk Campus arrivals if you choose to arrive slightly earlier please take a seat in the entrance foyer, or, if you wish to purchase lunch/refreshments, you will be directed to The Hub, Water’s Edge or The Rose Theatre.
All subjects follow a similar format but you need to be aware that the process can differ according to the number of applicants attending and the time of year. Please check your letter carefully for any alterations/amendments.
Interviews will generally occur on Wednesday afternoons and will usually follow the schedule below:
11:30-11:45 am: Arrival and registration
12.00 pm: Meet with tutors
12.15 pm: Programme talk
1.00 pm: Interviews begin
It would be helpful for candidates to alert the Admissions Tutor to any personal commitment they have to meet prior to the process commencing - for example, catching a train or collecting children from school.
Your interview experience will vary depending upon your chosen subject specialism. However outlined below are activities which are typical of our rigorous interview process.
Typical Interview Activities:
· Identification check and submission of your photocopies of qualifications
· Collection by the Admissions Tutor / Interview Panel Member
· Welcome to Edge Hill University, the Faculty of Education and outline of the PGCE programme
· An outline of the subject course
· Completion of a short piece of writing, details of which can be found in the Subject Specific Appendix. In addition to this, there may be a reading task. This may be a passage from a newspaper or a journal article. It will complement the written task and will focus on an educational matter pertinent to your chosen curriculum area.
· Many subject areas ask candidates to give a short presentation. As appropriate, candidates may also be asked to be involved in a practical activity (for example, in Physical Education).
· The formal interview will consist of an individual and/or group session. The interview will normally be conducted by a tutor from Edge Hill University with support from a school based mentor, partnership colleague(s) and in some cases pupils and students.
Ormskirk Campus:
We are very proud of our award winning campus. If you would like to look around the campus you are welcome to take your own tour; campus maps are available from the desk in main reception.
Admissions Staff will be available in the Admissions Office throughout the day if you require further information and advice.
If you require any specific guidance on issues such as student finance, which cannot be answered by Admissions Tutors or staff in the Admissions Office, specialist guidance and support is available on a drop-in basis from Student Services in the Student Information Centre from 2:30pm.
Ormskirk Campus based interviews:
Please note that campus based interviews have no formal closure of the interview session's activities. This aspect of your interview selection process will normally take between 2 to 4 hours, depending on the subject area, although this may vary depending on the number of candidates invited to interview. Once you have completed the interview activities as required you are free to leave.
We hope that you will enjoy your time at Edge Hill University. An interview is a two-way process and you should treat the interview as an opportunity to ask the Admission Tutor(s) questions. Throughout the interview process you will have the opportunity to ask questions about any aspect of the PGCE programme that is unclear and we encourage you to do this. It is important that you have a clear understanding of the programme and subject specialism to which you have applied, in order that you can make a fully informed decision as to whether the course is right for you. It is important that you make the right choice of course and institution. Your PGCE programme will be intensive and challenging, but ultimately enjoyable, rewarding and inspiring.
Preparation For Your Interview
Before the interview, it is essential that you:
· have read this guidance – and made a note of the items that you need to bring with you to the interview and any questions that you want to ask
· have read the appendix “Important Subject Specific Information” containing details relating to your subject specialism
· have thought about, and can explain, why you want to teach children and young adults from the secondary age range, and in particular why you wish to teach your particular subject(s)
· have spent time observing in one or more schools (for subjects such as PE, this is an essential requirement – you should look at the subject specific guidance contained in the Appendix)
· have read educational publications to familiarise yourself with current educational issues. The Times Educational Supplement is published on a Friday. Other useful publications are the Education supplements in the Guardian (Tuesday), and the Independent (Thursday). The BBC Education Website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education/ is a useful online publication
· have visited appropriate websites – DfE, National College for Teaching and Leadership, Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency, national curriculum and examination boards to further supplement general preparatory reading and research
It is very important that you notify the Admissions Office at Edge Hill University if you will not be attending the interview.
If you wish to ask for a different date, it is important that you contact Admissions as soon as you receive an invitation to attend an interview (telephone 01695 650952 or 01695 657696)
The interview has been structured in such a way as to enable you to demonstrate your commitment to becoming a teacher and your enthusiasm for your subject and education more generally. You need to be able to show that you are able to engage in discussion, contributing both as a speaker and as a listener. You are also given opportunities to demonstrate the contribution that you, personally, could make to the PGCE programme and, ultimately to the education of children and young adults.
During the interview you will be asked:
1) have you previously attended a QTS programme?
If you have previously attended at QTS programme, no matter for how long, you should bring the following details with you:
o programme name
o institution
o dates attended
2) are you willing to accept a placement anywhere?
Therefore it is important that you read and understand the below information about training in educational settings. If you are unable to agree to accept a placement anywhere you will be required to give clear details as to the reason(s). A member of the interview panel will record your responses.
Training in Educational Settings
· The Partnership team will source all ITT practices.
· You will be expected to travel to your professional practices and you must be prepared to travel some distance. You will be expected to drive or travel on public transport to your placement.
· We do provide, in some instances, reimbursement for travel to and from training. Please see the Faculty travel policy for more details.
· We have training partnership arrangements in a range of locations and including the North West, the North East, Staffordshire, Cheshire, the West Midlands including Shropshire and London. We expect that you will approach each practice with a flexible and conscientious attitude, acting with integrity and commitment. We will ensure that we take into consideration your personal circumstances and needs.
All contact with practice schools is made formally via the Faculty of Education’s ITT Partnership Team and trainees should not contact schools directly to arrange practices.
Students With Disabilities Or Learning Difficulties
Applicants with disabilities or learning difficulties should note that the decision to offer a place on a course is made only on the selection criteria outlined on this page. However, you should note the following:
· If you normally have additional time for examinations or tests, or large font type, or any other specific arrangements, please inform the Admissions Office by completing theonline form. Please provide a copy of your LA ‘statement’ or a letter from your school, college or employer to confirm that additional time for tests is a requirement. If you require a BSL interpreter, it is important that you tell us about this and that you allow at least 5 working days for us to locate one for you. Unfortunately, there is a very limited supply of suitably qualified BSL interpreters and, therefore, the demand for these is high.