The PLS Curriculum
Professional Studies Rationale and Subject Knowledge for Teaching Rationale
PLS develops the pedagogical knowledge, both general and subject-specific, of its PLS teachers (trainee teachers) through Professional Studies (PS), Intensive Training and Practice (ITaP) and Subject Knowledge for Teaching sessions (SKfT).
Our ambitious professional studies curriculum and subject knowledge for teaching curricula aims to provide a solid platform for PLS teachers to become confident and competent Early Career Teachers. Our curricula are underpinned by the ITTECF Framework, as well as going beyond this to ensure that the PLS curriculum is forward-thinking. Sessions are structured to provide PLS teachers with access to research, strategies, practise opportunities and a collegial experience to consider how to best meet the emotional and intellectual needs of their learners to create an inclusive learning environment.
Our subject knowledge for teaching curricula complements our professional studies curriculum, while exploring the subject specific principles that are unique to each discipline. Our subject leads have created their curriculum utilising the ITTECF Framework, National Curriculum, Ofqual and their teaching and learning expertise to create a knowledge rich curriculum. It focuses on the development of subject mastery, the expectations of the subject curriculum, the pedagogical methods to teach the subject and reflective practice. These inform the content, sequence and form of the subject knowledge for teaching sessions and the core curriculum observations PLS teachers must complete.
The sequence of our professional studies curriculum and subject knowledge for teaching curricula takes inspiration from the work of Kennedy (2015) and our own reflective practice to prioritise PLS teacher learning based on need and impact. Therefore, each half term has a particular focus and/or foci that is broken down into individual but holistic sessions:
| Autumn half term 1 | Fundamentals of Teaching and Learning: containing learner behaviour, enlisting learner participation, exposing learner thinking and portraying the curriculum |
| Autumn half term 2 | Meeting the Needs of Learners and Assessing Learning: enlisting learner participation, exposing learner thinking, containing learner behaviour and portraying the curriculum |
| Spring half term 1 | Revisiting Pedagogy and Reflecting on Theory in Action: enlisting learner participation, exposing learner thinking, containing learner behaviour and portraying the curriculum |
| Spring half term 2 | Revisiting Pedagogy to Adapt to New Contexts: enlisting learner participation, exposing learner thinking, containing learner behaviour and portraying the curriculum and the wider role of the teacher |
| Summer half term 1 and 2 | Consistent In-School Application and Reflecting on the ITT Year and Preparing to be an Early Career Teacher |
Pre learning tasks ensure that PLS teachers are equipped with relevant knowledge and/or skills to support their subject mastery before entering a collegial experience in which the content will be explored, deepened and contextualised to an educational setting.
Post learning tasks create a learning thread between professional studies/subject knowledge for teaching curricula and classroom practice and forms the focus of the professional dialogue between the PLS teacher and general mentor.
Our PLS society are committed to our vision and support the realisation of our vision through the day-to-day practices in schools, which educates and assesses the PLS teacher.
At the forefront of our curricula, both professional studies and subject knowledge for teaching, is the wellbeing of our PLS teachers, which accommodates for personal needs. Through valuing and supporting PLS teacher wellbeing our PLS teachers become resilient and self-regulated teachers which will enable them to achieve the award of Qualified Teacher Status, develop further as Early Career Teachers and embark on a successful and rewarding lifelong career in the education system.
Intensive Training and Practice Rationale
Our PLS central training will not only consist of our professional studies and subject knowledge for teaching curricula, but it will also include four Intensive Training and Practice experiences.
These Intensive Training and Practice experiences will focus on specific, foundational, or pivotal areas of our PLS curriculum, which will also relate to areas of the ITTECF Framework. They aim to consolidate PLS teachers’ understanding of how the evidence-based theory shapes teaching practice, engaging PLS teachers in critical analysis, application of learning to classroom practice, and improvement focused feedback on such practice. Some elements of the Intensive Training and Practice will take place in a school environment, while some elements will be led by practitioners at central training.