Primary PGCE at Liverpool Hope 2013

Hey, I've not been told anything either but my friend was on the course last year and she told me that you have to do 2 weeks preliminary attachment.
Have you received any pre course prep stuff yet?

Hi everyone,
I am doing the Primary PGCE at Hope in September too I have received all my pre course prep, taking a while to sift through it all. To be honest I'm a little overwhelmed, there is so much too read and they are not exactly bed time reading or stuff you can read by the pool on a summer holiday! Does anyone have any tips on how to get through them quickly but take in as much as the info as possible? I'm struggling a little as I don't know if any of the info is actually going in!

Also, I have managed to sort out my Primary school for my Prelim Attachment, just waiting to hear back from the secondary school.

How is everyone else getting on?

Laura (Look forward to meeting you all in September! )
xx

Anyone having problems fitting all their allotted time in schools within the two weeks because of inset days? Having a real mare at the moment. Got my primary school, but the 2 and 3rd September which I left for my secondary placement are both one or both inset days. It is city wide basically - so no getting around it. I'm going to try and re-jig my primary placement, but it will still only leave me with one day placement with KS3. I might try and ring the university for advice first though.

Hi, i am as well the schools in my area don't go back till the 3rd. Did you manage to contact the university? If so what did they say?
Rachel

Not very helpful at all to be honest! I was put through to the schools placements office and this is the gist of what she said: 'oh well you need the 10 days, I mean it does say on the letter. It's important. I'll email you a list of schools that can help you with placements.'

I was baffled as I thought you could just contact any school in your area, not need some special list. Anyway she emailed me and it was a council list...of all Liverpool schools and contact numbers. Thanks lady.

We've been set an impossible challenge tbh, and we're on our own with it! Some of us are not going to get 10 days. For my part, I'm going to ring back the primary school I've arranged for my eight days and get it shifted back from the 4th to the 3rd of September that way I have a free day on Friday 13th (eek!) the next week to be able to at least arrange a day at KS3. It's better than nothing and take me to nine days total.

I don't think the University can argue with you trying your best to get as many days as you can - so early in the term. No doubt it's important to the course, but since it's only preliminary it's not crucial to the course.

I have the same problem, are you from Liverpool? I'm on the Wirral and trying to sort my primary placement from 2nd, thinking of going in on the inset days anyway? That may count toward it even though the kids won't be in school! So frustrating! x

Yeah am on the other side of the river. I've just arranged to go in on the 3rd now and arrange a day with St Hilda's and KS3 on the 13th Sept. Nightmare. My mum suggested what you are thinking. But my primary school said there's no real point in going in on the 2nd as the kids won't be there. I'm inclined to agree, the whole point of the placement is to observe and interact with children and complete our tasks and findings, not sit in on a whole day of meetings and planning. If possible we are supposed to get access to some lesson planning material but it's not a must - it's just helpful.

So I'm only not bothering with Sept. 2nd and I'm just going to spend the day productively at home by reading and preparing for the course!

Hi Laura,
Yeh there's loads to do, have you started reading the books on the reading list?
How did you get on with the qts tests?

Sam x

I was having the same issues, with inset days etc but I'm going to go in to my primary school on the inset day, it'll be handy I think to have a look at policies and procedures, behavioural guidelines and maybe photocopy some work if we're allowed and chat to some teachers. I know it's not gonna take a whole day but at least it's out the way and we don't have to make it up at the end of the course! Uni haven't said we can't do it if they want us to do 10 full days then its the only way around it, they can't argue! 😊

Hi,

This is the first time I have seen this post. I too was having the same problem with my placement; I will be doing my placement at home in Staffordshire before moving back up to Liverpool ready for our uni day on the 16th. I contacted someone at uni regarding the teacher training days, she recommended I look for a private day nursery to complete my foundation stage placement. I am waiting for confirmation from a nursery that I can go into them on the 2nd and 3rd September. I just thought this might help anyone who is still struggling to sort their placement.

I too am struggling to find the time to fit all of the prep in; by the time I get home from work and am sorted to start doing uni work its around 7pm. They said it would be intense from September, it's just started a couple of months earlier

Looking forward to meeting everyone

Hi everyone!
I'm also on this course next year Just trying to get my head around everything like everyone else at the minute. I've received so many duplicate emails that I don't know where I'm up to and what I still need to send off. Hopefully if I've missed anything they'll send me a reminder as the deadline approaches. Does anyone know how much contact time we have or how much time we'll spend in schools next year? I know we need 120 days but I mean how is that split? Just wondering if anyone knows anybody who has done the course already
See you all in a few months!
Amy x

Hey!
Something tells me its 70:30 placement time, I'm sure I've heard it somewhere, on the interview day or something! But don't quote me on it, I could be wrong! But I do know the we spend the majority of our time in schools.
See you in Sept!
Laura xx