Day: November 30, 2016

Candidates arrived to a blaze of wintry sunshine at London Road, home of the Institute of Education (IoE) on Wednesday. The second round of interviews for BA (QTS) Education commenced with a welcome background of sunshine pouring through the huge windows of the Learning Hub.

Applicants for the acclaimed programme were interviewed both in groups and one to one, having heard all about the University of Reading, the IoE and beautiful London Road campus during an initial presentation by Nasreen Majid, programme director. 

These interviews enable Nasreen and her colleagues to spot the teacher potential in each of the applicants. The process highlights how the personal element is so essential in choosing the people who will inspire and enrich the next generation.

A unique feature of this BA programme is that students are able to choose one of four subject specialities: Art, English, Mathematics or Music. The course has the unusual aspect of being able to offer a degree both in the chosen specialism and in teaching, resulting in Qualified Teacher Status in three years. The interviews give the academics a chance to assess the applicants’ attainment in their chosen subject. 

The applicants gave short presentations, worked in groups to prepare visuals and examined learning materials. The encouraging and knowledgeable remarks by Nasreen and her colleagues must have been great help and reassurance. It was especially valuable to have a Head Teacher from a partner school on the panel. 

 

Further interview days will follow right into March 2017. This careful, thoughtful and kindly process ensures that the right students are chosen for the rewarding yet demanding life a teacher leads.

For more information on the BA (QTS) Education programme, visit www.reading.ac.uk/education/ug/ioe-BAEducation.aspx or email primarypartnership@reading.ac.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On December 1st, the Institute of Education (IoE) will host the first meeting of a new cross-county group that supports school children with English as an additional language.

The group, aimed at school practitioners and academics in Berkshire and Hampshire, is a regional part of the leading national charity NALDIC (National Association for Language Development in the Curriculum), which supports the teaching of children with English as an additional language (EAL). The new group will bring together local teachers, education authorities and academics. Its first meeting is set to take place at the University of Reading’s London Road campus from 4.30 – 6.00pm on Thursday, 1st December. 

 

Pupils learning English as an additional language in the mainstream classroom raise issues not only of teaching, but also of rights and entitlements, social integration and equality of access to public provision. This is an important area for all involved in education and child welfare, so NALDIC’s work supporting the teaching and learning of EAL children in schools is already well-established nationally. This new local network is a welcome development, bringing with it many possibilities at a time when resources are declining but numbers of children with EAL are rising.

 

The convenor for the new NALDIC Berkshire/Hampshire group is Naomi Flynn, Associate Professor in Primary English Education at the IoE, who has a research profile in teaching strategies for children with EAL. Explaining the reasoning behind launching the new group Naomi said:

 

“Through my research activity in Hampshire and Berkshire, I have been lucky enough to get to know the excellent teams supporting EAL learners at local authority level and in schools. The establishment of the NALDIC RIG [Regional Interest Group] for Berkshire and Hampshire will generate a cross-region network of practitioners and academics who can pool ideas and share resources. In our first meeting EAL leads will report on their experiences using the new DfE English proficiency scales. We look forward to interesting and informative discussion on what is a hot topic for teachers of EAL learners this academic year. In addition Professor Ludovica Serratrice, Reading’s new Director of Bilingualism Matters, will introduce the work of this organisation and chat with practitioners about how research at Reading can support them.”

 

For information and joining details, please contact Naomi:

Telephone:  +44 (0)118 378 2770 / Email: n.flynn@reading.ac.uk