Initial Teacher Education
The Bishop of Llandaff is a Lead Partner School within The Athrofa Professional Learning Partnership (APLP). This is a partnership of schools and Yr Athrofa working together to produce and deliver programmes of professional learning for initial teacher education and the wider education workforce.
The partnership is designed to provide high quality training routes for the next generation of primary and secondary teachers in Wales. Our partner schools include Cyfartha Park Primary, Merthyr Tydfil; Lewis Girls' School, Ystrad Mynach; Marlborough Primary School, Cardiff; Whitchurch Primary School, Cardiff; Evenlode Primary School, Penarth; St Joseph's RC Primary School, Penarth; Chepstow School, Monmouthshire; Maindee Primary School, Newport; Mount Stuart Primary School, Cardiff; Radnor Primary School, Cardiff; and Fitzalan High School, Cardiff.
The purpose of the partnership is
- To develop and model a genuinely collaborative approach to ITE and professional learning in Wales;
- To contribute to the national agenda for education improvement by building capacity through initial teacher education (ITE) and professional learning for the wider education workforce;
- To deliver a portfolio of ITE and professional learning programmes in order to develop teaching professionals who meet the professional standards required to achieve Qualified Teacher Status; are ready to deliver the new curriculum and enable children and young people to fulfil the four purposes of the Curriculum for Wales through being evidence-based practitioners; understand the relationship between intellectual and experiential knowledge and capable of leading classroom and school-based inquiry that is focused on positive impact for learners; are transformative teachers who embody Yr Athrofa APLP model of transformative learning; and
- To develop and provide a continuum of meaningful and relevant professional learning opportunities for educational professionals.
Across the partnership of schools, we will provide training for up to 50 trainee teachers each placement.
The Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) programme is made up two direct placements, equivalent to 24-weeks. In addition, there are compulsory modules, along with research development opportunities. Within each placement, trainees are allocated a designated subject mentor (or phase in the case of primary) along with a senior mentor at each placement. This support enables trainee teachers to develop the skills necessary to become highly-effective in the classroom and, ultimately, meet the necessary standards to achieve Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
As a lead provider within Yr Athrofa, the school also contributed to the overall quality of professional learning through a range of sessions available, either at The Bishop of Llandaff or through one of our network schools.
Follow @athrofa for further information or contact Stephanie Leighfield, Assistant Head via email.