In addition to hosting our Initial Teacher Education students, you may also be interested in assisting with some of our non-ITE placements; several of our other degree courses require short placements within primary school and nursery environments and any help you may be able to offer would be appreciated. We’ve included information about two of these programmes below; if you would like further details about either initiative, please tick the relevant box on the enclosed form/our web-form or mention it in your e-mail or telephone call with the Placements Team.
Students into Schools
This involves Northumbria University undergraduate students from various disciplines completing an optional 20-credit module designed to provide them with opportunity to spend an extended period working within a school setting; a large number of students who register for this module are considering undertaking teacher training on completion of their studies.
Students are required to complete 70 hours of work within a school, between October and March, providing classroom assistance which may be general support or specific to their degree discipline. The host school will be required to submit a short assessment of the work of their student(s) which will contribute 25% to their final module mark.
If you are interested in this initiative, please tick the relevant box on our offers form or CLICK HERE to provide details to us. You can also discuss the placement with Lee Sweeney, who assists in coordinating our Students into Schools placements and can be reached by telephone (0191 227 4893) or e-mail (as.placements@northumbria.ac.uk).
BA (Hons) Childhood and Early Years Programme
As part of their degree programme, our Childhood and Early Years students complete various work-based learning opportunities that involve making a small number of visits to local schools and nursery settings throughout the academic year. Students gain much more than just ‘work experience’ during their visits; they can begin to develop their professional skills, engage and develop skills in reflective practice, link theory and practice and develop skills in research and observation.
First Year students on the Children, Families and Schooling module complete a Fieldwork Observation Visit which takes place on Wednesday 8 March, Thursday 9 March and Friday 10 March 2023 for one full day. This fieldwork module provides students an opportunity to observe contemporary educational practice.
Second Year students on the Professional Practice and Career Development module complete approximately 40-50 placement hours undertaken during the period January 2023 until April 2023. The aim of this module is to provide students with an opportunity to develop their employability and understanding of contemporary ways of working by participating in work related learning activities.
Wherever possible we recommend that settings host a small group or pair of students to facilitate peer-to-peer reflection, which can greatly improve students’ understanding and development of the skills and knowledge gained during their experience.
If you are interested in either of these initiatives, please tick the relevant box on our offers form. You can also discuss the placement options further by e-mailing as.placements@northumbria.ac.uk.
