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Get into Teaching

Dartmoor Teaching School Alliance is an alliance of primary and secondary schools in the wider Devon area. If you are thinking about training to teach, we think we can offer you a superb range of inspiring courses. Whether you are a new graduate or you are considering a career change, our teacher training will equip you with the skills to be an outstanding teacher. Dartmoor Teaching School Alliance is led by Okehampton College, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. We work in partnership with the University of Exeter, itself rated as Outstanding as a Teacher Training provider. Together we provide first class school-based training and rigorous academic learning

Great reasons to train with us

  • An outstanding partnership: Okehampton College and the University of Exeter offer trainees first class school placements and academic teaching.
  • Train close to home: With 80 schools in our Alliance from the greater Devon area, we offer trainees greater control over where they complete their training.
  • Matching trainees to placement schools: every effort is made to carefully match our trainees to the placement schools that will best develop their skills as a teacher
  • Support into employment and beyond: We recruit trainees with the view to support them, through workshops and mock interviews, to secure their first post. Trainees that go onto teach in local schools are supported through our wide range of NQT and other professional development programmes.
  • Values-centred training: we are passionately committed to the values of co-operative schools that put people at the centre of everything we do. We are proud to offer a personal approach in everything we do and to afford people time, support and encouragement they deserve. ​​
Our primary courses
Okehampton Primary School – Lead School

​We offer two primary courses for 2019-2020:
  • School Direct for General Primary PGCE with QTS (Unlimited)
  • Salaried School Direct for General Primary PGCE with QTS (3 places)
​Both our General Primary courses are delivered at Okehampton Primary School by outstanding primary teachers and specialists from within the Alliance. Trainees will spend one day a week at Okehampton Primary, taking part in training workshops which model the principles of effective teaching. Three days a week will be spent in your placement school, where you will be supported by a mentor and gain first-hand experience of teaching. A fifth day will be allocated to completion of the PGCE element of the course, which is delivered by the University of Exeter through their Distance Learning programme.
We can offer placements in a wide range of schools. Please note that the Salaried Course is offered exclusively at Okehampton Primary School. To find out more please contact Sally Huxen at Okehampton Primary School on 01837 52866.

New from September 2019 – Marine Academy Primary – Plymouth Hub

We are pleased to announce that from September 2019 we will be delivering our successful School Direct for General Primary PGCE with QTS through a new Plymouth Hub at Marine Academy Primary. This will build on the successful Okehampton Primary School model and combine elements of exemplary practice that earned Marine Academy Primary’s Outstanding status in 2015.  
Our secondary courses
We offer non-salaried School Direct Secondary PGCE with QTS for the following (2019-20):
  • English (unlimited)
  • Maths (unlimited)
  • Biology (unlimited)
  • Physics (unlimited)
  • Chemistry (unlimited)
  • Modern Foreign Languages (unlimited)
  • History (unlimited)
  • Geography (unlimited)
  • Physical Education (2 places)

For all our secondary subjects (with the exception of Geography), trainees will receive the 'taught' PGCE element of the course at the University of Exeter (St Luke’s) during the Autumn Term. The main placement will be in an Alliance school, as well as a short placement in the spring term with a second school. School based training will be supported by mentors.
During school-based work (SBW), you will be able to apply the knowledge and understanding acquired during university elements of your PGCE course to your developing practice in the classroom. The school and university elements of your training are designed to be complementary and interconnected. Together they offer you a balance of practice and theory so that you develop classroom skills alongside the knowledge and understanding that underpins these skills and supports your developed as an informed and reflective teacher.
Because Geography is not a PGCE provided by the University of Exeter we deliver the taught element of the programme in partnership with South West Teaching School Alliance. Designed and delivered by outstanding Geography teachers from the high performing Geography departments in Devon, we offer trainees a rigorous and inspiring training programme. The PGCE element is delivered via the University of Exeter’s Distance Learning Programme.
To find out more about the courses we offer or our Alliance schools please contact Martin Smith (msmith@dartmoortsa.org.uk).  
Entry requirements
Our Entry requirements match those for the University of Exeter PGCE programme and can be found on the following web link: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/teachertraining/apply/entry/
Published below was accurate as of 20/9/2018:
 
Entry to the PGCE programme is conditional on:
  • Graduate or equivalent status
  • The relevance of an Honours degree content to the chosen specialist subject(s)
    (current University of Exeter students are allowed to take up to 30 credits outside of their degree programme, some of which may strengthen an application for a PGCE)
  • Passes at GCSE in English and Mathematics at grade C or above or equivalent (or for GCSEs taken from Summer 2017 onwards, grade 4 or above) for those applying for Secondary. If you are applying for Secondary Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Modern Foreign Languages or Religious Education and do not have a pass at grade C/grade 4 in either English or Mathematics, you will have the opportunity to sit the University’s equivalency test in order to gain attainment at an appropriate level
  • Passes at GCSE in English, Mathematics and Science at grade C or above or equivalent (or for GCSEs taken from Summer 2017 onwards, grade 4 or above) if you are applying for Primary. Please note: although the NCTL minimum requirement is a grade C/grade 4 at GCSE, we will generally only consider applicants with a grade B/grade 5 or above for Mathematics and English and a grade C/grade 4 or above for Science for the Primary programme
  • Selection based on the information provided on the UCAS Teacher Training application
  • Selection based on a successful interview
  • Successful completion of the professional skills tests
  • A medical report which is deemed satisfactory
  • A completed Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) enhanced check which is deemed satisfactory by the University http://www.exeter.ac.uk/dbs/
Note:  It is the University of Exeter's policy that the level 2 certificate in Adult Literacy or Numeracy is not acceptable as an equivalent to GCSE English/Mathematics.
Please note the above criteria are the national minimum entry requirements to be considered for a PGCE course - please see individual subject pages for further information on additional subject-specific criteria for University of Exeter PGCE Primary and Secondary courses.
Grants and loans
​Tuition Fees
The tuition fee for Home/EU students for the University of Exeter's PGCE programme in 2019/20 is £9,250.  The tuition fee for Channel Island/Isle of Man students is £9,250. The tuition fee for International students is £16,900

Government Loans for Teacher Training Courses
​UK (Home) students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan.  Please see Student Finance England for more information about Student Finance for Teacher Training Courses.
EU students who have come to the UK purely for the purposes of the Teacher Training Course (PGCE) will be eligible to apply for a Tuition Fee Loan.  They will not be eligible for the Maintenance Loan. Students should apply for the Tuition Fee Loan here.
If you have any questions on the maintenance loan/tuition fee loan application process please contact Student Finance England.
A resource you might find useful when considering the tuition fee system is Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert website (this site is independent of the University of Exeter).
The British Council also offers scholarships for languages teacher trainees.
​
Bursaries and funding
The Department for Education offers Bursaries and Scholarships in many subject areas. Please visit https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/funding-and-salary for the latest information.
In 2018-2019 these types of funding covered Secondary English, Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, MFL, History, and Geography. 

Placements across Devon

Dartmoor TSA is uniquely placed to offer trainees unparalleled choice about where to train. With 82 member schools across Devon area we can offer you training options close to home. 

Want to find out more?

Email us at:
msmith@dartmoortsa.org.uk
Phone:
01837 650910

Mobile:
​07786523276

​How to apply

Applications are through the UCAS website. Applications for September 2019 start will open on 9th October 2018. 

Partner ITT Providers

Dartmoor TSA works in partnership with other ITT providers in the region. DACCA provide secondary school direct courses and Atlantic Coast Co-operative Trust provide primary school direct courses in the Bideford area. Links to both providers can be found below: