Joining the Partnership | Partnership with Schools

Trainees know exactly what they need to do. Dates are clearly communicated, and timely reminders are sent by Exeter. It’s super organized!

Secondary Partnership School

I have always appreciated the speed in which Exeter are able to help or advise regarding trainees.

Secondary Partnership School

The support we received from the Partnership Office was excellent, the Partnership Relations Manager was particularly proactive.

Secondary Partnership School

The mentor resources are particularly useful. It is lovely to see that Exeter listen and act upon suggestions that we have.

Primary Partnership School

University staff go above and beyond, as has been evidenced numerous times. They take time to listen to trainees and offer effective coaching & mentoring alongside school support for a wholistic approach.

Primary Partnership School

Exeter are interested in getting to know us as a school and are always receptive to school views. The ideas that have come from Exeter have helped our school improvement.

Primary Partnership School

The front-loaded course allows trainees the time to learn about and reflect on education before they go into school. It also gives schools time to set up their classes before the trainee arrives.

Secondary Partnership School

Leaders in partner schools recognise the high calibre of Exeter trainees and value the up-to-date ideas they bring.

Ofsted Inspection Report 2023

School-based mentors speak very highly of the clear lines of communication and support available from the university.

Ofsted Inspection Report 2023

Applying to work in Partnership

This website contains information about Joining our Partnership.

If your school would like to join our ITE Partnership please complete this Microsoft Form.

The Partnership Office will then contact the school to discuss placements they may wish to offer. This offer will not be a final commitment until a school has signed the Memorandum of Understanding, which is sent to all schools that have agreed to receive trainees once placements are allocated.

If you would like to make any placement offers for the current academic year or need any further information please contact the Partneship Office directly at exeterpartner@exeter.ac.uk.

Benefits to Schools of an ITE Partnership with the University of Exeter

Fast response and support

A dedicated Partnership Relations Manager and Partnership Office team offering a rapid response to support you throughout your journey with us.

Long established success of The Exeter Model

A commitment to high-quality, research-inspired teacher education
A structured training programme using the highly regarded Exeter Model of Initial Teacher Education – providing structured guidance for Mentors

Access to high quality ECTs

Support with staff recruitment including a free vacancy advertising service
Access to the most employable ECTs, many of which gain teaching positions in their placement schools and continue their careers in the South West

High quality, personalised Mentor training

A personalised hybrid Mentor training programme
Access to Mentor Meets – gaining knowledge about current research in education

Optional Masters in Education credentials

Member of our Community of Practice

University staff and school staff join an active Community of Practice – providing support and development for all members
Work with University Subject Curriculum experts to gain knowledge of up to date research led teaching practice
Share your knowledge and experience of current teaching practices with our university staff to allow us to continually evolve and develop our courses

Opportunities to feed into course development

Opportunities to co-design the PGCE curriculum, ensuring schools are fully involved in creating teachers to meet the needs of their schools

Benefits for pupil learning

Benefit from the skills, energy and fresh ideas from our exceptional trainees, bringing subject specialist learning into the classroom

Link to wider university

Access to University Teach Meets
Invitations to academic lectures and to become involved in educational research - our partners are part of our research community
Mentors have access to one of the largest Education libraries in the UK

PGCE Course options

We offer the following PGCE courses which include 60 Masters level credits:

Primary 3-7 and Primary 5-11

Secondary PGCE courses:

Our courses are front loaded with most of the taught course taking place over the Autumn term. The secondary taught courses are delivered on the St Luke’s Campus in Exeter whereas with the primary taught courses there is a choice of attending the St Luke's Campus or a regional ITE Hub. The University of Exeter has two regional Primary ITE hubs, one in Somerset and one in North Devon.

Details of all our courses and Hubs can be found on our Teacher Training web pages.

School-based work practical information including 24/25 dates and fees

ITE programmes are taught in close association with our Partner Schools across the South West. Trainees spend a significant period of their programme in Partner Schools learning to teach alongside experienced teachers, who share this training responsibility with university tutors.

Placement locations

Our Partnership area covers Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset with a small number of school two primary placements in London.

Autumn term placement

Trainees spend three weeks (Primary) or four weeks (Secondary) in their school one placement. Trainees will also spend time in school through the Intensive Training and Practice elements in this term. This allows trainees to begin their teaching practice in a scaffolded and supported way.

Spring and Summer term placements

Trainees return to their school one placement in January, then move to their second school placement in March. They remain in this second school placement until the end of the course. The school placements are chosen so that trainees have contrasting experiences across their training year.

Primary Placement dates 2024/25

School 1 provisional dates (dates will be confirmed in the placement offer communications)

11th November to 29th November 2024 (3 weeks)

5th December (1 day during ITAP week)

6th January to 28th February 2025

6th March (1 day during ITAP week)

School 2:

10th March to 9th July 2025

Secondary Placement dates

School 1:

11th November to 6th December 2024

6th January to 7th March 2025

School 2:

10th March to 10th July 2025

School payments 2024/25

Placement fee - £700 per trainee per placement

Mentor training fees - paid directly to schools by the DfE for 24/25

Mentor/ITEC travel expenses – paid directly to Mentor/ITEC

We will ask schools to complete a bank details form. Payments for trainees are made once the placement has begun and when we have received your signed Memorandum of Understanding.

Criteria for joining the Partnership

Roles and responsibilities are outlined here (full details are contained within the MoU):

School responsibilities	University responsibilities
Make placement offers and commit to those offers where possible	Place trainees with schools who have made offers where possible
Display University of Exeter logo on school website and provide school logo to be shared by University of Exeter	Share University of Exeter logo with schools
Mentors to complete Mentor Training (DfE requirement)	Provide high quality Mentor Curriculum
Provide ITE Coordinator who will quality assure programme in school and select appropriate Mentors	Advertise ECT vacancies to PGCE trainees
Support and train the trainee in line with the Exeter Model of ITE guidance	Ensure schools are fully aware of their duties under all relevant legislation
Meet all relevant legislation when training and assessing trainees	Invite Partnership Schools to events with the University such as Teach Meets and involve Partnership Schools in current research projects
	Market course to attract trainees across the South West Partnership area

The Exeter Model of ITE in practice

All ITE Mentors, both in schools and at the university use the Exeter Model of ITE as a shared framework for their work with trainees. Click here for more information.

Mentoring roles in the Exeter Model

All ITE Mentors working with PGCE trainees must undertake a minimum number of training hours set by the DfE. To achieve this the University of Exeter has a flexible, hybrid Mentoring Curriculum. Some of the curriculum covers generic mentoring skills, which can be completed at a time to suit the Mentor. The Exeter Model of ITE training will be a day of training. There will be further opportunities for training and development provided over the year.

ITE Coordinator

Each partner school designates a teacher as ITE Coordinator who manages the ITE partnership in schools. The ITE Coordinator is responsible foridentifying, briefing and monitoring all school-based personnel working in the partnership, and for overseeing all partner training in school. They support trainees to reflect on their development as a teacher.

Mentor

Mentors are experienced teachers who can provide models of good practice in their subject and phase. They assist trainees by working as partners in the classroom, demonstrating teaching, jointly planning, carrying out focused observation of trainees’ teaching and providing feedback and advice.

University Lead Mentor

University Lead Mentors are specialists in the wider context of education and as teachers and researchers can provide insights in their special fields. During school-based work each trainee is allocated a University Lead Mentor who supports and advises both trainee and school personnel. The University Lead Mentor is also responsible for monitoring trainee progress and school provision through the partnership.