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The IPGCE - China course is a post graduate level Initial Teacher Training course offered by the University of Buckingham and the Buckingham International School of Education (BISE) in China (www.buckingham.ac.uk). This, 37-week school-based course, is available in most subjects and to all age levels.

The University of Buckingham is one of the leading teacher training providers in the UK and taking the IPGCE-China course will enable students to develop the understanding, pedagogy skills and competencies needed to be successful in any classroom around the world. The trainees can expect the course to be demanding and rigorous as it is specifically tailored to improve pedagogy skills within a short amount of time.

After a careful selection process, which includes an interview with a BISE representative, the successful trainees will work under the guidance of a school-based mentor, who will observe the trainee weekly, hold weekly mentor meetings to set improvement targets and support the trainee overall with their pedagogy.

The mentor should be an experienced teacher who works closely with the trainee; therefore, the trainees must already be employed at a school to be eligible to apply.

All trainees will be assigned a subject specialist tutor from the University of Buckingham, with whom they will have online meetings with once a month, and a BISE instructional coach who will visit them at their school twice during the course.

Please note, for the additional QTS qualification (needed to teach in a state school in England), it is possible for a teacher who has been teaching for two or more years to apply for the Assessment-Only Qualified Teacher Status. A trainee may begin the AO QTS process in the term following the one-year IPGCE - China.

The IPGCE-China has three elements:

1: Assignments and E-Portfolio
During the course trainees will complete three masters level assignments as well as the significant   documentation necessary to pass the course.

The trainees will be required to provide evidence that each of the UK Teaching Standards has been met via an online e-portfolio. They will also need to present a record of 30 weekly reflections and readings provided by the University (Professional Development Plans) and of 30 weekly observations undertaken by their in-school mentors.

2: Training Days
Trainees are required to attend six online training days during the course provided by the University of Buckingham.  This is a mandatory requirement and the applicants are recommended to check their schools are able to support the required time off. The time difference between UK and China will likely make these late afternoon/evening events.

3: Tutorials and Lesson Observations

1. The Online Tutor
   Trainees are assigned an online tutor from the University of Buckingham, who will be a specialist in the trainee’s subject area/teaching stage. There will be nine online one-to-one sessions over the course of the year. The Online Tutor is based in the UK and will be responsible for the overall assessment of the trainee.
   
   The subject specialists this year are from the following fields: Art, Music, Design Technology, Food Technology, Business Studies and Economics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Computer Science, English, Drama, Classics, Modern Languages, Geography, History, Psychology, and Physical Education.
    
2. The Instructional Coach
   A BISE instructional coach will visit each trainee twice during the course.  Each trainee will be observed by the coach on at least four occasions in paired observations with the trainee’s mentor. The coach will give feedback to the trainee and to the mentor on improvement strategies.  Additional training and mentoring support are available for all IPGCE-China mentors online and during the visits. The instructional coach is based in China and responsible for ensuring high quality coaching & mentoring of both trainees and mentors.

4. Additional Support

a. BISE online webinars for trainees to help overcome hurdles, e.g., on writing assignments, aspects of pedagogy, bilingualism, evidence collection

b. Individual online support for students struggling with any aspect of the course.

c. Where possible, face-to-face workshops for trainees and mentors in their locality will be offered to complement the University of Buckingham online training days.

d. BISE Teachers Conference - A one-day annual IPGCE/Teachers’ conference for all BISE students in China

Progression of IPGCE-China

The IPGCE-China course offers an ideal foundation for trainees to progress to other University of Buckingham MA or MEd programmes carrying over 60 credits – such as Master’s Degree in Education (MA), Masters in Educational Leadership and Management (MEd) etc.

Successful completion of the IPGCE course may also lead to Qualified Teacher Status if the trainees can meet additional criteria set out by the UK government. This is not guaranteed, so if acquiring QTS is your primary goal, please consult BISE before starting your application.

You must be employed as a teacher at an international or bilingual school in China and be in sole charge of a full-size class for a minimum of 10 hours a week.

You will be expected to have completed a bachelor’s degree prior to starting the course.

Applicants from a non-English speaking country will be required to provide an English language certificate, such as IELTS or TOEFL. An exception will be given to those applicants who have completed a university level degree in English.

English Language Requirements

In addition, you must:

• Obtain the commitment from your school to provide a suitable mentor.
• Show the physical and mental fitness to teach.

The employing school must be able to fully support a candidate throughout the course, enabling them to demonstrate all of the Teachers’ Standards across the full age and ability range of training.

Tuition fee: £6,500
Non-refundable Registration fee: £275

Fees can be paid in termly instalments or in one lump sum. Termly instalments can be arranged directly with the Finance department upon receipt of the invoice.

Please click the APPLY button to submit your application by 31 July 2021. The course will start in Sep 2021.

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