Partnership
Our strength in primary and early years education is the close working relationship we have with more than 400 primary schools across the Midlands and wider region. These close ties ensure we can produce the right teachers for this demanding sector.
The partnership trains primary and early years schoolteachers on our three-year BA (Hons) QTS course and one-year PGCE. See the relevant section on this webpage to access supporting materials. Documentation is intended to provide you with a holistic understanding of the course and a more specific knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of University Lead Mentors and School Professional and Placement Mentors and associate teachers.
Statutory Guidance
This document contains mandatory guidance and accompanying advice from the Department for Education (DfE). This means that accredited initial teacher training (ITT) providers must have regard to the mandatory guidance when carrying out their duties relating to ITT.
Accredited ITT providers must ensure they meet these criteria to remain compliant. ITT providers who do not comply with these criteria may be subject to withdrawal of accreditation.
This document applies to accredited providers delivering ITT for the academic year 2024-25.
Governance and Accountability
The requirements for the ITE provision at Birmingham City University are governed by the Initial Teacher Training Criteria, which specifies the role of an accredited provider of QTS and the expectations of quality that an accredited provider must adhere to for compliance. Initial Teacher Education should be of high quality, and accredited providers should seek continuous improvement to their provision.
Governance within our University and Initial Teacher Education sets out the procedures for decision-making accountability and quality assurance. All boards and committees have the core function of ensuring that our ITE courses meet the expected requirements of the Initial Teacher Training Criteria and ensuring the delivery of the University mission in determining the future direction of the institution and academic standards and quality.
There are systematic procedures for quality assurance at all levels of our BCU ITE partnership, with roles and responsibilities for quality assurance activity and record keeping embedded into the ways of working for all stakeholders to ensure prompt and impactful action is taken where necessary.
There are systematic procedures for quality assurance at all levels of our BCU ITE partnership, with roles and responsibilities for quality assurance activity and record keeping embedded into the ways of working for all stakeholders to ensure prompt and impactful action is taken where necessary.
Primary Partnership Handbook
The Primary Partnership Handbook outlies key information and details about our ways of working and processes for school leaders and mentors. You can download the whole publication or, for ease of access, use the direct links to specific sections.
Primary SPC meetings 2024-25
Meetings are normally held each half term. If you're interested in joining the Primary SPC, please email Claire Bick rapsey.c@welearn365.com as Chair or Anne Whitacre at anne.whitacre@bcu.ac.uk
We welcome colleagues to strengthen our partnership through collaboration to ensure that the teachers we train continue to provide an effective resource in your classrooms.
Term 1:
Tuesday 24 September 2024
Term 2:
Wednesday 29 January 2025
Term 3:
Wednesday 30 April 2025
Tuesday 8 July 2025
Primary and Early Years Placement Opportunities 2025-26
Support the Next Generation of Teachers
Interested in hosting an Associate Teacher? Our Placement Opportunity Brochure outlines everything you need to know about Initial Teacher Education placements — including available courses, placement dates, teaching expectations, mentor roles, and payment information. Whether you're new to placements or have supported Associate Teachers before, this brochure is designed to give you a comprehensive overview of what’s involved.
View the Primary Placement Opportunities brochureReady to Get Involved?
To register your expression of interest, simply click the link below to complete a short form. Once submitted, a member of our Placement Team will be in touch to guide you through the next steps and help you access our Placement Communication Portal.
Expression of Interest form