Why should I choose Polaris?
Put simply, we offer quality, local training, tailored to your needs. We have 15 great schools in our alliance including York, Ryedale, East Riding, East Coast, Northallerton and Richmond areas. We also work in partnership with other great schools in each area to ensure high quality placements for our trainees. We endeavour to place you in schools that match your individual circumstances and we continually monitor the quality of in-school placements throughout your training year.
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The professional CPD you you will receive from Polaris and York St John tutors during the programme is as good as it gets: current, research-based, practice-led and delivered by some of the best practitioners in the region
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Our Pastoral and well-being record is superb. We have a fantastic team in place to support you during your training year and beyond
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Many of our trainees go on to secure jobs in our schools. We have past trainees who are now training to be subject and SEND leaders and even mentoring our new cohort
How do school placements work?
You will have three teaching placements in two contrasting schools. Our school placements are organised around an ABA structure: you'll be based in school A for the majority of your training, where you will complete two teaching placements in different classes. You will also benefit from a 6- week contrasting placement in a different school (school B)
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Experience has taught us that the key to a successful PGCE year lies in providing our trainees with the best possible school placements. We will aim to ensure your placements are relevant to your interests, prior experience and locality. We will work hard to ensure that whilst you are in placement, you are trained by good and outstanding teachers to the highest standard possible
Our Programme is full-time and runs from September to mid-June so it's just over ten months in total. Each year, some of our trainees are asked to work in school as unqualified teachers for the remainder of the summer term once the programme has ended.
How long is the programme?
How much travelling will I need to do?
We aim to place you within a 30-minute journey of where you live for your school placements. Additionally, across the year, you'll need to commit to a 17 days training at York St John University and a maximum of 17 days Polaris training at St Mary's primary school in Malton.
What qualifications will I gain?
You will gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) at the end of your training
Your training will focus on either the 3-7 or the 7-11 age phase. However, you may choose to have a placement across two phases and you will be qualified to teach both.
What ages will I be qualified to teach?
What about training days away from the classroom?
You'll come to regular 'hub' days at St Mary's in Malton, where you will receive quality professional training from specialist leaders and tutors across our alliance of schools to develop your knowledge of the primary curriculum and the core principles around excellent primary practice. You will also attend training days at York St John University across the year.
Is this a very academic programme?
No. School-led teacher training is a practical route into teaching and the majority of your training year will be hands-on. That said, there is an important theoretical and academic element to our programme: the PGCE element of the course consists of two, Masters level assignments. These are carefully designed to support and underpin your growing experience and practice in the classroom
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A degree in any subject, 2:2 or above.
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GCSEs in English, maths and science - grade C (4) or above (equivalecy tests are available if you don't have these)
What qualifications do I need?
You can apply to our programme using the Department for Education (DfE) Find postgraduate teacher training programme, accessible through the gov website
How do I apply?
Where can I find out more?
Get in touch via email or telephone and we will arrange a visit or chat. We are always happy to tell you how briliant our programme is.
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Come to one of our information events.
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Contact one of our schools near you: lookout for our banners outside school!