Thank you for your interest in this programme. We are proud of our long tradition of training students to become high quality practitioners, and we seek to recruit high quality, committed students who are keen to make a positive difference to the educational experiences of primary school children. The South West Wales Centre of Teacher Education (SWWCTE) is part of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. The Centre was established in 2009 when Trinity College Carmarthen and Swansea Metropolitan Initial Teacher Training provision merged. Primary PGCE Students will apply to and be enrolled at the Swansea Metropolitan campus in Townhill. The Primary PGCE programmes (General Primary (Lower) and General Primary (Upper)) are designed to prepare students for a career in teaching. The PGCE is a full-time, intensive vocational programme, suitable for those wishing to train to teach, inspire and enthuse primary aged children, helping them to make excellent progress in learning. The course offers rich opportunities for personal development, as students embark upon the first stages of a career which is challenging, fulfilling and rewarding. The sessions both in school and at the University are intended to involve students in a range of experiences, which are carefully planned to increase understanding of learning and teaching across the Primary curriculum. There is a focus on developing personal reflective skills, and in engaging with current educational research in order to develop students as knowledgeable and effective practitioners. The university element adopts a modular structure and teaching takes a blended learning approach including lead lectures, group seminars, tutorials, independent study and directed activities using the virtual learning environment (moodle). Professional Teaching Experiences take place in a variety of educational contexts. Students build confidence and expertise, culminating in taking responsibility for planning, teaching and assessing a class of children in their chosen phase for a sustained period of time. In our most recent inspection, Estyn (the Welsh educational inspectorate) praised the Centre’s innovative use of teaching approaches such as Problem-based learning, which forms a core element of the professional studies module.

The University provides opportunities to prepare for a career in teaching including a recruitment fair and related sessions. Students regularly gain employment in the local area, England and abroad.