Professional Learning Partnership
The Athrofa Professional Learning Partnership (APLP) is a unique combination of school and university staff working together to deliver teacher education.
Together, the APLP offers three innovative programmes resulting in Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) – the qualification needed to teach in state schools in Wales and England. These include:
Postgraduate – PGCE Primary (with QTS)
Postgraduate – PGCE Secondary (with QTS)
Undergraduate – BA Education (with QTS)
The development of the APLP heralds a new and innovative approach to teacher education, with Yr Athrofa and partner schools jointly responsible for the construction and delivery of all ITE programmes.
As such, the APLP combines the expertise of the school sector and all its practical, hands-on experience with the expertise of the higher education (HE) sector, from the understanding of careful research design and delivery to the highly-skilled art of teaching teachers and would-be teachers.
Together, the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) and partner schools have a strong track-record in successfully teaching and mentoring undergraduate and postgraduate students on programmes that have stood the test of time.
Professor Dylan Jones, Dean of Yr Athrofa, said: “In order to prepare student-teachers for the coming changes in Wales’ education system, several productive meetings of Yr Athrofa staff and more than 150 schools have been held to develop a shared understanding of the best-performing teacher education programmes both nationally and internationally.
“The net result of such wide co-construction has been the development of a comprehensive core curriculum that spans the suite of our ITE provision with a clear definition of the roles and responsibilities for schools and the university.
“This ensures that APLP is in a strong position to provide ITE programmes which are both rigorously practical and intellectually challenging.”
In June 2018, the APLP became one of just four training providers chosen to offer teacher education in Wales beyond 2019.
The commendation ensures Wales’ oldest teacher training centre – ranked 1st in Wales in the National Student Survey for the past two years – will continue training new teachers long into the future.
You can find out more about the Education Workforce Council’s rigorous selection process – and the APLP’s successful reaccreditation – here.
The following Lead Partner Schools have signed up to work with Yr Athrofa to co-deliver all of our teacher education programmes:
Bishop Gore
Bishop of Llandaff CIW High School
Cadle Primary School
Cadoxton Primary School
Cowbridge Comprehensive School
Fitzalan High School
Maes yr Haul Primary School
Olchfa Comprehensive School
Parkland Primary School
Pembroke Dock Community School
Pontarddulais Primary School
QE High
St Thomas Community Primary School
Treorchy Comprehensive School
Ysgol Cwm Brombil
Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Lon Las
Ysgol Llanhari
Ysgol Preseli
These schools, all with a reputation for high-quality student-teacher support and strong classroom practice, take joint responsibility with the university for placement activity within their networks. There are more than 120 schools spanning the entire breadth of South Wales currently supporting APLP student-teachers.
Together, Yr Athrofa and partner schools are proud to deliver teacher education and support those ready to inspire future generations of learners.