Students are based at DMU Bedford Polhill Campus. The year has a professional emphasis with the majority of time spent in school. There are five different school placements. The first week is spent with a Year 3 or 4 class in a primary school chosen by the trainee. A short block visit to a secondary school in a neighbouring county completes the suite of school experience placements.
Trainees have an increasing responsibility for teaching whole classes.
The two major middle school placements culminate in a five-week block of teaching in which their performance is monitored closely. The trainees' knowledge and competence as teachers is judged by their performance throughout the course, with the final block of school experience being the opportunity for them to meet the standards set by the Government for the award of newly qualified teacher status. The award of PGCE is also subject to the successful completion of written course assignments. These consist of six short assignments in the core subjects and two longer assignments in their specialist subject. Trainees keep a record that shows that they have met the standards for new qualified teachers.