Primary School Partnership Opportunities

Roehampton's School of Education is renowned for its high-quality teaching and research and is one of the principal providers of teacher education in the UK.

In 2026, Roehampton's primary teacher education provision was rated 'Strong' by Ofsted in all five areas: Inclusion; Curriculum; Teaching and Training; Achievement; Professional Behaviours, Personal Development and Well-being; and Leadership. Please see our full report here.

We offer a range of routes into teaching through our BA, PGCE, Lead Partner, Apprenticeship and SCITT programmes. We also provide a continuum of professional development, from support for Early Career Teachers (ECTs) to ongoing professional learning for experienced teachers and educational leaders.

Through this work, we seek to make a significant contribution to school improvement at local, regional and national levels.

 

Pupil progress lies at the heart of everything we do. As a partnership, we aim to inspire and support the next generation of teachers to fulfil their potential and make a positive difference to the lives of the children they teach. This ambition can only be realised through strong collaboration between our partnership schools and the University.

The University of Roehampton Schools Partnership encompasses a wide range of schools across London and the surrounding counties, including local authority schools, academies, free schools, faith schools, independent schools and special schools. Our partner schools reflect the rich cultural and ethnic diversity of the communities they serve. Student teachers benefit greatly from these varied experiences, which are a key strength of our partnership.

 

School partnership monthly newsletters

To support communications within Roehampton's school partnership network the university produces a monthly newsletter. Please follow the links below to view newsletters from the last year:

Partnership principles

The University of Roehampton Schools Partnership asks the following of its partner schools:

  • A positive school ethos in which student teachers are welcomed and valued as temporary colleagues.
  • A commitment to the partnership and to providing a high-quality training experience for student teachers.
  • Evidence of effective practice across the school, with colleagues who are able to share their expertise and act as positive role models for student teachers.
  • Structured opportunities for student teachers to plan, teach and assess in accordance with the University's Block School Experience Requirements.
  • Regular observations of student teachers, with written and verbal feedback on their impact on pupils' progress, alongside support in identifying and working towards developmental targets.

 

Benefits of working in partnership 

Our partnership schools benefit from a close relationship with one of the UK's leading providers of teacher education, including:

  • Supporting our student teachers provides an excellent opportunity to identify and recruit high-quality Early Career Teachers (ECTs), through placements, advertising on our online ECT jobs board, and attendance at our annual ECT Recruitment Events.
  • ECTs who begin their careers in their placement schools are already part of the school community, supporting successful induction and retention.
  • Student teachers bring fresh perspectives, energy and enthusiasm to schools, while contributing to the development of high-quality teaching through innovative and research-informed practice.
  • We provide mentor training for all class teachers who host a University of Roehampton student teacher. This training focuses on developing key mentoring and coaching skills.
  • School mentors have access to a range of online resources and work closely with a Roehampton Mentor to support their own professional development.
  • All school colleagues (mentors and beyond) have access to our high quality Continuing Professional Development programme, most of which is completely free. We also invite mentors to annual conference days on campus.
  • Feedback from our partner schools indicates that mentoring student teachers is highly rewarding and provides valuable professional development opportunities for staff.

Teaching apprenticeships

We offer teaching apprenticeships at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.  Roehampton’s apprentice information page for employers is here.

Undergraduate Teacher Degree Apprenticeship (TDA)

The Teacher Degree Apprenticeship is designed for employers to recruit high-quality candidates who they employ for 3-years on and off-the-job training. It allows apprentices to earn whilst they learn. It provides a crucial route to QTS for those people without degrees.  The TDA course page is here.

Target Audience & Duration: Undergraduate route spanning 3 (September intake), designed for people without a degree.

Employment Contract: this can be a fixed term contract until the end of the apprenticeship or a permanent contract

Salaried Position: Apprentices are employed on a minimum 30 hours per week contract on the Unqualified Teacher Salary Scale for the entire duration. The contract must last for at least the span of the apprenticeship.

University Delivery: Off-the-job taught release for 2 days per week at University across the academic year.

Dual Achievement: Leads to a Bachelor's Degree and Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in the summer term of the final year, followed by completion of the End Point Assessment (EPA). 

Postgraduate Teacher Degree Apprenticeship (PGTA)

The PGTA is a one-year apprenticeship route to QTS for high-quality candidates. It allows schools to use their apprenticeship levy to pay for the apprenticeship training and employ suitable candidates they may want to develop and potentially employ after the apprenticeship ends.  The PGTA course page is here.

Level & Duration: Level 6 apprenticeship delivered over 10 months (September intake).

Employment & Salary: Apprentices hold a salaried position on the Unqualified Teacher Salary Scale for the duration of the apprenticeship, employed for a minimum of 30 hours per week. The contract lasts for the duration of the apprenticeship. This can be a fixed term contract until the end of the apprenticeship or a permanent contract. 

Off-the-Job Training: Employers release apprentices for university-led off-the-job training during term time. University sessions take place every or Friday until early July, plus initial induction days in September. 

Qualifications Awarded: PGCE, plus Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) awarded in the summer term, with the full apprenticeship completed upon successful End Point Assessment (EPA) in July.

Primary Strategic Management Board

The Primary Strategic Management Board (SMB) provides strategic oversight, challenge and support for the Initial Teacher Education (ITE) partnership between the University of Roehampton and its partner schools.  The Board draws upon the expertise of school leaders and university colleagues to:

  • support the continuous improvement of the partnership;
  • review the quality and impact of ITE provision;
  • contribute to the strategic direction of programmes and partnership activity;
  • ensure the partnership remains responsive to the needs of schools, trainees and pupils; and
  • strengthen collaborative working between the University and partner schools.

Click here to meet the members of our Strategic Management Board.

 

Primary partnership priorities for 2026-2027 

(Taken from our School Improvement Plan 2026-27)

Student Outcomes

  • Effectively monitor students withdrawing and interrupting to identify which groups are disproportionately affected and construct systems for effective support.
  • Identify reasons for lower success rates for male students and address swiftly with additional targeted support.

Leadership and Management, Including Compliance

  • Develop and refine the mentor training programme in line with the National Institute for Teaching’s four core pillars, to maximise its effectiveness and impact. 
  • Embed and strengthen the governance and strategic effectiveness of the Strategic Management Board through the leadership of the newly appointed Chair. 

Inclusion

  • Prepare students to meet the needs of all pupils, including those with more complex SEND needs within mainstream classes.
  • Improve outcomes for Global Majority students. 

Curriculum, Teaching and Training

  • Develop students' skills and understanding of professional approach and effective communication with parents and carers.
  • Develop students’ confidence and critical understanding of using new technology to support learning, including their digital literacy.
  • Develop students' understanding of child-on-child violence, to support students to effectively deal with bullying in schools.
  • Develop students’ knowledge and skills to teach SSP with precision on the BA Primary programme. 
  • Support academic standards, academic literacy and ethics in assessment.

Professional Behaviours, Person Development and Wellbeing  

  • Further develop support to help students secure employment.
  • Embed support for TDA apprentices.

 

Frequently asked questions about hosting student teacher placements

If you are an existing University of Roehampton Partnership school, you will receive an annual email with details of our placements in late Spring/early summer. Using the link in this email, you can register your school’s placement offers for the following academic year.

If you are not already working with us, but are interested in becoming a University of Roehampton Partnership school, please email: primarypartnerships@roehampton.ac.uk.

Please see our School Partnerships Contacts page here.

 

Cohort
Placement Dates
Expectations of Student Teachers

BA

Year 1

Monday 8th February – Thursday 25th March 2027

Support Teacher

Students work towards planning, teaching and evaluating 6-8 group activities and between 2-4 whole class or large group activities per week.  Full participation in the life of the class and school.

 

BA

Year 2

Part 1: Monday 9th November - Friday 11th December 2026

 

Return to school days: 8th January, 17th & 24th March 2027

 

Part 2: Monday 12th April - Friday 14th May 2027

 

Sharing Teacher

Students initially focus on observing and working with groups, as a support teacher, and build up to leading whole class/group lessons.  Students return to the school for three days in Spring 2027 to focus on Phonics. 

 

Students work towards managing the class for 3.5 days in the final week as a sharing teacher, taking responsibility for the day-to-day management of the class and planning, teaching and assessing the children's learning. 

BA

Year 3

Monday 14th December 2026 - Friday 16th April 2027

Lead Teacher

Students begin by teaching whole class lessons in the role of sharing teacher.  As they step into the role of lead teacher, they work towards managing the planning, teaching and assessment of the whole class for 4 days a week, from week 5 until the end of the placement.

 

PGCE

BSE 1

Tuesday 6th October 2026 - Friday 12th February 2027

Students initially focus on observing and working with groups, as a support teacher, and build up to leading whole class lessons. They work towards managing the class for 3.5 days in the final week as a sharing teacher.  Please note that across this placement there will be university days built into the weekly planner; students will be in university each Monday, plus for a week in October and two weeks at the start of January.

 

PGCE

BSE 2

Tuesday 23rd February 2027 - Thursday 8th July 2027

Students begin by teaching whole class lessons in the role of sharing teacher.  As they step into the role of lead teacher, they work towards managing the planning, teaching and assessment of the whole class for 4 days a week, from week 8 until the end of the placement.

 

The payment packages for 2026/27 are: 

Cohort

Payment

BA Year 1

£160

BA Year 2

£235

BA Year 3

£350

PG BSE1

£235

PG BSE2

£350

Training for school mentors will run throughout the academic year, delivered via Teams. Dates are shared directly with partner schools when placements are confirmed.

Yes. All students have a full, enhanced DBS disclosure and complete a thorough child protection/safeguarding course before going into school.

Feedback from partnership schools on their experiences of working with us

"We are very proud of our strong links with Roehampton. We have many PGCE and BA students who are always very well prepared and very knowledgeable about current issues in education, including their Safeguarding responsibilities. We are always very well supported and look forward to continuing to build an even stronger partnership in the future."

Kieran Gorman
Headteacher, All Saints CofE Primary School

"Our mutually beneficial partnership with the University of Roehampton continues to go from strength to strength. We have supported a number of students, who gain an excellent grounding in the profession from their ITE experience at Roehampton. Roehampton's rigorous training ensures students are thoroughly prepared for life in school, which gives them the best possible opportunity to succeed in their careers. Additionally, our school staff have benefitted enormously from working alongside Roehampton staff and we are excited by the opportunities brought about by working with such an exceptional institution."

Jonathan Smith
Deputy Headteacher, Ridgeway Primary School

"In my role as a strategic business partner and SEND Headteacher, I have been consistently impressed by the strength of our collaborative work. The strategic plans for Roehampton University are both ambitious and aspirational, underpinned by a rigorous attention to detail that ensures clear and effective delivery. They demonstrate a strong and authentic commitment to inclusion and equity, always valuing and acting upon my advice to enhance SEND provision. This has led to impactful developments, including the introduction of an extracurricular work experience day within a specialist setting - an initiative that exemplifies their vision for truly inclusive practice.”

James Kearns
Principal, Carew Academy

"Our well-established partnership with the University of Roehampton is a real strength, bringing together academic expertise and high-quality, school-based initial teacher training across South London. The strength of Roehampton’s primary programme enables us to support our local schools to train, recruit and retain teachers, strengthening provision across the curriculum. Roehampton ensures trainees develop the confidence, cultural understanding and adaptability needed to thrive in the classroom and make a positive impact in our communities."

Cathal Mc Anuff
Initial Teacher Training Manager at London South Teaching School Hub

"Over 60% of teaching staff at St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School, Morden are Roehampton/Teach Wimbledon PGCE alumni.  Many have become school leaders remaining in close contact with the colleagues and friends they trained with.  Relationships are the hallmark of the Roehampton School of Education. Our values are shared and we are proud to serve together as partners in learning."

Justin Dachtler
St. Teresa's R.C. Primary School

"We have worked in partnership with Roehampton for over a decade. This close relationship has helped us to negotiate the substantive changes made by DfE to ITT during this time, enabling us to continue offering high quality placements and mentoring. Having a shared understanding and open dialogue with Roehampton about the best way to train teachers has enabled us to recruit and train well over 200 primary and secondary trainees to fill vacancies in our partnership schools. Despite increasing pressures on recruitment, we continue to recruit trainees who are drawn by Roehampton’s strong reputation and want to train in one of our partner schools. Delivering teacher training with Roehampton as our main provider across the subject and phase range has helped us to have a streamlined and consistent approach to providing placements and mentoring, which is harder to achieve when working with multiple providers."

Jo Clipsham
Lead Partner PGCE Co-ordinator , Dunraven School, Sharing Excellence Partnership