>Mrs Anne Thwaites (overall co-ordinator for Education students at Homerton)
>Mr Stephen Tomkins - Education with Biological Science
>Dr Jenny Bryan - Education with Classics
>Dr Abigail Rokison - Education with English and Drama
>Mr David Whitley and Dr Louise Joy - Education with English
>Dr Molly Warrington - Education with Geography
>Dr William Foster - Education with History
>Dr Olivier Tonneau- Education with Modern Foreign Languages
>Dr John Hopkins - Education with Music
>Dr James Loudon and Dr Deborah Longbottom - Education with Physical Sciences
>Dr Thomas Graumann- Education with Religious Studies
(approx 35 students across all subjects each year)
Homerton College has a long history of engagement with education as an academic subject and as a provider of probably the best-known and respected teacher training programme in the country. The College continues to offer designated places each year to well qualified applicants for the degree offered by the Faculty of Education (with whom we share a site).
This is a joint honours degree in which the study of education both through its constituent disciplines (sociology, philosophy, psychology and history of education) and through thematic concerns looking at issues of communication, language and literacy within increasingly international perspectives, is combined with study of another academic subject at degree level.
The degree is not a teacher training degree , and students go on from it into a wide range of careers or further academic work. For those who do wish to teach, however, the undergraduate course provides an excellent opportunity for the study of important issues in practical education. To build on this the Faculty offers a '3 plus 1' route to Qualified Teacher Status for primary or secondary teaching. On successful completion of the degree course students who wish to teach will normally proceed to the PGCEs offered by the Faculty.
The subjects that can be taken with education as part of the Education Tripos are:
Biological Science
Classics
English
English and Drama
Geography
History
Modern Foreign Languages
Music
Physical Science (Chemistry or Physics)
Religious Studies
Most of the teaching offered in these subject areas is the same as that offered to students in the relevant faculties and departments who will be taking only that subject (though, of course there will be less of it as there has to be room for education!). In some cases the Education Faculty continues to offer courses via its own subject specialists- notably in film and drama for those students taking Education with English or Education with English and Drama.
We normally ask for A* and two As at A level (or the equivalent) for this course and one of the As will be in a subject directly relevant to the chosen academic specialism accompanying Education. It is possible though to apply for Education with Religious Studies without having taken that subject at A level (not offered in all schools) so long as an academic essay-writing subject is included. It should be pointed out that those applying for the Education with a Modern Foreign Language degree who wish to progress to a Secondary PGCE should have French at A level (or the equivalent) or have another language at A level while taking French in the degree, since being able to offer French as one of two languages to A level is a prerequisite of the Cambridge Faculty of Education's Secondary PGCE in Modern Languages (Secondary PGCEs elsewhere may have different requirements). These restrictions do not apply to those wishing to progress to a Cambridge Primary PGCE or who have no plans to enter teaching with their degree.
There will be at least two interviews for all applicants called to interview. One will be on education. An intelligent critical interest in current thought and practice will be the starting point for discussion, but no prior knowledge of the disciplines of education (philosophy, psychology, sociology and history of education) will be assumed or expected. The second interview will be based on the other academic subject and given by a specialist in that area. We are looking for, in general, the same interests and analytic ability as would be exhibited by successful applicants in that subject alone.