School Placement
PME 2 and MSc Stage 5
Students are advised to secure a school placement for PME2/MSc stage 5 in the spring term of the PME1/BSc stage 4. You will find links to a range of documents to assist you in this process below.
PME2 and MSc Stage 5 students are required to teach a minimum of four and a half hours a week and a maximum of eight hours across two subjects.
At least one class period (i.e. one forty-minute or one hour period, and not a class group) must be in the student teacher’s second subject. In some subjects this may be achieved through extra-curricular activities or through curriculum leadership in Transition Year or Leaving Certificate Applied.
It is important to send your CV and cover letter to the relevant schools via email in good time. Please note that you can undertake your school placement in any post-primary school within a 100km radius of the UCD campus. The most up-to-date details of all post-primary schools are available on the DES website.
* From time to time, schools also contact us directly with specific requirements. We will record these requests on this live document which will be updated regularly.
It is important that you complete the required forms when requested and that you communicate any difficulties in securing a school placement to Karen Maye, the School Placement Lead via email at karen.maye@ucd.ie.
Documentation for PME2/MSc Stage 5 School Placement
School Placement Forms
In terms of documentation required by us to confirm placement, there are two online forms which should be completed as soon as possible, which are available below:
1. You must complete and submit this form when you secure your placement.
2. You must then send this link https://forms.gle/18r4x9BmQP61jsMD9 to your principal or deputy principal and request that they complete it as soon as possible.
It is important that both forms are completed as soon as you have secured your placement so that we have a complete record of your placement for year 2 of the PME/ Stage 5 of the MSc. This is essential for our planning and for Teaching Council registration information.
Availability for School Placement
The academic timetable for your academic work in UCD is still to be finalised for 2023/24 (and will not be finalised until August), PME 2/MSc Stage 5 students typically are available to schools as follows:
Monday – available to school in the morning and may need to be in UCD in the afternoon/evening for methods lectures – depending on subject specialisms;
Tuesday – not available to schools
Wednesday – available to school in the morning and may need to be in UCD in the afternoon/evening for methods lectures – depending on subject specialisms;
Thursday – available to school in the morning and may need to be in UCD in the afternoon/evening for methods lectures – depending on subject specialisms;
Friday – available to school all day.
Submitting Your School Timetable
Please ensure you have submitted your school timetable by Friday the 22nd of September.
Include the school’s Eircode.
Use the UCD school placement timetable template linked here. Timetables not submitted on the UCD template will not be accepted.
Date the timetable and if any changes are made, submit a new one with the date of any revisions.
Email your timetable to your tutor and submit it to the School of Education via the following form here.
University College Dublin
Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
T: +353 1 716 7777