Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) Curriculum, Subject Knowledge and Pedagogy Syllabus

Define 'pedagogical content knowledge' (PCK), a term coined by Lee Shulman.

The blend of subject knowledge and pedagogy: knowing how to represent and formulate a specific subject so it is comprehensible to learners, including the best analogies, examples, explanations and awareness of common misconceptions.

How does pedagogical content knowledge differ from general subject knowledge?

Subject knowledge is knowing the content itself; PCK is knowing how to teach that specific content effectively — the most useful representations, examples, and ways to overcome learners' typical difficulties with it.

What does it mean to 'sequence' a curriculum cumulatively?

Ordering content so that knowledge and skills build logically on prior learning, with each unit deliberately laying foundations for later, more complex material over time.

Why is curriculum sequencing important for long-term learning?

Well-sequenced content connects new learning to secure prior knowledge, reduces cognitive load, supports retention in long-term memory and allows ideas to be revisited and deepened cumulatively.

What is meant by promoting 'the value of scholarship and a love of the subject'?

Conveying intellectual curiosity, demonstrating the worth and beauty of the discipline, and inspiring pupils to care about and pursue the subject for its own sake, not merely for exams.

What is systematic synthetic phonics (SSP)?

A method of teaching early reading in which children are taught the grapheme–phoneme correspondences in a clearly defined, incremental sequence, then synthesise (blend) the phonemes all through a word to read it.

Define the terms 'phoneme' and 'grapheme'.

A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound in spoken language; a grapheme is the written letter or group of letters that represents a phoneme (e.g. the grapheme 'igh' represents one phoneme).

What does 'blending' mean in synthetic phonics, and what is its inverse skill?

Blending is merging individual phonemes together to read a whole word (e.g. /c/-/a/-/t/ → 'cat'). Its inverse is 'segmenting' — breaking a spoken word into its phonemes for spelling.

Name the three components of Scarborough's Reading Rope strand for 'word recognition'.

Phonological awareness; decoding (and spelling); and sight recognition of familiar words.

What three things must develop together for skilled reading, as captured by reading models such as the Simple View of Reading?

Reading comprehension is the product of word recognition (decoding) and language comprehension; both are necessary and neither alone is sufficient (Reading Comprehension = Decoding × Language Comprehension).

Define reading fluency and name its three components.

Fluency is the ability to read with sufficient speed, accuracy and prosody (appropriate expression and phrasing) so that attention is freed for comprehension. Components: accuracy, automaticity/rate, and prosody.

Why does reading fluency support comprehension (link to cognitive load)?

When decoding becomes automatic, working memory is no longer consumed by sounding out words, freeing cognitive capacity to focus on understanding the meaning of the text.

Distinguish 'Tier 1', 'Tier 2' and 'Tier 3' vocabulary (Beck, McKeown & Kucan).

Tier 1 = everyday basic words (e.g. 'dog'); Tier 2 = high-frequency, cross-curricular academic words (e.g. 'analyse', 'consequence') worth explicit teaching; Tier 3 = low-frequency, subject-specific technical terms (e.g. 'photosynthesis').

What is 'disciplinary literacy'?

The recognition that each subject has its own distinctive ways of reading, writing, and using vocabulary; pupils must be taught the specific literacy practices of each discipline (e.g. reading a history source vs a science method).

How does subject-specific literacy in science differ from that in history (an example of disciplinary literacy)?

Science writing tends to be precise, impersonal and procedural (e.g. method, results); history writing involves evaluating sources, constructing argument and weighing evidence — each requires different reading and writing strategies.

What is 'academic oracy' and why is it promoted?

The ability to articulate ideas, develop understanding and engage with others through high-quality spoken language using subject-appropriate vocabulary and reasoning; it builds thinking, confidence and deepens learning.

Give two strategies a teacher can use to promote high-quality talk in lessons.

Use structured discussion routines (e.g. talk partners, agreed ground rules for exploratory talk) and insist on full-sentence, vocabulary-rich responses while modelling and scaffolding academic spoken language.

Why should teachers model high standards of spoken and written English?

Pupils acquire language by imitation; teachers' accurate, articulate use of English provides a model that raises pupils' own standards of expression, vocabulary and grammar across the curriculum.

Distinguish long-term, medium-term and short-term planning.

Long-term = the curriculum overview/year or key-stage plan mapping coverage and sequence; medium-term = a unit/scheme of work over weeks; short-term = individual lesson plans (objectives, activities, assessment for a single lesson).

What is the purpose of medium-term (scheme of work) planning?

To break the long-term plan into coherent units, sequencing learning objectives, activities, resources and assessment across a series of lessons so knowledge builds cumulatively.

What is a 'learning intention' (learning objective)?

A clear statement of what pupils are intended to know, understand or be able to do by the end of a lesson or sequence — the intended learning outcome, distinct from the activity.

What are 'success criteria' and how do they relate to learning intentions?

Success criteria are the specific, measurable indicators that show whether the learning intention has been met; they make explicit what success looks like and guide pupils' self- and peer-assessment.

Why is it important to distinguish the learning intention from the task/activity?

The activity is the means; the learning intention is the end. Confusing them risks pupils completing tasks without achieving the intended learning, so objectives should describe learning, not 'doing'.

What does it mean to 'activate prior knowledge' and why is it effective?

Deliberately recalling relevant existing knowledge before introducing new content, e.g. through retrieval practice or review; it connects new learning to established schemas, easing assimilation and reducing cognitive load.

What is 'structured exposition' in teaching?

Clear, well-organised teacher explanation/instruction that presents new material in small, logical steps with clear models and examples, checking understanding before moving on.

Distinguish 'guided practice' from 'independent practice'.

Guided practice = pupils attempt tasks with teacher support, scaffolding and immediate feedback; independent practice = pupils apply the learning on their own to build fluency and consolidate, once they can succeed without support.

In the 'I do, We do, You do' model, what does each phase represent?

'I do' = teacher models/demonstrates (exposition); 'We do' = guided practice with the class; 'You do' = independent practice by the pupil — a gradual release of responsibility.

What criteria should guide the selection of high-quality teaching resources?

Resources should be accurate, age-appropriate, aligned to the learning intention, free of distracting clutter, support rather than replace teaching, and reduce extraneous cognitive load.

How can poorly chosen teaching resources hinder learning (cognitive-load perspective)?

Cluttered, decorative or off-purpose materials add extraneous cognitive load, splitting attention and diverting working memory away from the intended learning.

Why should statutory assessment points (phonics check, KS2 SATs, GCSE) inform a teacher's planning without narrowing the curriculum?

They set clear external standards pupils must reach, so teaching must secure that knowledge; but a broad, balanced, well-sequenced curriculum taught for deep understanding both prepares pupils for these assessments and avoids reductive 'teaching to the test'.