Early Career Framework

Early Career Professional Development – Mandarin Teacher Micro-programme 2.0

3 days

Overview

This unique Mandarin-specific professional learning programme provides early career teachers (ECTs) of Mandarin in the UK with tailored, subject-specific support to complete their induction or probation period successfully and to meet the professional practice standards of the relevant bodies.

Since its first delivery in 2020–2021, this highly popular programme has supported practitioners through the first years of their teaching careers. Working with the programme coordinator, experienced teaching practitioners and their peers, participants further develop the subject-specific teaching practice established through initial teacher training.

Extending its support to ECTs of Mandarin across the UK, the revised programme has three interconnected aims: to support ECTs in developing an in-depth understanding of Chinese GCSE, enhancing pupils’ learning progression towards Chinese GCSE, and developing a well-balanced and inclusive Chinese GCSE course at Key Stage 4, with effective progression from Key Stage 3 in the AI era.

These aims are achieved through mini-lectures, workshops, joint practice development sessions, inter-session tasks and end-of-programme tasks. The programme is funded by the UCL IOE Centre for Chinese Language Education.

Open to
Current teachers of Mandarin in UK schools who are in the first two years of their UK teaching career and have completed initial teacher training (ITT)

Availability
Available – Limited Places 

Location
UCL IOE, London WC1H 0AL

Organiser
UCL IOE Centre for Chinese Language Education
chinesenetworks@ucl.ac.uk

Programme Aims

  • To provide tailored, subject-specific support to early career teachers (ECTs) of Mandarin across the UK, helping them to complete their induction or probation period successfully and meet the professional practice standards of the relevant bodies.

  • To develop an in-depth understanding of Chinese GCSE, including its curriculum, teaching and assessment requirements.

  • To enhance pupils’ learning progression towards Chinese GCSE through coherent, subject-specific curriculum planning and teaching.

  • To develop a well-balanced and inclusive Chinese GCSE course at Key Stage 4, with effective progression from Key Stage 3 in the AI era.

  • To build a subject-specific community of early career Mandarin teachers in which participants learn with and from their peers through collaboration and joint practice development.

Programme Content

The programme consists of a range of interconnected areas and subject-specific topics.

Dimension 1: Understanding Chinese GCSE through identifying core content for the development of language competence.

Dimension 2: Enhancing pupils’ learning progression towards Chinese GCSE through the scaffolded development of language skills.

Dimension 3: Developing a well-balanced and inclusive Chinese GCSE course at Key Stage 4, with effective progression from Key Stage 3 in the AI era.

Structure and Certification

The programme is delivered through three in-person sessions at UCL, together with inter-session and end-of-programme tasks. The venue for each session will be confirmed by email.

  • Saturday 5 December 2026, 11:00–16:00
  • Saturday 6 March 2027, 11:00–16:00
  • Saturday 1 May 2027, 11:00–16:00

Total professional development time: 21 hours

Given the collaborative and practice-based nature of the programme, participants are expected to attend all three face-to-face sessions and to bring a laptop that can connect to an external Wi-Fi network and has Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint installed. Live streaming and session recordings will not be available.

A completion certificate will be issued on request, provided that the participant has attended all three sessions and submitted the inter-session and end-of-programme tasks. Extenuating circumstances will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Who the programme is for

This programme has been developed specifically for current school teachers of Mandarin in UK-based schools who are in the first two years of their UK teaching career (during the 2026–2027 academic year). All participants are expected to have completed initial teacher training (ITT) – for example, through a university-led route (PGCE, PGDE) or a school-based route (such as School Direct or an assessment-only route) – and to hold Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or be registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS).

Fees

This course is funded by the IOE Centre for Chinese Language Education.

How to apply for this programme

The deadline to apply for this programme has now been extended to Monday 16 November 2026.

Please click « Apply Now » below and fill out the application form.
We anticipate high demand for the limited places available on the programme. Therefore, potential participants should complete the application form below as soon as possible. Please note: applications may close earlier than the above deadline if all places on the course are filled. If your application is successful, an admission confirmation email will be sent to you and your Induction Tutor/Line Manager by the application closing date.

Apply Now

 

Programme Coordinator

Victor Wu  Lecturer (Teaching) in Teacher Training and Professional Development

Enquiries

Catherine Li Project Officer chinesenetworks@ucl.ac.uk