The Department for Education (DfE) requires the University to make sure that trainee teachers have the skills, attributes and knowledge plus health and physical capacity to be deemed suitable to teach.
The information below provides further information on the additional entry requirements for the course and how health and character are assessed. These requirements are in addition to the academic entry requirements.
Occupational Health Screening
All places are offered subject to satisfactory occupational health screening. This will involve completing an occupational health questionnaire and attendance if required at a medical appointment.Occupational health screening and assessment will consider your health and wellbeing as well as your fitness to study. Progress on the course is dependent on your continued fitness. All offers of places are made subject to satisfactory health clearance.
The health screening comprises the completion of a detailed health questionnaire by the applicant, failure to return this form before the start of the course may result in the offer of a place being withdrawn.
Our focus is on whether you have a health condition and/or disability which may affect your capacity to teach. This is because we need to be able to assess whether applicants can perform the activities required of a teacher as set out in the Education (Health Standards) (England) Regulations 2003. It is important that you consider the impact of your health condition in both academic and placement settings.
We expect applicants to complete the occupational health questionnaire honestly. When we ask you to declare whether you have a health condition that could affect your fitness to teach, we are trusting you as a potential autonomous professional to make an informed and reasoned judgement about yourself in relation to others. If you do not fully disclose a relevant health issue that could affect your fitness to teach, this could impact your place on the course.
It is important to know that making a declaration to us about any health condition is a positive action which shows you have an awareness of the possible effect of your health on your ability to perform the activities expected of a teacher. Any recommendations that arise from the occupational health screening will be referred to the Fitness to Practice panel to determine if reasonable adjustments can be made. All referrals are treated on a case-by-case basis. Only members of the Fitness to Practice Panel will have access to the details of an applicant’s Occupational Health Screening.
Disability disclosure
Leeds Trinity University welcomes disabled students.
If you have a disability, please tell us about it so that we can put in place reasonable adjustments and arrange support for you.
Applicants are encouraged to disclose any disabilities they may have at their earliest opportunity.
When considering disclosure, it is important that you consider the impact of your disability in both academic and placement settings.
Seeking disclosure advice and support regarding a disability is seen as safe practice and is thus an essential part of professional development.
If you have a disability, visit our Students with Disabilities page to find out more about how Leeds Trinity can support you with your studies.
DBS requirements
Applicants who are offered a place and accept it will be contacted regarding the DBS application, which will be completed via an external company.
This is because you will be required to work with children on your placements.
Students on Initial Teacher Training programmes will be asked to make an annual declaration of continued good character.
As DBS checks can only cover time spent in the UK, applicants who have spent time outside the UK may need to obtain an overseas police check of some kind from the country/countries in which they are now living or have lived.
This means a police or criminal records background check from outside the UK; these will be called something different according to the country.
If you have lived or are living outside the UK, this condition applies regardless of your nationality or fee status. Broadly speaking, applicants included are:
- Non-UK applicants (including residents of the Republic of Ireland and other EU countries, as well as overseas applicants). This applies even if you are not currently resident in your country of origin but have lived there recently.
- UK applicants living abroad now or who have lived abroad recently. This requirement is in addition to your UK DBS check, not an alternative to it.
Applicants must disclose all cautions, convictions or conditional charges.
Any disclosure or conviction received will be dealt with promptly, fairly, and lawfully.
Applicants to programmes requiring an Enhanced DBS check are encouraged to disclose any cautions or convictions at an early stage in order to explore the situation in depth. This process of self declaration should be helpful to applicants who may be worried about the potential impact of any cautions or convictions on suitability for the course. Please use the DBS Self Declaration Form.