Postgraduate Certificate in Education Secondary Initial Teacher Education English with QTS

Content

The PGCE courses are part of the Department of Education and Childhood, within the Initial Teacher Education cluster.

We’re committed to training the best teachers for the future, able to provide first-class educational experiences and make a significant difference to the life chances of all children. We’ll train you to do so in partnership with schools and settings across the region. All children deserve to learn well, with enthusiastic subject specialist teachers.

Teaching is a challenging, exciting and rewarding career with a high level of job satisfaction. It is a great privilege, as well as a great responsibility, to be able to influence and shape the progress of children and young people.

Our PGCE courses are very popular and the standard of applicants is high.

As a trainee teacher, you’ll complete a minimum of 120 days in school on placement practice. This will take place in at least two contrasting schools, in blocks of no less than six weeks, and during this time you’ll be expected to demonstrate effective progress in your own practice and have a positive impact on pupil progress over time.

You’ll have a Senior Mentor and a Subject Mentor who will guide you through school policy and invite you to observe lessons in your subject and across the school when you first arrive. Your teaching load will start with leading lesson activities under the guidance of your Subject Mentor and gradually increase as you become more confident. 

The module areas you will study are as follows.

• Theories underpinning pedagogical approaches
• Planning and implementing appropriate teaching strategies and classroom management
• Subject studies
• Current educational policy and practice
• Evaluation of learner needs and the educational impact of their teaching
• Professional skills and attributes, including keeping children safe
• The use of evidence-based practice
• Feedback and assessment of teaching against the English Teachers’ Standards, supported by a university tutor and school based mentor.

The module areas are listed above, however the final module titles are subject to final approval.

The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we will inform you.

Study time

During the 12 weeks of university-based time, you will study the teaching of your main subject in relation to the above components. This includes consideration of a range of learning and teaching styles and resources, including the use of appropriate information and communications technology (ICT), and preparation in all aspects of the National Curriculum including assessment for learning.

You will also participate in sessions in mixed subject groups where cross-curricular issues are covered, such as: safeguarding,  pupils’ learning, managing behaviour for learning, innovative models of curriculum organisation,diversity and equality, the broader professional role and research underpinning decisions and policy in the field of education.

On this course, you will be encouraged to investigate ways in which you can help young people to learn. You will analyse the dynamics of what happens when students talk together about an issue that concerns them and how they use talk to advance their own thinking . Furthermore, you will investigate strategies to scaffold this happening in your classroom. How best to monitor and assess the learning that takes place and identify targets to support your students’ development will be important areas for discussion.

You will be asked to read and to understand, analyse and evaluate a wide ranges of texts. If you are sitting in a corner reading the latest novel by a writer of teenage fiction, or an anthology of poetry or lost to the world in a text from the 19th century, you will be working, doing what you are required to do.

You will spend the majority of your time in schools where you will need to be creative, enthusiastic and ready to seize the initiative in the many opportunities that will come your way.

There will be lots of people at the University and in your placement schools who will be only too ready to work alongside you and to support your progress throughout the course.

Careers

Careers / Further study

PGCE courses include 60 credits assessed at master’s level.

As a trainee teacher, you will be joining a modern and well-regarded programme to train to teach across the 11-16 age range and gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Entry

Entry requirements

Applicants normally have:

• An undergraduate degree, or a recognised equivalent qualification, with at least 50% in a subject related to what you want to teach. This is typically 2:2 or higher but we will look at all applications against the demands of the course.
• GCSE grade C/4 or above in English Language and Mathematics, or equivalent. We do not accept Level 2 Key Skills, Functional Skills or Certificates in Adult Numeracy and Literacy as alternatives to GCSEs.

Our PGCE courses include a high level of placement based learning and working with children. We would encourage all applicants to get as much relevant experience of working or volunteering with children to help prepare them for this crucial element of their course.

Selection process

Applicants who meet the entry criteria will be invited to an interview day with course tutors, consisting of a group discussion and interview.

English Language Requirement

All International and EU applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 with 6.0 in each component