PGCE SECONDARY (11-16) WITH QUALIFIED TEACHER STATUS (QTS)

Training is delivered through:

• School placements: At least 24 weeks in two contrasting secondary schools, gaining hands-on experience supported by expert mentors.
• Lectures and workshops: Face-to-face sessions at our dedicated adult learning suite in Fleet, Hampshire.
• Intensive Training and Practice weeks (ITAPs): Focused deep-dives into key teaching techniques.
• Individual support: Regular meetings with your school-based mentor, lead mentor and university tutor.

What you will do on school placements

Gaining hands-on teaching experience, with the guidance and support of a carefully selected school-based mentor is a dynamic and rewarding part of the course. At your placement schools you will: learn all about the school’s approach to Safeguarding and Child Protection; get to know the subject colleagues in your department; learn the school’s rules and routines; familiarise yourself with curriculum content, building on your own subject knowledge ; observe expert practitioners in themed research; gradually increase the time that you spend teaching and helping children learn, from delivering starters or plenaries, to coaching small groups, all the way up to taking charge of whole lessons by the end of the year; develop your own expertise by having dedicated time to reflect and gain feedback from your school-based mentor; have the opportunity to do “deep-dives” into four specific areas of teaching techniques in our Intensive Training and Practice weeks (ITAPs).

You will have a school-based mentor who will meet you at least once a week to help support you with your training programme. You will also have a Lead Mentor from the university, who will visit twice a term. We also provide you with a university tutor for well-being support.

Modules

Whilst on the programme you will complete four modules. The overall credit rating for the award of PGCE is 120 credits:

60 credits at Level 7

• Professional Studies
• Evidence Informed Teaching and Learning in the Secondary Classroom

The level 7 modules aim for you to make explicit links between theory, evidence and research that can support your development as a teacher and link to practice.

60 credits at Level 6

• School Experience Learning and Reflection
• Subject Specialist Pedagogy and Curriculum (Biology, English, Geography, Math or Physics)

Teaching Role

You will be ableto apply for secondary school teaching positions in state-maintained schools.

Early Careers Support

You will receive structured support during your first years as a teacher, including a mentor, reduced teaching load, and access to professional development opportunities.

Career Progression

Once you have successfully completed your early career phase you can progress to a full-time teaching role with opportunities for further career development, including leadership positions.

Academic Entry Qualification Overview

• A first degree of a United Kingdom higher education institution or equivalent qualification (preferably a 2:2 or above) ideally in English or Science
• Achieved a standard equivalent to a grade 4/C in GCSE examinations in English and mathematics
• We do not offer GCSE equivalency tests. We accept the equivalency tests in Mathematics and English offered by Equivalency Testing and A Star Equivalency.

Fitness to Teach/ Health Requirements

If you are offered a place on the programme, you will be required to complete a Fitness to Teach Occupational Health check. All teacher training candidates who are offered a place must be certified as meeting national requirements for physical and mental fitness to teach, as set by the Department for Education. The cost of the Occupational Health check will be met by the applicant and more details will be provided if successful at interview.

DBS

If you are offered a place on the programme, you will be asked to apply for an enhanced check through the Disclosure and Barring Service as advised by the Department for Education. Applicants who have lived or worked outside the UK must undergo the same checks as other trainee teachers. In addition, further checks will also be carried out and applicants will be required to obtain a recent criminal record certificate from countries they have lived or worked in. A list of admissible certificates can be found on the UK government website: Criminal record checks for overseas applicants.

The cost of the DBS check will be met by the applicant and more details will be provided if successful at interview.

English and Mathematics Skills

Trainee’s fundamental knowledge in English and Mathematics is no longer assessed by the professional skills tests. You will need to demonstrate your fundamental knowledge by the end of the programme. 

Interview Process

Interviews are held online.

You will be invited to attend a group session at which you will be asked to prepare for a group presentation/discussion. The group presentation and discussion could be about a learning resource of your choice, for example. You will be given advance notice of the subject matter of the presentation and discussion.

You will also have an individual interview with a university tutor and a local school leader, lasting about 30 minutes, to assess your strengths, suitability for the course and for Secondary (11-16) teaching.

You will be required to then complete a Reflective Writing Task which you will complete whilst online.

In some cases we will ask applicants to complete a Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) course, this will be discussed with you at interview.

You may also be advised to spend 10 days prior to the programme in school placements so you can build an awareness of the role, the needs of pupils and teaching and learning approaches.

Please contact us through the form below. After submitting a form we will contact you as soon as possible. We will delete your information one month after the beginning of the next academic year.