PGCE Secondary Science

Bath Spa University

Skilled teachers make a difference to the lives of those they teach. This teacher training course is designed to enable you to become a qualified, passionate teacher of Science in Secondary schools. We encourage you to embrace the professional qualities and attributes that successful teachers need, including: the ability to inspire, engage and motivate learners in your subjecta commitment to inclusion and your pupils’ wellbeingimpeccable personal and professional conduct, andthe ability to reflect on your own progress and continue to develop.With our support, you’ll become an empathetic and skilled teaching professional who is responsive to the needs of all pupils. You’ll have a positive impact on those you teach – from the beginning of your training within schools. Share your passion for scienceScience in its broad and varied nature has the scope to engage, inspire and motivate young people to question the world around them. Science can challenge and excite the mind, igniting a deep and evocative curiosity in us all. At the heart of our Science subject sessions, we facilitate and encourage you to ‘bring to life’ your science knowledge and support you to communicate often complex and abstract ideas into something familiar and tangible to your learners. Developing a sound understanding of how young people learn and perceive science will help you to adopt approaches that help pupils to know and remember more. We encourage you to become a critical thinker through sessions that promote discussion and collaborative practice. You’ll draw on established theory to develop deeper thinking about how to teach Science, and draw on key literature to explain why ‘hands-on’ experiences are an effective way to learn and understand science. The programme is led by academic staff and supported by a range of experts from the Institute of Physics (IoP), the Association of Science Education (ASE), the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), the AQA examination board and colleagues in our partner schools.What you'll learnOverviewExplore the fundamentals of teaching through an integrated programme that encompasses both university and school-based training. You’ll develop your understanding and practice through these core components: Subject and curriculum knowledgeBehaviour managementAssessment of pupilsPlanning for learningAdaptive teaching and inclusionProfessional behaviours and responsibilitiesHow pupils learnPupil health and wellbeingWe’ll revisit these components to enable you to gain, apply and refine your knowledge and skills throughout the year.CareersAs a graduate of our PGCE with a recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), you can begin your teaching career right away. During the course, we offer support with applications and interviews so that you can give your teaching career the best possible start. As an Early Career Teacher, you’ll be supported by your new employing school for a further two years, after which you might work to become a Head of Department, Assistant Head, Deputy or Headteacher, or take on a more pastoral role such as Head of Year.