What is PGCE?

If you’re looking for a lifelong, challenging and exciting career, teaching may be for you. We were rated Outstanding in our most recent OFSTED inspection (2015/16) and we offer our students an exceptional training experience. The course aims to prepare you for entry into the teaching profession, developing your expertise in teaching children aged either 3-7 years or 5-11 years.

There are two awards at the end of the course - the Postgraduate Certificate in Education and the Professional Graduate Certificate in Education - depending on the academic assessment of the course. Both awards include recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) for successful candidates.

Study style

This PGCE gives a high priority to school-based learning and to developing your analysis, evaluation and autonomous learning and development skills. We work with a range of primary schools and early years settings, enabling us to place trainees in at least two different schools throughout the course of training.

School placements are assessed through the scrutiny of evidence by students, school staff and university tutors - while professional development and subject knowledge are assessed through written assignments.

Strong collaboration between outstanding professionals across the university and our partnership promotes inspirational research-informed training for aspirational teachers. Our highly professional trainees take responsibility for their own learning and make an immediate impact on pupil progress. We want all of our trainees to make a significant contribution to children’s lives and to feel enriched by successful careers in teaching.

Possible careers

Graduates from this course can go on to work in primary school teaching - which may lead to subject leadership and the opportunity to progress to roles in the senior leadership team of a school. Others progress on to further study, to achieve a postgraduate diploma or MA.