Curious about studying Secondary English PGCEat University of Staffordshire? We've gathered all the key details—entry requirements, modules, fees, and more. Hear from real students by checking out reviews, or take the next step by booking an open day to explore it for yourself.
PGCE - Postgraduate Certificate of Education
Stoke-on-Trent Campus
Full Time
Sep 2026
9 Month
Bring your passion for language and literature into the classroom and help young people become enthusiastic readers with our Secondary English PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education). Whether delving into poetry, exploring characters in novels or getting pupils to craft their own creative writing, you’ll open up the world of books for them. Our Secondary English PGCE will equip you with strategies to become a confident and successful teacher across KS3 and KS4. You’ll spend time in local schools, plan engaging lessons, cover behaviour management techniques and discover how pupils learn. On campus, we’ll help you reflect on your teaching from a subject-specific perspective and give you one-to-one support. But you’ll get far more than just a teacher training qualification with us. As part of our Institute of Education, you’ll have access to the latest research on what works in the classroom and other evidence-based approaches. On the PGCE, you’ll get hands-on experience on placement and will discover creative ways to teach English, with guidance from our experienced staff. You’ll also draw on newspapers, advertising and film. And to help you explore drama, trainees get to visit the New Vic Theatre and take part in Shakespeare-inspired activities. From getting the most out of your induction to tips on teaching your first lesson, your personal tutor will be there to support you every step of the way. We have also developed a close partnership with school-based mentors for your placements. As well as teaching pupils, you’ll have the chance to get them involved in our poetry and visual arts project. It will culminate in the students’ creative pieces being published in an anthology.Our Secondary English PGCE lasts for one academic year, from September until the end of July. This school-led course includes an induction to prepare you for your placement and weekly face-to-face sessions at the University to develop your knowledge of the curriculum and subject-specific pedagogy. You will also undertake 20 Intensive Training and Practice (ITaP) days focused on foundational areas of learning to further develop your practice in the classroom.To give you experience in the classroom, you’ll spend at least 120 days working in two local secondary schools as well as visiting a local primary school. But, don’t worry, you won’t have the pressure of teaching an entire lesson straight away.CareersWith a PGCE and Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), you’ll be ready to teach English in schools across England.Most of our graduates secure their first teaching position while on the PGCE, with many of them securing roles within our partnership schools.After you’ve completed this course, you can join our Masters in Education. Your PGCE gives you Masters credits which means you’ll be fast tracked and can complete this course by the end of your second year of teaching.
This module is an impact action research project where you will identify a particular aspect of inclusion and evaluate the impact policies and practices implemented by your current placement school. You will learn how to conduct educational research and look at a variety of different methods of communicating your action research. This will enable you to compile a formal report justifying proposed practice developments regarding a specific aspect of inclusive practice at your placement, empowering you to make critically informed recommendations for improvement. In terms of developing your inclusive practice, specific topics to be covered include: Behaviour Equality, Diversity and Inclusion During this module you will also learn and develop your understanding of the following: How to conduct a small-scale research project Use of technology to create digital posters Critical use of literature and research Data methodologies and ethical considerations (differences between quantitative and qualitative data, methods of collection and interpretation of different types of data).
Placements allow trainees to train in real-life situations. Each trainee will work closely with a school-based mentor and will observe experienced teachers in their day-to-day role and collaborate with others in planning, delivering and reviewing lessons.
Placements allow trainees to train in real-life situations. Each trainee will work closely with a school-based mentor and will observe experienced teachers in their day-to-day role and collaborate with others in planning, delivering and reviewing lessons.
This module gives you opportunities to explore the place and role of your subject within the School Curriculum. You will explore the aims and objectives of subject education; subject curriculum history and current curriculum debate; and the nature of subject learning. This will be explored through a variety of contexts: KS5, KS4, KS3, 2, 1 and Early Years; and academic and vocational dimensions. You will also explore links with other subject areas and cross curricular issues, recent curriculum developments and potential future directions.This module also prepares you for Learning and Teaching. In this element of the module you will learn about setting learning objectives and lesson planning; how to develop learning resources; preparing a series of lessons and issues in progression; teaching strategies and common student misconceptions. You will also explore subject knowledge in the context of age, level, ability and programme of study and building challenge into subject learning.
Accommodation - Swan Classic (Standard Ensuite room) - £175/week, including bills
4.2
