PGCE with QTS (Postgraduate Certificate in Education with Qualified Teacher Status) 2022/23 entry
Overview
PGCE with QTS is an Initial Teacher Training course, which certifies trainees to teach in state-maintained schools in England.
Applicants for the course can also teach in independent schools. The course is offered at Primary level (5-11 and 7-11 age ranges) and across a range of subjects at Secondary level (11-16, 11-18 age ranges). The course is also offered for the 14-19 age range in subjects, which are usually only taught in Key Stages 4 & 5.
We believe that initial teacher training is best done in schools, supported by first-rate teachers and underpinned by the quality and standards expected from a university.
Our distinct course enables you to be based in a school for its duration, whilst following a university-led course, which has been designed and is delivered by experts in teacher training.
A significant number of schools across the country can work with us, and so it is likely that you may be able to train to teach in a location to suit you.
Your own Personal University Tutor will work closely with you and your in-school mentor, to ensure you receive all the support you need to become a confident and highly-skilled teacher.
Whilst in school, you will put into practice straightaway the learning from our course, which is delivered through online teaching, materials, webinars and live tutorials. You will be part of a cohort of fellow trainee teachers, with whom you will share experiences and learning online each week and in termly educational conferences.
This course is accredited by the Department for Education for Qualified Teacher Status for the September 2021, January 2022 and April 2022 intakes.
Course information
The course aims to develop teachers who are confident, inspiring and highly effective in transferring knowledge and skills to their pupils. In doing so, the course aims to:
- Enable you to explore wider perspectives in education and the opportunity to deepen your understanding of codes of practice and contemporary issues affecting schools
- Equip you with the skills to reflect on your personal and professional development and respond positively to feedback through critical analysis of your practice
- Support you to develop an inquiry-led approach to research of your own practice and reflect on strategies for effective teaching and learning
- Foster a culture of independent learning and self-awareness so you can take responsibility for your own professional development while understanding your strengths, weaknesses and how to progress your own teaching
Course Specification
Download Course Specification
Modules
In more detail...
This course gives you the opportunity to train to teach in a location that suits you. It is delivered and directed online, and you will be based for the duration of the course in a school near you. This means you will not be required to attend weekly lectures or long periods of study on our campus. Our trainee teachers for the PGCE with QTS can be based across England.
You can choose whether to be a full-time student or employed/salaried by a school if the opportunity is available to you and we can support you in attempting to find grants or bursaries to fund the course fee.
Start dates are flexible too - while most trainee teachers will start in September and complete their study in July, you can also choose to start in January or April – completing full-time study in December and March respectively. The course can also be studied part-time over two years to support personal or professional circumstances.
The course is designed to combine the flexibility of online study with practical in-school experience, which aims to help you to train on the job, under the supervision of skilled school-based mentors and experienced university tutors. Please note that visits by tutors may be dependent on coronavirus restrictions and staff may be subject to change.
The online segments are designed to be studied at your own pace, fitting more naturally with the changing patterns of life and work. The in-school training and conferences aim to offer hands-on teaching opportunities and collaborative learning experiences.
- Flexible in start dates and duration of study
- Personalised on-the-job training
- Designed to provide highly practical learning experiences
- Built around the craft of the classroom
- Available for both primary and secondary phases in all school subjects
- Aims to provide 24/7 access to online learning materials
- Day-to-day guidance from a school-based mentor
- Face-to-face sessions/seminars
- Designed to provide varied and engaging assessments
- Available in a location that suits you
The course is designed to be highly practical, so aims to help trainee teachers develop their craft in schools, under the supervision of skilled school-based mentors and experienced university tutors.
The course maintains that there is no one way to teach and encourages teachers to engage with a variety of teaching methods to develop their own best practice. It promotes the principle that continued professional development is fundamental to outstanding teaching and aims for its graduates to carry forward this belief throughout their careers.
There are four modules of study, comprising Behaviour and Classroom Management, Curriculum Delivery and Assessment, Development of Teaching, and Practical Teaching Practice.
You will also undertake a second school placement so that you have the opportunity to gain experience of teaching in more than one school.
The Practical Teaching Practice module runs throughout the course, and formative assessment regularly informs your progress and helps you to develop your teaching. At the end of the course, a summative assessment of your competency against the Teachers’ Standards is made.
Our course comprises four modules and is typically studied over one academic year (three school terms), but this can be extended. You will receive day-to-day support from a school-based mentor, as well as your own Personal University Tutor. Both colleagues will support your progress throughout and ensure that your workload is well-managed.
The modular structure of the course is blended in approach. It combines online learning with practical in-school support. There are also face-to-face sessions at our educational conferences, which aims to provide valuable peer support and a collaborative learning environment so that trainees have the opportunity to learn from one another while sharing and reflecting on experiences away from school.
Hotel accommodation and sustenance for trainees attending the face-to-face sessions are organised by the university and included in the course fee. The trainee's travel costs to and from the venue are not included in the course fee.
Assessment throughout our PGCE with QTS is varied and designed to stimulate learning. It includes lesson observations, case study research, oral presentations and written assignments.
The Practical Teaching Practice module runs throughout the course, and formative assessment regularly informs your progress and helps you to develop your teaching. At the end of the course, a summative assessment of your competency against the Teachers’ Standards is made.
Throughout the year, you will also receive visits to your school from university staff who will observe your teaching and provide further support in your progress.
Our PGCE with QTS course is a formal Initial Teacher Training qualification, which upon successful completion results in the accreditation to teach in state-maintained schools in England. Successful completion of the course will also provide 60 Level 7 credits that may be transferred as prior learning credits for future study at master’s degree level.
On successful completion of the course, you should be able to:
- Teach effectively and skilfully so that all pupils in your lessons progress and learn well
- Develop a reflective and self-critical approach to analyse and foster skills in teaching that promote your self-efficacy and confidence
- Critically evaluate pedagogy to adopt relevant strategies and teaching methods that promote high-quality behaviour and learning within your individual context
- Adapt to new environments according to the needs of children
- Critically reflect on what impacts pupil learning, and exercise independent judgement, using evidence from your own teaching as well as relevant educational research, to inform and improve your own teaching
- Analyse your own teaching, and research both teaching theory and practice to identify opportunities for future development, and put improvements into practice
- Develop critical self-awareness from mentoring and respond positively to feedback to develop greater resilience that will help you to enjoy longevity in a teaching career
- Demonstrate that you understand the relationship between theory and your own practice, and meet the minimum required level by the end of the course
- Synthesise and critically evaluate pedagogical theory and literature in support of an argument and present evidence of effectiveness in relation to your own teaching
*This course is subject to the University’s continued accreditation by the Department for Education (DfE) to recommend the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
A 15-credit module consists of 150 hours of learning, which comprise a mix of taught and independent study.
During your study, you’ll have the opportunity to access to an experienced team, including associate lecturers, progression coaches and student experience officers, who will support your studies through regular feedback and dedicated live seminars. Please note that staff may be subject to change.
As an innovative and enterprising institution, the University may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the University may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.
Entry Requirements
Fees and funding
2022/23 Tuition fees
For advice and guidance on tuition fees3 and student loans visit our Postgraduate Finance page.
We pride ourselves on offering competitive tuition fees which we review on an annual basis and offer a wide range of scholarships to support students with their studies. Course fees are calculated on the basis of what it costs to teach each course and we aim for total financial transparency.
Career prospects
Our PGCE with QTS is a teacher training course, which upon successful completion certifies trainees to teach in state-maintained schools in England. Many independent schools now also prefer their teachers to have the qualification.
Disclaimer
1Accreditations
The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery.
2UK and international opportunities
Please note that we are unable to guarantee any UK or International opportunities (whether required or optional) such as internships, work experience, field trips, conferences, placements or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (which could include, but is not limited to, equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable travel COVID and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the visa requirements, please contact the International Office.
3Tuition fees
The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For Home Students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.
For International Students, we may increase fees each year but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.
4Facilities
Facilities are subject to availability. Due to the ongoing restrictions relating to COVID-19, some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and may have reduced availability or restrictions on their use.
Student Contract
By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. The 2022/23 Contract is currently being updated so please revisit this page before submitting your application. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.
