PGCE Primary Education with QTS

Train to enthuse and inspire children aged 5-11 through creative teaching on a PGCE where you will experience a variety of key stage 1 and key stage 2 classes, develop a specific research focus and achieve recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status.

Successful completion of the programme leads to recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Our PGCE Primary Education with QTS programme combines academic study at either Edge Hill University or Holy Cross College & University Centre with professional training experiences in our partnership schools and settings.

The PGCE will provide you with a high-quality initial teacher education experience, It will prepare you to teach across the 5-11 age range in key stages 1 and 2. Spending a significant amount of time undertaking professional practice placements in schools and other educational settings, you will be supported in meeting the Teachers’ Standards, gaining the professional skills, knowledge, understanding and attitudes necessary for a successful first year as a Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT).

Working with expert university and school-based colleagues, you will be supported in developing professional subject knowledge for the primary national curriculum. This will include knowledge and understanding of how children learn and develop in each subject and how you can most effectively support that learning and development. You will explore contemporary issues in primary education and identify an aspect of the primary curriculum or practice to investigate in further depth.

We strongly recommend an early application as there is high demand for places.

What will I study?

The programme consists of three main elements:

• Academic Study at Masters Level – you will complete two 30-credit modules at Masters level. The first module provides academic and professional development through a focus on fundamental skills for teaching as well as contemporary issues in primary education. The second module will present you with an opportunity to identify and explore an aspect of special interest within a chosen focus area from a range of potential options. The assessment design of these modules allows you to follow your own developing professional interests and so individualise your initial teacher education experience and your professional CV;
• Development of Professional Curriculum Subject Knowledge – during the induction phase of the programme you will engage in university sessions with experienced specialist tutors. You will develop the professional subject knowledge that forms the essential foundation of effective teaching and ensures that children make progress and enjoy learning. You will explore the expectations of the National Curriculum for England and learn about appropriate approaches to teaching and learning for each subject. Tutors will model aspects of primary classroom practice using practical teaching workshops with the aim of building your confidence and enthusiasm for each National Curriculum subject;
• Professional Practice Placements – you will spend a significant amount of time undertaking professional practice placements in key stages 1 and 2 in schools and other educational settings. During these experiences you will continue to engage in academic studies through online collaboration with your peers and university tutors.

How will I study?

Your learning experience will include lectures, seminars, workshop sessions and tutorials delivered using a hybrid blend of on-campus and online teaching. Independent study will be supported by materials provided through the virtual learning environment using a range of online teaching tools and applications. Your university-based experiences will be underpinned by reference to current research.

You will spend a significant amount of time undertaking professional practice placements, normally in key stages 1 and 2 in schools and other educational settings. During these experiences you will have opportunities to observe the work of expert practitioners. You will reflect on and discuss this practice with those practitioners and your trained school-based mentor. As you take on increasing responsibility for children’s learning and development, you will start by working with small groups under the direction of the class teacher, sometimes with a student teacher partner, and progress to planning for and working with the whole class for significant periods of time, managing the learning of every child.

How will I be assessed?

Assessment strategies will include presentations to different audiences, academic essays individually tailored around your own professional interests, and ongoing task submission.

During professional practice your school-based mentor will assess your development through reflective conversations, reviewing and discussing your planning and assessment records, observing your teaching, and gathering the perspectives of other adults and, of course, of the children who work with you.

In all cases, you will be given clear assessment guidance. The assessment criteria will be shared with you and you will be given constructive feedback to help you to set targets and identify actions to help you make further progress.

You will compile an electronic portfolio that brings together evidence to demonstrate your professional development and your ability to meet the Teachers’ Standards.

There are no formal written examinations as part of the current assessment methods on this programme.

Who will be teaching me?

You will be taught in University and on professional practice in schools by a range of highly qualified and experienced teachers and tutors who are dedicated to excellence in primary education and who will model high quality practice to enable you to develop your own teaching style.

You will be supported throughout your programme by a personal academic tutor who will help you to manage your workload, engage with your academic studies, prepare for professional practice placements and secure your first teaching post.

A Great Study Environment

The Faculty of Education has been at the forefront of teacher education for more than 130 years and today enjoys the enviable position of being one of the country’s leading providers of education, training and research for the children’s workforce.

Housed in a state-of-the-art £9m building, the Faculty of Education’s facilities include a 300-seat lecture theatre, five well-equipped ICT suites, and 18 teaching rooms complete with the latest technology.

Entry Requirements

When you apply, you are expected to have:

• A commitment to, and understanding of, primary education, demonstrating the personal attributes, values and motivation required to train as a teacher;
• Suitable presentational qualities, including a good standard of written English.

Before the programme commences, you must have:

• A degree equivalent to UK first-class or second-class honours (2:2 or above). No specific subjects are required;
• GCSE English Language and GCSE Mathematics at Grade C or Grade 4 or above (or equivalent);
• GCSE in Combined Science, Physics, Chemistry or Biology at Grade C or Grade 4 (or equivalent) .

Please note, for the purposes of initial teacher training, level 2 literacy and numeracy qualifications are not considered as equivalent to GCSE Grade C or Grade 4 in English Language and Mathematics.

An academic reference is required for all students who have graduated in the last five years. An interview forms part of the selection process.

If you accept a formal offer from Edge Hill University you will be required to meet the Department for Education’s standards for physical and mental fitness to teach and clearance to work with children. Further information, including a Declaration of Health questionnaire and details of how to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced Disclosure will be sent to you after you have firmly accepted an offer.

English Language Requirements

International students require IELTS 6.5, with a score no lower than 6.0 in each individual component, or an equivalent English language qualification.

If your current level of English is half a band lower, either overall or in one or two elements, you may want to consider our Pre-Sessional English course.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Edge Hill University recognises learning gained elsewhere, whether through academic credit and qualifications acquired from other relevant courses of study or through recognition of an individual’s professional and employment experience (also referred to as ‘experiential learning’). This may include credit or learning undertaken at another university.

Previous learning that is recognised in this way may be used towards meeting the entry requirements for a programme and/or for exemption from part of a programme. It is your responsibility to make a claim for recognition of prior learning. For guidance, please consult the University’s academic regulations (sections C7 and F3.1) or contact the faculty in which you are interested in studying.

This PGCE is accredited by the Department for Education. Successful completion of the programme will enable you to gain recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). You will be well placed to progress into employment as a Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) within a primary school.