Primary (5-11) – PGCE

Why study this course?

By choosing to train as a teacher of five to 11-year-olds, you’ll be joining a powerful partnership of diverse teachers and schools. We place emphasis on learning to teach in an urban multicultural environment that’s ideal for working in a city setting. You’ll undertake school placements of 11 and 13 weeks, giving you hands-on practical experience.

More about this course

This exciting PGCE course leads to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and prepares you to teach five to 11-year-olds (Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2). You’ll also be able to work in an Early Years setting.

Our course has two modules designed to help you develop an understanding of your future role as a primary school teacher. This structure gives you room to develop your classroom practice as well as examine the underlying principles and values around educational issues.

The Curriculum Studies module introduces you to the challenges of teaching within urban, multicultural and multilingual schools. You’ll also learn how to teach core subjects including English, Mathematics and Science.

The Professionalism and Inclusive Practice (PIP) module includes your two extended school placements of 11 and 13 weeks. There are clear links to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), giving you a responsible framework for meeting the needs of all the children you’ll teach.

Throughout your school placements, our school-based mentors and university-linked tutors will support you in the classroom. The latter will also teach your university sessions, ensuring there is continuity of support throughout your training. By working in both environments, you have the chance to reflect on the links between your own teaching theory and practice.

Accreditation of Prior Learning

Any university-level qualifications or relevant experience you gain prior to starting university could count towards your course.

Modular structure

The modules listed below are for the academic year 2022/23 and represent the course modules at this time. Modules and module details (including, but not limited to, location and time) are subject to change over time.

Year 1 modules include:

Curriculum Studies (core, 30 credits)

Professionalism and Inclusive Practice (core, 30 credits)

School Experience to Progress Point 2 (core, 15 credits)

School Experience to Progress Point 5 (core, 45 credits)

Where this course can take you

This intensive PGCE leads to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), which enables you to teach five to 11-year-olds. Most of the students who graduated from this course have gone on to work as a primary school teacher.