Secondary English with Media – PGCE

Why study this course?

This Secondary English with Media course leads to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and the master’s level PGCE qualification. It prepares you to teach 11 to 16-year-olds and, by arrangement, can prepare you for post-16 teaching. 

You’ll learn the principles of effective English teaching and how to develop school pupils’ love of literature.

A dedicated tutor will provide you with support throughout your training, while school placements will provide you with hands-on practical experience in the classroom.

More about this course

This PGCE in Secondary English with a Media degree trains you to become a fully-qualified teacher. You’ll train to teach 11 to 16-year-olds, but experience teaching at post-16 level can also be arranged on request. 

You’ll learn to equip pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written word, and to promote high standards of language and literacy. This will also help develop school pupils’ love of literature and reading for their own enjoyment.

This PGCE course will broaden your understanding of teaching in multicultural and diverse urban environments. Through study, discussion and teaching you’ll develop an understanding of how children learn and the methods you can use to help them to effectively develop their English and media skills.

We place great emphasis on sharing feedback with your peers and colleagues. You’ll complete a weekly reflection and contribute to discussions online in order to further develop your understanding of the role of a secondary teacher.

Modular structure

Module 1 – Curriculum Studies, includes:

• the theoretical underpinning of English as a subject
• the pedagogical knowledge and understanding required to effectively plan and teach well-structured lessons in the secondary curriculum
• sessions on English language and literature (and the aspects of English: reading, writing, speaking and listening)
• training to assess school pupils’ progress in each of these curriculum areas

Module 2 – Professionalism and Inclusive Practice (PIP), includes:

• support for the wider professional development of each student teacher
• discussion of the role of children’s rights and how this underpins effective learning relationships
• understanding of different aspects of inclusive education
• introduction to the whole school and wider children’s workforce, teamwork and collaborative discussion across different subject areas

Modular structure

This is a year-long course.

Module 1, Curriculum Studies, includes:

• the theoretical underpinning of the practice that students take into the classroom
• access to the pedagogical knowledge and understanding required to effectively plan and teach well structured lessons in the secondary curriculum
• sessions on pedagogy, English language and literature, mathematics, science and foundation subjects
• training to assess school pupils’ progress in each of the these curriculum areas

Module 2, Professionalism and Inclusive Practice (PIP), includes:

• support for the wider professional development of each student teacher
• discussion of the role of children’s rights and how this supports effective learning relationships
• understanding of different aspects of inclusive education
• introduction to the whole school and wider children’s workforce
• teamwork and collaborative discussion across different subject areas

Work placement:

• 120 days spread across two placements learning to teach with a mentor in secondary schools

In both university and classroom contexts, your self-directed study is extremely important in order to support your development of purposeful educational enquiry, preparing effective teaching resources and ensuring your subject knowledge is up-to-date.

Where this course can take you

This intensive PGCE School Direct course leads to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), which enables you to teach 11 to 16-year-olds.