Primary Education PGCE
1 Year Full-Time | September Start

This course is delivered via a mix of lectures, seminars and workshops to provide you with opportunities to develop your theory and practical skills, whilst reflecting on your school-based experiences.

Placements will form a large part of your learning and throughout the duration of your course you will undertake two assessed placements within our partnership schools. Arranged by Northumbria University, your placements will cover a wide range of activities including group and individual tasks, observation and the planning and delivery of lessons.

This course is assessed via a range of methods that include written assignments, presentations, reflective personal portfolios and school-based assessments related to the planning and conduct of teaching a lesson. These methods will enable you to demonstrate that you have met the requirements to achieve PGCE and Qualified Teacher Status, aligned to the Teachers’ Standards 2012.

• See all the Modules for this course

The PGCE Primary Education course is delivered by our team of highly experienced tutors who boast extensive experience in teaching and education. Our team have worked in schools and organisations at a local, national and international level.

Actively participating in projects that are defining the education sector, our staff are also involved in wide range of additional activities such as research, the writing of books and articles, delivering further training to experienced teachers and participating in initiatives to improve the quality of education.

This course requires you to spend a significant amount of time in our partnership schools, where you will receive additional support and mentoring from experienced teachers and senior leaders. You will also be assigned to a link tutor who will support both you and your school-based mentors to ensure that your school experience fully develops your skills as a teacher.

Throughout the duration of your course you will have access to state-of-the-art facilities such as our University library – which has been recognised as second best in the UK – and well equipped working space, The Hub, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Your experience will be enhanced by technology and through our innovative e-learning platform, Blackboard you will be able to access student support and other key University systems through your personal account.

This innovative use of technology is embedded throughout your course to create a learning community that is professional, collaborative and well informed.

Research-rich learning is embedded in throughout this course, with themes such as practitioner enquiry, curriculum design and reading intervention forming just a sample of the research-based learning themes covered.

You will be able to draw on our research-led teaching approaches and embark on a process where critical, analytical thinking and self-reflection are central to the development of your knowledge and understanding of learning, teaching and the professional role of a teacher.

This approach to enquiry will ensure your understanding of current practice and developments is at the forefront of the education sector.

You will leave with a strong understanding of teaching, and the ability to appreciate the wider expectations associated with this profession. Your placements will provide practical experience and a strong grounding of the roles and responsibility of a teacher, which is integral when applying for future positions.

The Individual Learning and Development Plan (ILDP) and career entry development profile – both of which are incorporated into this course - will directly support your early career learning and enable you to seek out opportunities that may lead to school leadership roles.

This course is fully compliant with the requirements for initial teacher training as defined by the school for Education and the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA).

Completion of this course provides you with an excellent introduction to primary education teaching and the opportunity to enter a hugely rewarding profession.

When applying for your first job you will have access to the expertise of school leaders, who will support you throughout the initial application process.

Students who complete this course benefit from high employment rates and most often secure teaching roles in environments such as schools, nurseries, local authority and private early years settings.

Graduates may also take advantage of opportunities further afield and gain employment teaching abroad.

Around 50% of our graduates typically secure their first teaching before completion of their course, with this figure increasing to 90% within three months of graduation.

Successful completion of the Primary Education PGCE will also support your further study should you wish to progress to a master’s qualification.