Delivered by our partners at NITE (National Institute of Teaching and Education).
About this course
A teacher training course tailored specifically for trainee teachers employed in schools abroad (junior, preparatory and senior).
The Postgraduate Certificate in Education teacher training course is tailored specifically for trainee teachers employed in schools abroad (junior, preparatory and senior). It has been designed to sit alongside the national Teachers’ Standards in England and upon successful completion could significantly reduce the amount of time it takes to gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) at a later stage. Qualified Teacher Status is the recognised award to teach in state-maintained schools in England.
The PGCE course is school-based, which means that you will study while in employment in a school as a trainee teacher, teaching assistant or learning assistant, under the supervision of an in-school mentor and university tutor. It combines the flexibility of online learning with practical in-school experience, which aims to provide you with relevant study to complement your work in-school. You can choose to study solely online but also have the opportunity to attend up to six days of face-to-face sessions at the university.
The course is designed to be highly practical in nature because we believe that learning the craft of the classroom is best done on the job. It is also grounded in applicable pedagogical research and aims to provide successful teaching practice that is geared to enable you to become a first-class teacher upon successful completion.
We offer multiple start dates throughout the year, so you can start at the right time for you. The course is usually studied over an academic year, but is also flexible and can take longer to allow for individual circumstances –for example, if you work part-time or simply wish to take more time to complete the course. Whenever and wherever you choose to study, our aim is to help you become not just a teacher but a great teacher.
What are the entry requirements?
Prior experience in teaching or in schools is not a pre-requisite of acceptance onto the course.
Trainees can include recent graduates who have secured a teaching or teaching assistant job in a school, career changers and teachers/assistants who have worked in a school for a time but have no formal teaching qualification.
To gain entry to the course, all trainees must:
- Hold an undergraduate degree or equivalent as assessed by NARIC
- Be employed in a school for the duration of your study
- Applicants whose first language is not English should have an IELTS of 6.5 overall.
Participants whose first language is not English must demonstrate proficiency in verbal and written English language equivalent to IELTS 6.5 overall with no component less than 5.5, or TOEFL 600. If you have IELTS 6.0 you may be eligible to study our online pre-sessional English course.
The Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) is a teacher training course tailored for trainee teachers, teaching assistants and learning support assistants, who are employed in schools abroad (junior, preparatory and senior) and wish to have the opportunity to train on the job.
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 have 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.
A 15-credit module consists of 150 hours of learning, which comprises a mix of directed and self-directed study.
We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.
- Behaviour and Classroom Management – This module aims to develop your understanding of principles of educational psychology, neuroscience and contemporary educational theory on behaviour. You will explore how children learn, what influences their behaviour and what strategies and interventions are effective for promoting good teaching and learning.
- Curriculum Delivery and Assessment – This module aims to develop your knowledge of subject pedagogy, effective lesson planning and application of statutory codes for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), as well as principles of assessment and feedback practices.
- Development of the Teachers’ Standards – This module aims to develop a reflective and self-critical approach to teaching. As such, you will be required to demonstrate effective practice via critical evaluation and systematic analysis of your own teaching practice in line with The National Teachers’ Standards in England (Department for Education 2012).
- Practical Teaching Practice – The Practical Teaching Practice module is practice-based and runs throughout the course. You will be encouraged to set, review and show that you can meet targets related to your professional practice and demonstrate your competency in all of the Teachers’ Standards.
How you’ll be taught
The course comprises four modules and is typically studied on a part-time basis over one academic year (three school terms). You’ll receive day-to-day guidance from a school-based mentor trained by the university, and will also be assigned a university tutor who will visit you in your school up to twice a year.
The modular structure of the course is blended in approach. It combines online distance learning with practical in-school support. There are also optional face-to-face sessions, which aim to provide valuable peer support and a collaborative learning environment for trainees to have the chance to learn from one another while sharing and reflecting on experiences away from school.
How you’ll be assessed
Assessment throughout the PGCE aims to be varied, engaging and designed to stimulate learning. It includes lesson observations, case study research, oral presentations and written assignments.
The Practical Teaching Practice module culminates in a summative assessment at the end of the year via a portfolio of evidence. You are required to collate evidence for this throughout the course and it will be assessed formatively across the first three modules of study. The PGCE is a standalone formal teacher training qualification resulting in 60 Level 7 Master’s credits that may be transferred as prior learning credits for future study at Master’s degree level.
While this course does not provide Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) – the recognised award to teach in state-maintained schools in England – it has been designed to sit alongside the national Teachers’ Standards in England and national guidelines for Initial Teacher Training (ITT), as prescribed by the Department for Education. Evidence collated for the course is rigorously assessed, which may substantially reduce the amount of time it takes to gain QTS at a later stage.
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 level when assessed against the Teachers’ Standards
- Synthesise and critically evaluate pedagogical theory and literature in support of an argument and present evidence of effectiveness in relation to your own teaching
We offer a range of financing packages and our qualification fees are competitively priced. Please register your interest to find out more.
