At the heart of the programme is a vision of the teacher as a skilled professional, ready to enter the profession with confidence and equipped to make a significant contribution to the education of children now and into the future.
This degree will enable you to meet the standards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in both Key Stage 1 and Key stage 2 (school years 1 to 6).
Why study this course?
The one year PGCE Primary programme offers you:
- Qualified Teacher Status in both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2
- 18 weeks in two schools and across the two Key Stages
- Full coverage of the subjects of the primary curriculum to enhance your skills, your confidence and your excellent employment prospects
- Guidance and support from a team of highly skilled and dedicated tutors in university and in schools
Features
- Opportunity to gain qualification across both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2
- Professional placements in at least two schools drawn from the rich diversity of schools within the partnership
- Enhancing the personal and professional qualities applicants already have and, in keeping with the University's mission statement, further developing sensitivity to the needs of others and due regard for equal opportunities
- A Subject Enrichment Week with opportunity to visit an Early Years setting, a secondary school and other education related settings of personal, professional interest to yourself
- Three assessments giving you 60 credits at M level which you can use towards further qualification
- Excellent careers advice and support
Programme Structure
The one-year PGCE is, by necessity, an intensive and highly demanding course, which runs from early September through to late June.
Professional Placement in schools is a central feature of the course, with eighteen weeks spent working in at least two different schools.
The University-based elements of training help students to prepare for, and learn from, this work with teachers and children.
It includes the following three modules taught throughout the year:
- Professional Development Education (PDE) which involves all those aspects of the role of the teacher which transcend individual subject boundaries, for example, class management, the teacher and the law, working with children with special educational needs
- study of the core curriculum subjects of English, Maths and Science plus work on Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
- an introduction to each of the non-core subjects, Religious Education, Personal/Social/Health Education and Citizenship.
It is usual for the timetable to include five full days of teaching each week at the University. In addition, a great deal of individual work is expected.
Assessment of school-based work is undertaken through observation of performance and by formal reports which are used to set individual targets.
Trainees are assessed against the requirements for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) (see www.tda.gov.uk/partners).
University-based work is assessed through written assignments and audits of subject knowledge.
Three assignments (one with a focus on Core subjects of the National Curriculum, one with a focus on Non-core subjects of the National Curriculum, and one with a focus on Professional Development Education) will be assessed against Masters Level criteria (Level 7) giving successful students 60 credits towards a Masters degree.
We provide guidance on undertaking assessments at Masters Level, and you will receive full feedback in order to enable you to work to the best possible standard.
All trainees must register for the Training and Development Agency tests of competence in English, Mathematics, and Information and Communication Technology. These may be taken at any registered centre and must be passed in order to gain the full qualification to teach.
As this is a vocational programme, those gaining the qualification typically enter primary teaching.
Degree:
- Applications are invited from graduates with a good honours degree (normally a minimum of 2:1), or from students in the final year of their degree.
- Neither a Higher National Diploma (HND) nor a Higher National Certificate (HNC) are acceptable as equivalent to a degree for the purpose of PGCE entry.
Extra Information:
- At the time of application, candidates should have a minimum of GCSE grade C or above (or equivalent) in English Language, Mathematics and a Science (preferably combined).
- Applicants must disclose any criminal record, and all successful candidates will be required to apply for and be in receipt of a CRB Disclosure before taking up their place.
- For details on fees and grants, please visit our on-line prospectus
- What we are looking for in your GTTR application for the PGCE Primary Programme
- Applications for the PGCE Primary Programme are carefully screened by a team of experienced Admissions Tutors. After this process, selected applicants are invited to interview.
- In order to begin study on the PGCE Primary Programme, you must meet the basic entry qualifications for entry to Initial Teacher Training via the PGCE route (GCSEs, first degree and so on. Please see guidance above and our on-line Prospectus for details). Given that these fundamental entry requirements are met, Admissions Tutors will make a judgement about your overall profile for entry into primary teaching.
In essence, in making the decision to invite you to interview, they will look for evidence of:
- The potential security of your overall knowledge base for teaching across the range of subjects taught in primary schools. (Please note that we have support mechanisms in place for students who we judge would make excellent teachers but who need a ‘top-up' in their subject knowledge.)
- Your academic and personal capacity for Masters level study.
- Clear and correct communication in written English. (Spoken English would be explored at interview.)
- A Personal Statement that demonstrates commitment to Primary Education and an enthusiasm for it.
- Relatively recent experience in a mainstream, state-maintained primary school. Ideally, this would be a school that delivers the English National Curriculum and, as a guide, we would expect your experience to be10 working days minimum. Of course, you are not expected to have worked in a full teaching role but rather to have gained some direct classroom experience, helping the teacher in whatever capacity was available and gaining some knowledge of teaching and learning. Undertaking this experience both allows you to check out whether teaching is the career for you and us to check out your basic appreciation of the fundamentals of your potential professional role.
Please make the dates and type of your experience clear:
- Your reflection on your direct experience in schools of teaching and learning with primary children
- A supportive reference that ideally comments on your academic aptitude for Masters level study, your work ethic and your experience with children.
In addition, Admissions Tutors will also take into consideration other ‘desirable' characteristics:
- All other experiences of working with children
- Any paid or voluntary work you have undertaken
- Your personal experiences and personal interests, especially those that could directly contribute to your role as a teacher
* Please remember that at the University of Chester we are committed to developing you into an excellent teacher. Do make sure that your commitment and enthusiasm to become an excellent teacher are clear in your application.
