Secondary Computing (with QTS) Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)

Your learning will be personalised across professional skills, subject knowledge and pedagogy, research and theory. You develop further by completing a small-scale research project within your subject area and by undertaking intensive teaching practices within school settings, allowing you to put your knowledge and understanding of education into practice. On placement you will practise teaching strategies, learn how to manage a classroom environment, and develop evidence-based approaches from skilled professionals who share your passion for your subject area. At the beginning of the course, you focus on developing your knowledge of learning and explore a range of evidence-based teaching and assessment theories and strategies, in addition to your subject knowledge and subject specific pedagogy. Throughout the course, you embed and refine your knowledge and skills, enhancing your own practice and subject expertise during school-based placements as well as developing your ability to reflect on your practice through action research. Funding: if you study this course, you may be eligible for a £28,000 bursary. Find out more Study this course and you may be eligible for a £2,500 Sir Keith Skeoch postgraduate scholarship.

The following admission criteria applies: GCSE grade 4, or standard equivalent, in English and maths (qualifications in key and functional skills at level 2 are not equivalent to GCSEs in breadth of content). If you have not achieved the standard equivalent, you can sit an equivalency test at equivalencytesting.com a first degree (minimum 2:2) from a UK higher education institution or a recognised equivalent qualification. In exceptional cases if you do not have a 2:2 but are able to demonstrate suitable significant experience and/or further study you may be considered for the course ability to clearly demonstrate suitable subject level ability in the specialist subject area. This may be evidenced through suitable A level or Level 3 qualifications and the completion of a subject knowledge enhancement course or through the first-degree subject area (a transcript may be requested) or through work experience relating to the subject ability to demonstrate capacity to meet the Teachers’ Standards verification of your identity either from your birth certificate, or acceptable, alternative document complete a satisfactory Occupational Health Clearance (further details will be provided) complete a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and enrol on the DBS update service complete a satisfactory suitability assessment in line with the requirements of Keeping Children Safe in Education. Any declarations made may be subject to a panel process before a decision can be made submission of two references. Referees must confirm that they know of no reason why you cannot work with children. Admissions will also check there aren’t any breaks in your employment or education history. References must be either academic (for example, your university tutor), professional (for example, your manager), school experience (for example, the headteacher of the school you have been working in) or character (for example, a mentor or someone you know from volunteering). If you’re still studying or graduated in the last five years, one of your references should be an academic reference. If you already work in a school, one of your references should be from your headteacher. If you graduated more than five years ago and do not work in a school, you can choose any combination of references. Ensure you provide a professional email address, not a personal email address for each reference successful completion of a formal interview and selection process. The interview and selection process includes: a formal interview where you will be interviewed by two members of the teaching team a presentation about teaching a specific aspect of your subject specialism - you will have a choice of three topics a reflective and two scenario based tasks a data task. Once you are invited to interview you will be given a link to the tasks. The tasks need to be completed and submitted before your interview. For guidance, you will need approximately one hour for the interview. The tasks should be completed independently and should take you approximately one hour (reasonable adjustments will be considered if required). The process determines whether you possess the appropriate attitudes and values expected of a teacher. It also assesses whether you demonstrate intellectual and academic suitability for the course, including: fluent communication skills writing that reflects a high standard of accuracy an ability to use data and graphs to interpret information, identify patterns and trends to draw appropriate conclusions. Upon completion of the interview and selection process, you will be asked to give an evaluation of the day, so that we can continually monitor and improve our processes.