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Why choose the School of Education
Ofsted – we are a ‘Good’ provider with Outstanding in Quality of leadership and management across our partnerships.
95% of our Education and Teaching graduates are in employment or further studies 15 months after graduating (HESA Graduate Outcomes, 2023)
Over 90% of students across all courses are employed within the first six months of graduation
100% of our undergraduate Primary Education graduates have secured jobs by the end of their course
Our Early Childhood Education course ranks 8th in its subject table for graduate prospects on track (Complete University Guide, 2024)
All teaching-training staff have QTS and were previously employed as teachers and/or head teachers; we also have teaching staff who are school governors or active members of their national subject associations
About the course
Become an inspiring confident teacher of primary-age children with this PGCE course designed to give you a secure understanding of primary teaching and learning. You also put theory into practice in the classroom on your placement as you move towards meeting the requirements for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
This course offers you training across the 5-11 age range developing the skills and experience you need to teach core and foundation subjects using a variety of teaching approaches.
You attend subject-specific sessions lectures and seminars designed to develop awareness and understanding of general professional issues; the content of the National Curriculum; and practical guidance on aspects of teaching such as lesson planning and assessment.
Our partnerships with local schools give you opportunities to put your taught knowledge into practice on placements where you are supported and trained by experienced primary teachers.
When you successfully complete the course you achieve Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) enabling you to work in a primary school as a teacher.
Intermediate qualifications available:
- Professional Graduate Certificate in Education
- Study at our Bedford campus home to one of the largest education providers in the region with a long history of teacher education and an impressive graduate employment rate
- Benefit from our well-established links to more than 500 schools across the eastern region a network that puts us at the forefront of educational developments
- Hone your skills of critical self-evaluation and gain confidence in analysing your own practical experience during your school placements
- Engage with relevant research literature and develop the skills of a reflective practitioner
- Develop your creativity and team-working skills preparing you to influence and lead in educational settings while enhancing your own sense of independence
- In addition to offering core PGCE places we work in close partnership with schools and academy trusts to deliver School Direct routes into teaching
Course Leader - Peter Virnuls
I graduated with a Chemistry degree in 1995. During my ‘sandwich’ degree, I completed an extended 15-month placement researching the use of Ozone to remove pesticides and other organic waste matter from drinking water with a one of the largest water treatment providers in the country. Additionally, as part of my final year dissertation, I undertook a research project exploring the potential of Bentonite Clay to absorb radionuclides leached from radioactive waste repositories.
Course Leader - Peter Virnuls
I graduated with a Chemistry degree in 1995. During my ‘sandwich’ degree, I completed an extended 15-month placement researching the use of Ozone to remove pesticides and other organic waste matter from drinking water with a one of the largest water treatment providers in the country. Additionally, as part of my final year dissertation, I undertook a research project exploring the potential of Bentonite Clay to absorb radionuclides leached from radioactive waste repositories.
What will you study?
The Reflective Primary Teacher (Level 7)
This unit will provide you with an understanding of the importance of critical self- reflection in becoming an effective early years and primary teacher. You will be working within complex and unpredictable primary and early years’ classroom contexts, demanding innovative thinking and actions, which involves exploring the current limits of education knowledge. You will work towards becoming autonomous in the planning and managing of your learning process and in reviewing and meeting your own learning needs by reflecting critically. You will develop personal responsibility and professional codes of conduct in an educational context, and be supported to formulate solutions to classroom based issues.
Evidence Informed Primary Teacher (Level 7)
This unit aims to encourage you to build on your knowledge about learning and teaching and the application of that knowledge in practice. Key to the unit is a focus on the development of evidence informed teaching, through an extended systematic study of literature to inform your own practice.
The unit is underpinned by a belief that evaluation of theoretical perspectives as they apply to your own teaching is an intrinsic element of best teaching practice. Within the unit, therefore, you will continually be encouraged to explore what is known about the learning in primary and early years education, and to demonstrate independence and creativity in evaluating the relevance of that knowledge in your own context.
School Experience 1 - The Primary Teacher
As part of this unit, you will undertake a school placement designed to enable you to observe and practise the procedures which support effective preparation for beginning to demonstrate the teaching and learning in respect to achieving the Teachers’ Standards (DfE, 2012) by the end of the programme. This placement’s teaching pattern is designed to ensure that you successfully make the transition from observing and supporting lessons to independently planning and delivering lessons during the placement as outlined by the expectations of our curriculum.
Our curriculum prioritises the development of the positive classroom climate, adaptive teaching and understanding of core subject knowledge, adapting to local need as appropriate.
School Experience 2 - The Primary Teacher
As part of this unit, you will undertake a school placement designed to enable you to demonstrate the teaching and learning in respect to achieving the Teachers’ Standards (DfE, 2012). The unit ensures you continue to develop and apply your experience from School Experience 1 and develop the integrated additional elements of promoting good progress, effective use of assessment, adapting teaching to suit groups of pupils and fulfilling wider professional expectations.
How will you be assessed?
The assessment strategy is based on the premise that critical evaluation of theoretical perspectives as they apply to your own teaching is an intrinsic element of best teaching practice. Throughout the course therefore you will continually be encouraged to explore what is known about teaching and learning and to demonstrate independence and creativity in evaluating the relevance of that knowledge in your own context.
Sound subject knowledge is a fundamental quality of an effective teacher and you will be expected to demonstrate a commitment to on-going development of that knowledge throughout the course. Also key to the course is a focus on the development of research informed teaching culminating in an extended systematic study of your own practice. By embedding the professional requirements for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) within the academic requirements of a Post Graduate Certificate the course supports you in developing the qualities which define the ÑÇÉ«ÊÓƵ graduate teacher: an independent reflective creative innovative collaborative and resilient professional who is committed to on-going personal and professional development. The assessment for this course seeks to support you in developing your understanding of the interplay between theoretical perspectives and practice based experience. You will be developing your skills of research and evaluation critical thinking creativity and independence. The themes for your reflective writing are developed from local and national priorities and therefore allow you to develop the evidence of your understanding of values and principles underpinning the Teachers Standards (2012) as they apply to your working context. (Superficial statements of performance against the Teachers Standards (2012) oppose the principles which underpin this course and are not accepted.)
By building your reflections around these themes you will generate rich evidence which can contribute to the assessment of your professional performance: the Profile Review Points (PRPs). Hence the assessment items are intrinsically connected and in combination allow you to demonstrate your achievement of all learning outcomes. The Profile Review Point (PRP) is the process by which the mentor (with university training and support) reviews your progress in your teaching practice. The Teachers Standards (2012) provide the framework by which this progress is judged and are supplemented with descriptors which support you in understanding the qualities which define the level at which you meet the standards. The Teachers Standards (2012) descriptors are included in Introducing the Primary School Teacher and The Primary school Teacher units assessment information. Formative use of assessment is embedded throughout the course and is a principle which we would expect you to adopt in your own teaching. You will be supported to become familiar with self- and peer-assessment approaches and to make effective use of feedback on both academic and practice-based aspects of the course to identify targets for your on-going development and plan actions to address them.
Careers
On graduating you can apply for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) enabling you to work in a primary education setting. Many of our graduates go on to rewarding employment in local schools.
There are also opportunities to progress to further study at MA/MSc MPhil PhD and EdD levels.
Entry Requirements
- Safeguarding checks, including an Enhanced DBS, and Occupational Health check are required
Entry Requirements
- Safeguarding checks, including an Enhanced DBS, and Occupational Health check are required
Fees for this course
UK
You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for PGCE tuition fees.
See
A limited number of bursaries are available for Primary PGCE courses.
See
Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk
Scholarship Available
The ÑÇÉ«ÊÓƵ is proud of its alumni and is delighted to offer a tuition fee discount for those who choose to continue or return to the University for on campus Postgraduate level studies.
We offer a 20% discount on full and part-time Masters courses to those who were successful in completing an Honours Degree with the ÑÇÉ«ÊÓƵ, DMU’s Bedford campus or the University of Luton.
The Department for Education (DFE) Bursaries and Scholarships
Bursaries and scholarships are available to trainees on tuition fee-based teacher training courses in England that lead to the award of qualified teacher status (QTS).
Receiving a bursary or scholarship depends on:
- highest relevant academic award
- ±õ°Õ°ÕÌý²õ³Ü²úÂá±ð³¦³Ù
Fees for this course
UK
You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for PGCE tuition fees.
See
A limited number of bursaries are available for Primary PGCE courses.
See
Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk
Scholarship Available
The ÑÇÉ«ÊÓƵ is proud of its alumni and is delighted to offer a tuition fee discount for those who choose to continue or return to the University for on campus Postgraduate level studies.
We offer a 20% discount on full and part-time Masters courses to those who were successful in completing an Honours Degree with the ÑÇÉ«ÊÓƵ, DMU’s Bedford campus or the University of Luton.
The Department for Education (DFE) Bursaries and Scholarships
Bursaries and scholarships are available to trainees on tuition fee-based teacher training courses in England that lead to the award of qualified teacher status (QTS).
Receiving a bursary or scholarship depends on:
- highest relevant academic award
- ±õ°Õ°ÕÌý²õ³Ü²úÂá±ð³¦³Ù
