| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2025-09-01 | - |
Program Overview
PGCE Primary
Course Description
Our PGCE Primary has been running for over 60 years and schools tell us we are developing the kind of teachers they want to employ.
All of our PGCE courses are made up of both campus-based sessions - which will give you a grounding in the principles of good teaching practice - and school-based placements, giving you the chance to apply your knowledge and experience to a wide range of classroom situations. These placements will be in contrasting schools to provide you with a broad range of experience; they could be in city, suburban or rural schools, in the independent or state sector.
The PGCE Primary course prepares you to teach across the full range of the Primary Curriculum. We will introduce you to the wider context of teaching, including responding to diversity in schools and the inclusion of Special Needs Education, as well as equipping you with classroom management and planning skills.
By the end of the course you will meet the required professional standards for Qualified Teachers Status (QTS) and will be awarded a University of Leicester PGCE. Our strong ethos of reflective practice will prepare you well for your future career in teaching.
Entry Requirements
- 2:1 degree or above
- GCSE grade C or above in English Language, Maths and Science.
- Although not essential, you may find it useful to have recent experience working with children and/or observing teaching in a school setting, ideally relating to the age range/subject you wish to teach. When writing your application you should try to reflect on your experience and tell us what you learnt.
- Please consult our Education at Leicester website to find detailed explanations of our recruitment and selection processes and criteria.
Additional Requirements
- Admission to the course is subject to a satisfactory medical report. The University will provide more information about this should you be offered a place.
- All offers are subject to a satisfactory enhanced DBS disclosure. We will provide instructions regarding the DBS application process once you have accepted an offer of a place on the course.
Fees and Funding
UK Students
- £9,535
If you are resident outside the UK and the Republic of Ireland, you will need to pay a deposit of £3,000 to secure your place. This will be subtracted from your total tuition fee.
PGCE students can apply for loans from Student Finance England and may be entitled to a tax-free NCTL bursary.
International Students
- £18,950
You will need to pay a deposit of £3,000 to secure your place. This will be subtracted from your total tuition fee.
Please note that International Students will not be eligible for bursaries offered by the Department for Education. For more information, please visit the Get into Teaching website.
Careers and Employability
We will support you in applying for teaching posts by guiding and supporting you through the whole process including workshops run by head teachers and recruitment specialists. The workshop content includes writing letters of application; interview techniques; teaching sample lessons and one-to-one coaching and mock interviews. We know that this approach is highly successful every year and, and Ofsted noted, 'Former trainees from this provider are highly prized locally and demand often outstrips the number of NQT positions available'.
We foster your continued relationship with Education at Leicester once you become an NQT by supporting your career development in a number of ways, including running a successful NQT Conference each spring.
Our PhD opportunities are very popular with those wishing to pursue a particular research interest at doctoral level. We are committed to training excellent teachers during the PGCE and beyond, and we are proud that so many of our students return to Education at Leicester for further study once qualified.
New teachers have now become some of the best-paid postgraduates in England. From September 2023, once you have completed your one-year PGCE course - which awards you QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) - as a primary or secondary school teacher in England, you’ll start on a minimum salary of £30,000 (£36,745 in inner London). Your salary will be reviewed every year, with most teachers moving up the pay range annually. A typical teacher could earn at least £41,333 (or more in London) within 5 years.
Course Structure
Taught Strands
The PGCE Primary covers the following three taught strands:
Professional Studies Strand
The Professional Strand of the PGCE course provides generic foundations for you as a future Primary teacher. It will support your development as a skilful practitioner by helping you to understand and engage with the complexities of teaching. You will cover a range of important elements including planning, teaching, learning, assessment and classroom management, according to the Teachers’ Standards. The sessions are designed to help you develop pedagogical understanding through critical discussion and reflection on classroom action. You will also develop an understanding of the role of teachers and their wider professional responsibilities.
Curriculum Strand
Whilst there is an emphasis on teaching Maths and English, PGCE Primary teaching sessions cover the full range of the Primary National Curriculum. Sessions may focus on a single subject area or involve cross-curricular or thematic approaches currently adopted in many schools. Some curriculum work will take place through Focus Days in schools.
Specialist Studies Strand
An engagement with research is an important element of developing as a critically reflective classroom practitioner; the sessions in this strand will introduce you to a range of theoretical ideas about learning and teaching and their implications for practice. This strand is also designed to help you develop skills related to professional inquiry and will show you how to carry out small scale studies in your placement classrooms which can then be written up for your two assignments. A significant element of the strand is undertaking a specialist study which includes taught sessions at the University combined with a small project in the spring term school placement. During the autumn term you will select your area for specialist study from options which may include:
- English
- Inclusion
- Mathematics
- Science
School Placements
During the PGCE, you will be placed in three contrasting Partnership schools. We are proud to work with over 200 primary schools in the state and independent sectors, and in city, suburban and rural settings, as well as special schools.
Primary students (specialising in the 5-11 age range) are placed in a range of KS1 and KS2 classes, and Lower Primary students (specialising in the 3-7 age range) work in Key Stage 1 and Foundation Stage settings. In addition to the three block teaching placements you will also visit different schools as part of a series of 'focus days', studying specific subject and professional topics in an intensive school-based context.
The school-based time is a vitally important element of the course. You will have the opportunity to observe skilled class teachers working and to discuss the things that underpin day-to-day classroom activities, as well as work alongside experienced teacher-mentors who will support your learning about classroom practice.
Teaching Experience
- Teaching Experience 1: This is a six-week paired placement with two students working together in one class. This gives you the opportunity to work with a partner to develop classroom skills in a supportive environment. You will focus on developing observation skills to support your understanding of teaching and learning and to put your learning into practice. During this Autumn Term placement you and your partner will work towards taking an increased responsibility for teaching the class.
- Teaching Experience 2: This takes place in the Spring Term and lasts for six weeks. The amount of time spent teaching the class increases over the placement until you have responsibility for up to 80% of the timetable.
- Teaching Experience 3: This is an eight-week placement in the Summer Term with students working towards taking responsibility for 80% of the teaching timetable.
Throughout each of these placements you will be encouraged to participate fully in the life of the school and to take full advantage of the tasks and activities designed by your tutors to support your development. It is expected that through your three placements you will gain experience across the age range that you are training to teach.
Your placement schools will be decided by your personal tutor following discussions about your professional development needs.
Program Outline
PGCE Primary Program Details:
Degree Overview:
The PGCE Primary is a one-year, full-time program designed for individuals with an undergraduate degree who wish to become primary school teachers. The program aims to develop students' understanding of pedagogy and provide them with practical experience in a variety of school settings. The program prepares students to teach across the full range of the Primary Curriculum, covering topics such as:
- Responding to diversity in schools
- Inclusion of Special Needs Education
- Classroom management
- Planning skills Upon completion, students will meet the required professional standards for Qualified Teachers Status (QTS) and will be awarded a University of Leicester PGCE. The program emphasizes reflective practice, preparing students for their future careers in teaching.
Outline:
The PGCE Primary program is structured around three taught strands:
- Develops skills in planning, teaching, learning, assessment, and classroom management.
- Covers the Teachers’ Standards.
- Encourages critical discussion and reflection on classroom action.
- Develops understanding of the role of teachers and their wider professional responsibilities.
Curriculum Strand:
- Covers the full range of the Primary National Curriculum, with an emphasis on teaching Maths and English.
- Includes sessions focusing on single subject areas, cross-curricular or thematic approaches, and Focus Days in schools.
Specialist Studies Strand:
- Introduces students to theoretical ideas about learning and teaching and their implications for practice.
- Develops skills related to professional inquiry.
- Includes taught sessions at the University and a small project in the spring term school placement.
- Offers specialist study options in areas such as English, Inclusion, Mathematics, and Science.
School Placements:
- Students are placed in three contrasting Partnership schools across the state and independent sectors, in city, suburban, and rural settings, as well as special schools.
- Primary students (specializing in the 5-11 age range) are placed in a range of KS1 and KS2 classes.
- Lower Primary students (specializing in the 3-7 age range) work in Key Stage 1 and Foundation Stage settings.
- Students also participate in Focus Days in different schools, studying specific subject and professional topics in an intensive school-based context.
Teaching Experience:
- Teaching Experience 1: A six-week paired placement with two students working together in one class. Focuses on developing observation skills and taking increased responsibility for teaching.
- Teaching Experience 2: A six-week placement in the Spring Term, with students taking on increasing responsibility for teaching, up to 80% of the timetable.
- Teaching Experience 3: An eight-week placement in the Summer Term, with students working towards taking responsibility for 80% of the teaching timetable.
Assessment:
- Two written assignments make up the academic part of the assessment.
- Continuous assessment throughout the course.
- No exams.
Teaching:
- Taught sessions are primarily with students from other routes into teaching, allowing for diverse experiences and knowledge sharing.
- Some sessions are taught in age-phase groups (Lower Primary and Primary).
- Specialist study groups are available for all students.
- The program emphasizes reflection, encouraging students to evaluate their own teaching and share their learning with peers.
- Students receive support from a range of teachers and tutors throughout the course.
Careers:
- The program prepares students for careers as primary school teachers in England.
- Graduates are eligible for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
- The program provides support in applying for teaching posts, including workshops on writing letters of application, interview techniques, teaching sample lessons, and mock interviews.
Other:
- The program is graded as "Outstanding" by Ofsted, adhering to the highest standards set by the Department for Education.
- Students can gain 60 credits towards a Masters qualification.
- The program is highly regarded by schools, with demand for graduates often exceeding the number of NQT positions available.
- New teachers in England start on a minimum salary of £30,000 (£36,745 in inner London) from September 2023.
UK Students: £9,250 International Students: £18,950 You will need to pay a deposit of £3,000 to secure your place. This will be subtracted from your total tuition fee.
