PGCE - Secondary - PGCE Business and PGCE Business with Economics drafted
| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2023-09-19 | - |
| 2024-01-16 | - |
Program Overview
What makes PGCE - Secondary - Business and Business with Economics at Worcester special?
Age phase: 14-19
Whether your background is in business or economics, these courses build on your strengths while developing your employability and skills to teach your specialist subject. Teaching is informed by current research and you are encouraged to engage in the literature and debates about education to maximise your development. Your two contrasting placements are carefully thought out and tailored to meet your development needs and subject specialism. You will be supported and challenged by mentors working in business and economics departments in partnership schools and colleges.
The training prepares you to teach GCSE, A Level and vocational courses. Additional opportunities usually include planning and delivering an enterprise day to younger pupils and a financial awareness day at a special needs school. Visits to an independent school and a college enhance your experiences further.
Key features
- Explore a wide range of strategies for teaching business and economics concepts and develop your subject knowledge throughout the course
- Access to a vast amount of resources on teaching and learning and also business and economics through university sessions and the Hive
- Consider what effective learning and teaching looks like in a business and economics classroom through reflecting on your own learning and exploring research evidence
- Discuss the place of business and economics in the curriculum and the current issues within business and economics education
- Opportunities for personal development through taking a leading role in key subject days in schools, encouragement to participate in all aspects of school life whilst on placement. Many business and economics trainees also enjoy the Aspiring Leaders enhancement activity
NB Business offered through core and
School Direct
routes.Owen
"After thoroughly enjoying economics at sixth form and then going on to study economics at University I felt that I wanted to go into teaching Economics myself.
"My passion for solely teaching economics at a sixth form level was something I was concerned about going into a secondary PGCE Business with Economics course. That being said, my passion was immediately recognised and my tutor ensured I had placement schools that had this on offer. Early on I enjoyed the Business with Economics teaching as the variety on offer meant every day was different.
"With an extremely comprehensive teacher training course including group discussions, teaching support, interview support, and more; I could not have asked for a more dedicated course tutor. This enabled me to fulfil my passion as I am now a sixth form teacher of economics at Bromsgrove School, as well as being an A level examiner.
"The opportunities go beyond just teaching however as I have been employed by various practice paper and revision companies to author practice papers and exemplar exam material, which I would not have been able to do without the experience and support from Yvonne on this PGCE course."
Jack Ashington-Carter
Jack Ashington-Carter is embarking on a career in teaching after completing his PGCE Secondary, Business with Economics at the University of the Worcester.
“Last year, there were a few occasions where my wife was very unwell,” he said. “It was somewhat challenging finding the time to finish university work or lesson plans with repeated trips to the Hospital, but I found the time because of how much I enjoy the profession.”
“My long-term plans are to become a Head of Department and continue through a middle-leadership route,” he said. “I chose to study at the University of Worcester because of the phenomenal reputation it has as a teacher training provider, the locality and the programme that had been established to ensure that I could develop into an excellent teacher.”
“I found my time at the University incredibly rewarding. There was a lot of support on hand throughout the PGCE for both academic issues and personal. The Tutors at the University are wonderful and are always willing to listen. The exposure to the classroom prior to placement was very welcome and began to build confidence. The feedback from the first day in the classroom to the final day of PGCE was second to none and had a developmental focus to ensure that we kept pushing ourselves to be the best possible practitioners.”
Fatema Karim
“I feel as though my PGCE really prepared me for this year and I hope to be able to continue to improve as a teacher and go far in the profession,” said the 22-year-old.
“I really enjoyed the visits we used to do at schools as it helped us look at a variety of institutes such as private boarding schools, SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) schools and colleges,” she said. “The visits also helped me understand what type of school I would like to work in. The highlight for me was when we visited a school and were able to run an enterprise day for their Year 7s. It was amazing to see our hard work become a reality.”
“I was involved in a lot outside of my PGCE and all this became hard to juggle,” said Fatema, of Hall Green, Birmingham. “My University tutor alongside my placement schools assisted me throughout the course with this so I could prioritise my PGCE and therefore make it to the end. These skills have continued to help me into my first teaching year and I could not be more grateful or thankful for that.”
“We were also given constant reminders that the University was always there to help whether that be financially or offering mental health support which I think is really important when being a university student.”
Evelin Herbert
“Graduating after a challenging year as a teacher trainee feels uplifting,” said Evelin. “While the course was demanding and I recounted the numerous challenges during the year, I feel extremely proud to have finished and have become a trained teacher. Everyone has been extremely supportive, especially my university tutor, who helped me through everything involving personal matters. I am very thankful for her, and I believe I could not have done my training without the support I received.”
“I found my time to be scarce, but it is definitely possible to finish a teacher training, even with part time jobs or family time.”
"While I had lived in the UK before during my bachelor course, this time I had to make my move from Budapest to Worcester completely all on my own, while being responsible for my dog. The two of us had a lovely journey exploring the city and learning new things.”
Trish Duncan
“The University of Worcester was one of the few universities that offered the chance to train to become a Business Teacher,” said Trish. “And it also came with a great reputation. So, in June 2020 I found myself having an interview to be accepted on the course. Luckily, I got accepted, left my job and started studying like mad so I felt ready for my September start.”
“I was concerned that my hearing impairment would negatively impact my ability to become a teacher, but I was wrong. The University helped me apply for some extra funding that enabled me to get a microphone and loop system that I could use in my classroom to help me hear my pupils better.”
“My business tutor and professional studies tutor were both fantastic,” she said. “I felt very supported at all times and nothing ever felt like too small a problem to discuss. My placements were at Hanley Castle High School and Pershore High School, both of which were fantastic, and I cannot thank them enough for the training and support.”
“Graduating felt amazing – this last year has just flown by – and I’m so proud that at 39 I have started on a new path in my life that I absolutely adore. I have no regrets about changing my career.”
Imogen Youd
Imogen was living in Barcelona playing in Catalonia’s Division 2 basketball league when she decided she wanted to train to become a teacher.
“I decided I wanted to teach Business as I was volunteering in a primary school in Spain and felt very passionate about ensuring every pupil had the same opportunities in education,” said Imogen. “I chose Worcester for my PGCE as I had a previous experience here which I loved and also the reputation for teaching education is top-notch.”
“My time studying was very intense,” she said. “I was already aware that the PGCE would be very full-on but having basketball commitments alongside this, made it so that I had barely any free time at all. Lesson planning took a great deal of time for me, but I enjoyed seeing how I made a difference to pupil lives.”
Imogen is now working at a school in Twickenham and is running the Business Curriculum, alongside playing basketball for Brent Bulls in Division 2 of the national league.
“In the coming years I plan on applying for head of department/head of year roles to capitalise on my managerial experience,” she said. “I am also still playing basketball and enjoying the healthier, work-life balance.”
Alex McDonald
Alex McDonald completed his PGCE in Business with Economics and will shortly take on a role as Head of Department. His feat is all the more remarkable as he combined this with six months helping out as a medical secretary.
“I am certainly proud of myself,” said the 24-year-old, of Cheltenham. “I remember the Course Leader saying in the first week of the PGCE that teaching is like a rollercoaster, and I definitely found the PGCE full-on at times. The end goal is always in the back of your mind, and it therefore makes life much more relaxing when you know you are going to be stood in your own classroom and making a difference to your own students in the not too distant future.”
Alex added: “The PGCE course at the University of Worcester is very highly respected by schools across the country. I thoroughly enjoyed the level of support and guidance given; I would certainly classify it as a personal learning experience. Moreover, the University and I are very much still in contact and I know that if I ever have any concerns that I can ask for support and guidance.”
Owen
"After thoroughly enjoying economics at sixth form and then going on to study economics at University I felt that I wanted to go into teaching Economics myself.
"My passion for solely teaching economics at a sixth form level was something I was concerned about going into a secondary PGCE Business with Economics course. That being said, my passion was immediately recognised and my tutor ensured I had placement schools that had this on offer. Early on I enjoyed the Business with Economics teaching as the variety on offer meant every day was different.
"With an extremely comprehensive teacher training course including group discussions, teaching support, interview support, and more; I could not have asked for a more dedicated course tutor. This enabled me to fulfil my passion as I am now a sixth form teacher of economics at Bromsgrove School, as well as being an A level examiner.
"The opportunities go beyond just teaching however as I have been employed by various practice paper and revision companies to author practice papers and exemplar exam material, which I would not have been able to do without the experience and support from Yvonne on this PGCE course."
Jack Ashington-Carter
Jack Ashington-Carter is embarking on a career in teaching after completing his PGCE Secondary, Business with Economics at the University of the Worcester.
“Last year, there were a few occasions where my wife was very unwell,” he said. “It was somewhat challenging finding the time to finish university work or lesson plans with repeated trips to the Hospital, but I found the time because of how much I enjoy the profession.”
“My long-term plans are to become a Head of Department and continue through a middle-leadership route,” he said. “I chose to study at the University of Worcester because of the phenomenal reputation it has as a teacher training provider, the locality and the programme that had been established to ensure that I could develop into an excellent teacher.”
“I found my time at the University incredibly rewarding. There was a lot of support on hand throughout the PGCE for both academic issues and personal. The Tutors at the University are wonderful and are always willing to listen. The exposure to the classroom prior to placement was very welcome and began to build confidence. The feedback from the first day in the classroom to the final day of PGCE was second to none and had a developmental focus to ensure that we kept pushing ourselves to be the best possible practitioners.”
Fatema Karim
“I feel as though my PGCE really prepared me for this year and I hope to be able to continue to improve as a teacher and go far in the profession,” said the 22-year-old.
“I really enjoyed the visits we used to do at schools as it helped us look at a variety of institutes such as private boarding schools, SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) schools and colleges,” she said. “The visits also helped me understand what type of school I would like to work in. The highlight for me was when we visited a school and were able to run an enterprise day for their Year 7s. It was amazing to see our hard work become a reality.”
“I was involved in a lot outside of my PGCE and all this became hard to juggle,” said Fatema, of Hall Green, Birmingham. “My University tutor alongside my placement schools assisted me throughout the course with this so I could prioritise my PGCE and therefore make it to the end. These skills have continued to help me into my first teaching year and I could not be more grateful or thankful for that.”
“We were also given constant reminders that the University was always there to help whether that be financially or offering mental health support which I think is really important when being a university student.”
Evelin Herbert
“Graduating after a challenging year as a teacher trainee feels uplifting,” said Evelin. “While the course was demanding and I recounted the numerous challenges during the year, I feel extremely proud to have finished and have become a trained teacher. Everyone has been extremely supportive, especially my university tutor, who helped me through everything involving personal matters. I am very thankful for her, and I believe I could not have done my training without the support I received.”
“I found my time to be scarce, but it is definitely possible to finish a teacher training, even with part time jobs or family time.”
"While I had lived in the UK before during my bachelor course, this time I had to make my move from Budapest to Worcester completely all on my own, while being responsible for my dog. The two of us had a lovely journey exploring the city and learning new things.”
Trish Duncan
“The University of Worcester was one of the few universities that offered the chance to train to become a Business Teacher,” said Trish. “And it also came with a great reputation. So, in June 2020 I found myself having an interview to be accepted on the course. Luckily, I got accepted, left my job and started studying like mad so I felt ready for my September start.”
“I was concerned that my hearing impairment would negatively impact my ability to become a teacher, but I was wrong. The University helped me apply for some extra funding that enabled me to get a microphone and loop system that I could use in my classroom to help me hear my pupils better.”
“My business tutor and professional studies tutor were both fantastic,” she said. “I felt very supported at all times and nothing ever felt like too small a problem to discuss. My placements were at Hanley Castle High School and Pershore High School, both of which were fantastic, and I cannot thank them enough for the training and support.”
“Graduating felt amazing – this last year has just flown by – and I’m so proud that at 39 I have started on a new path in my life that I absolutely adore. I have no regrets about changing my career.”
Imogen Youd
Imogen was living in Barcelona playing in Catalonia’s Division 2 basketball league when she decided she wanted to train to become a teacher.
“I decided I wanted to teach Business as I was volunteering in a primary school in Spain and felt very passionate about ensuring every pupil had the same opportunities in education,” said Imogen. “I chose Worcester for my PGCE as I had a previous experience here which I loved and also the reputation for teaching education is top-notch.”
“My time studying was very intense,” she said. “I was already aware that the PGCE would be very full-on but having basketball commitments alongside this, made it so that I had barely any free time at all. Lesson planning took a great deal of time for me, but I enjoyed seeing how I made a difference to pupil lives.”
Imogen is now working at a school in Twickenham and is running the Business Curriculum, alongside playing basketball for Brent Bulls in Division 2 of the national league.
“In the coming years I plan on applying for head of department/head of year roles to capitalise on my managerial experience,” she said. “I am also still playing basketball and enjoying the healthier, work-life balance.”
Alex McDonald
Alex McDonald completed his PGCE in Business with Economics and will shortly take on a role as Head of Department. His feat is all the more remarkable as he combined this with six months helping out as a medical secretary.
“I am certainly proud of myself,” said the 24-year-old, of Cheltenham. “I remember the Course Leader saying in the first week of the PGCE that teaching is like a rollercoaster, and I definitely found the PGCE full-on at times. The end goal is always in the back of your mind, and it therefore makes life much more relaxing when you know you are going to be stood in your own classroom and making a difference to your own students in the not too distant future.”
Alex added: “The PGCE course at the University of Worcester is very highly respected by schools across the country. I thoroughly enjoyed the level of support and guidance given; I would certainly classify it as a personal learning experience. Moreover, the University and I are very much still in contact and I know that if I ever have any concerns that I can ask for support and guidance.”
Owen
"After thoroughly enjoying economics at sixth form and then going on to study economics at University I felt that I wanted to go into teaching Economics myself.
"My passion for solely teaching economics at a sixth form level was something I was concerned about going into a secondary PGCE Business with Economics course. That being said, my passion was immediately recognised and my tutor ensured I had placement schools that had this on offer. Early on I enjoyed the Business with Economics teaching as the variety on offer meant every day was different.
"With an extremely comprehensive teacher training course including group discussions, teaching support, interview support, and more; I could not have asked for a more dedicated course tutor. This enabled me to fulfil my passion as I am now a sixth form teacher of economics at Bromsgrove School, as well as being an A level examiner.
"The opportunities go beyond just teaching however as I have been employed by various practice paper and revision companies to author practice papers and exemplar exam material, which I would not have been able to do without the experience and support from Yvonne on this PGCE course."
Program Outline
What will you study
Our courses are informed by research and current developments in the discipline and feedback from students, external examiners and employers. Modules do therefore change periodically in the interests of keeping the course relevant and reflecting best practice. The most up-to-date information will be available to you once you have accepted a place and registered for the course.
Subject Knowledge with a Deep Understanding |
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Specialist Subject Opportunities |
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Pedagogy |
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Professional Studies |
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Enhancement Activities |
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Your career |
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Register your interest
Enter your details below and we will keep you up to date with useful information about studying at the University of Worcester.
How will you be taught?
Teaching approach
- School experience in a range of settings.
- Professional Studies sessions in school and at University.
- University-led workshops, lectures, seminars, fieldwork and guest lectures.
- Study of key texts and supplementary reading.
- Participation in high level professional discussion, peer presentations and debate.
- Directed studies, case studies and problem solving tasks; development of practice-based competence and skills of critical reflection through guided individual mentoring during placements.
- One-to-one academic and personal tutorial support including access to our first class Firstpoint service
Assessment
- Assignments are carefully designed to develop your skills as a teacher.
- Assessments that move from highly structured to more open briefs as you develop your professional skills.
- The opportunity to develop skills as a research informed practitioner.
Programme specification
For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and the means by which these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment,
please download the latest programme specification document.
- Prepare for leadership and your Masters with 60 credits and a strong research foundation
- Many University of Worcester trainees gain promotion within the first few years of teaching
Careers and Employability
Our Graduates pursue exciting and diverse careers in a wide variety of employment sectors.
Find out how we can support you to achieve your potential.
-
What qualifications will you need?
Entry requirements
Please consult individual subject specialism pages for full details of entry requirements, but most specialisms ask for:
Academic requirements
- Honours degree normally (2:2) or higher from a United Kingdom higher education institution or equivalent qualification, in a relevant subject area. Applicants with a 3rd class degree will be considered on an individual basis.
- All entrants have achieved a standard equivalent to a grade 4 (formerly grade C) in the GCSE examinations in English Language and mathematics
- (for 2022 entry, applicants must have these qualifications by the start of the course). Alternatively, we offer an equivalency test if you don’t have the required GCSE grade to apply for our courses. Trainees who begin courses before providing evidence of the required GCSE standard (or equivalent) will not be eligible for financial incentives, such as bursaries or grants until they achieve the required standard.
Qualifications not listed? Contact the Admissions Office for advice by email:
Additional requirements
- An Enhanced DBS check. You will be sent details of how to apply for your DBS in the summer term. You will need to pay for this. You may already be part of the DBS update service . As part of the DBS process, you will be checked against the Children’s Barred List.
- A check against the Prohibition List.
- If you have lived, studied or worked overseas for three months or more in the last five years a Certificate of Good Conduct from the country of residence will be required. Further information and guidance associated with additional costs are available from the Home Office .
- An online occupational health check. All those on a teacher training programme must be certified as meeting national requirements for physical and mental fitness to teach, as set by the Department for Education.
- International students: IELTS 6.5 or equivalent
Other information
To help you prepare for your interview you can expect questions covering the following:
- the subject knowledge required for teaching the subject curriculum in school
- your ability to critically reflect on your prior experiences in relation to your future development as a teacher
- your understanding of the UK education system and the wider role of a teacher
- how you have overcome challenges in your life and shown resilience
- how you plan to meet the academic and teaching demands of the course.
In addition, we are looking for enthusiasm, commitment, and potential. Clear verbal and written communication skills are integral to this which you will have an opportunity to demonstrate throughout the interview.
- School experience is desirable, but not essential.
- Interviews will be conducted online. Applicants will be contacted directly with more details.
All applications for PGCE Secondary should be made via the
Government's Find Postgraduate Teacher Training website
.Additional useful information is available on the
Government's Get Into Teaching website
.