Program Overview

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Postgraduate Certificate in Education (Physics) PGCE

Key Information

Study mode: Full time

Duration: 37 weeks full-time, September to end of June

Credit value (UK/ECTS equivalent): UK 120 / ECTS 60 credits

Application status: Open

Start date: September 2025

Course Essentials

The PGCE Physics is a full-time course that consists of four required modules and two blocks of teaching experience based in secondary schools within London and Greater London. You will complete the course within ten months, studying September to June. You must take modules totalling 120 credits to meet the requirements of the qualification. You’ll engage in education, pedagogy and professional studies sessions and curriculum workshops. These will take place in both university and school settings and will develop your expertise in general educational and professional issues, as well as subject pedagogy. You’ll gain the skills and understanding to take up positions in schools as a teacher of your subject with the potential to contribute fully to the life of the school. The course carries the Accreditation of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Base Campus

Waterloo Campus is home of the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery and facilities for other faculties. Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the modules you study.

Regulating Bodies

King's is regulated by the Office for Students.

Entry Requirements

UK Applicants

• Standard requirements: A minimum 2:2 undergraduate Bachelor’s (honours) degree.
• Programme-Specific Requirements:
  • Bachelor's degree with at least 2:2 honours (or overseas equivalent) usually in the subject you wish to teach.
  • Knowledge and understanding of the subject you intend to teach.
  • GCSE grade C or above (or an equivalent qualification) in English language and mathematics. Applicants without these English or mathematics qualifications at the time they apply may be considered, but they must obtain them, or pass an equivalent test approved by King's, before the course starts.

International Applicants

• Equivalent International qualifications: Select a country to view the equivalent qualifications.
• English language requirements: English language band B. To study at King's, it is essential that you can communicate in English effectively in an academic environment. You are usually required to provide certification of your competence in English before starting your studies.

Selection Process

• All applications should be made through DfE Apply, the Department of Education’s Teacher Training application portal.
• Before you can be offered a place on a PGCE programme, you will need to attend an online or in-person interview, usually within 40 days of your application submission date.
• An Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (criminal conviction check) and Occupational Health check are required for the teacher training programmes.

Personal Statement and Supporting Information

• When you apply, you will be asked to give us details of your educational background and to provide a personal statement.
• We will be looking for evidence that your subject knowledge is both broad and deep as well as being up to date.
• Some evidence of working with young people, as a Teaching Assistant, Student Ambassador, youth worker, etc. will help your application.

Teaching and Structure

• Teaching methods: Seminars, Self-Study, Academic sessions, One-to-one tutorials, Teaching placement.
• Location: Lectures and seminars are primarily taught at the King’s College London Waterloo Campus.
• Students undertake teaching placements in secondary schools. Whilst every effort is made to place PGCE trainees in local schools, due to the changing nature of initial teacher education and limited availability of placements in certain subject areas, trainees should be prepared to travel to their placement schools throughout the Greater London Area and beyond.

Assessment

• The 45-credit honours-level module will be assessed by a combination of written (online) portfolio documents and continuous assessment of your teaching practice benchmarked to the DfE's Core Content Framework.
• The 30-credit master’s-level modules will each be assessed by a written assignment heavily based on in-school research that trainees undertake.
• The 15-credit honours-level module will be assessed by an assignment focusing on data collection methods in the school environment.

Structure

Required Modules

• Professional Practice in Education (45 credits)
• School Data (15 credits)
• Studying Policy & Professional Practice (30 credits)
• Focused Pedagogical Studies (30 credits)

Employability

• The majority of trainees go into teaching or other areas of education; many become heads of departments or members of senior management teams; some take up careers in educational administration in the advisory or inspection services.

Tuition Fees

UK

• Full time: £9,535 per year (2025/26)

International

• Full time: £25,500 per year (2025/26)

Additional Costs

• Books if you choose to buy your own copies.
• Clothing for optional course-related events and competitions.
• Course packs, which are a vital part of your learning at King’s and normally contain extracts from books and other useful documents that will inform your study.
• Library fees and fines.
• Personal photocopies.
• Printing course handouts.
• Society membership fees.
• Stationery.
• Travel costs for travel around London and between campuses.
• Travel expenses in getting to and from placement schools.
• Three-day residential field trip to Juniper Hall.
• Graduation costs.