PGCE Secondary English with QTS (11-16)

Program Overview

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PGCE - Secondary English with QTS (11-16)

Inspire the next generation by sharing your passion for literature with young people. In this specialised PGCE pathway, you can instil a love of English and creative writing within the children you teach.

Course Overview

Grounded in the learning of our acclaimed PGCE Secondary programme, this English pathway allows you to develop the skills to teach in the secondary school setting, delivering engaging English lessons. This unique specialism gives you the opportunity to inspire a love of literature along with nurturing imagination and creative expression in the children you teach.

You’ll learn through a blend of theory and hands-on experience, working within the National Curriculum Framework. You'll explore the key concepts and themes of the PGCE curriculum, confidently devising and delivering engaging lessons to children and young people, aged 11-16 years old.

Over half the course will be spent working in the classroom on assessed placement, with school-based enrichment activities alongside your university-based study. You'll take two placements across a variety of schools and settings, building a wealth of experience to help advance your future career.

On this course you will...

• Inspire young people to explore the literary world.
• Benefit from high-quality support from our academics and staff on a programme designed around you.
• Learn from an experienced, highly qualified programme team, working at the forefront of the academic field.
• Enjoy the intimate feel of our course delivery, with small class sizes and your own personal tutor.

Key Details

• Recruiting to: UK / RoI / Settled in UK, EU / EEA / International
• Course Location: Lancaster or School Based
• Institute: Institute of Education, Arts and Society
• DFE Code: QX31
• Delivery Style: In-person
• Course Duration: Full-time: 1 Year
• Course Start Point: September
• Award: PGCE

Minimum entry requirements

• A satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) background clearance check and Occupational Health check prior to starting the course.
• A satisfactory academic (University) reference, or, a satisfactory professional reference if it is more than 3 years since academic study

What we're looking for

• Motivated applicants with the potential to work at a Masters level.
• Evidence of commitment and appropriate professional values.
• A strong personal statement conveying an enthusiasm for the subject, for working with young people and for teaching and learning.
• Graduates with a 2:2 or above degree classification.
• Aspiring teachers who can bring their passion for English to the classroom setting.

Fees & Funding

Tuition Fees

• £9,535 - UK
• £14,900 - International

PGCE Alumni Scholarship

Scholarship fund worth up to £2,000

We're offering a PGCE Alumni Scholarship worth up to £2,000 to alumni of University of Cumbria. Find out more on our Scholarships and Bursaries webpages.

International Finance

At the University of Cumbria, we offer affordable tuition fees for international and EU students looking to study at one of our main four campuses. No matter your choice of course or career path, our International Team is here to support you.

Funding

We have a wide range of scholarships, bursaries, grants and funds available to support you throughout your studies with us.

As when you study for an undergraduate degree, on a PGCE programme most applicants are eligible for student finance support provided by the UK government. This support includes a loan which covers all of your tuition fee, as well as a maintenance loan, which takes into account your personal situation to provide the support you need to live comfortably whilst on your course.

If you train to teach in a shortage subject - Chemistry, Computing, Maths or Physics - you could be eligible for up to £28,000 over the course of your training period. Specialising in Languages, Geography, or Biology could entitle you to £25,000, and English, Music, and Art and Design provides around £10, 000 in tax-free bursary.

In Languages and Physics, trainees starting courses in the academic year 2024/25 will not need to be eligible for student finance to be eligible for a bursary or scholarship. In all other subjects, trainees are only eligible for a bursary or scholarship if they are entitled to support under the student finance criteria.

Scholarships also come with a range of additional benefits, including membership to a relevant professional body, subject specialist events and webinars, subject specialist mentors and coaching, access to classroom resources and subject specialist networks, and continuing professional development (CPD) and networking events during your ITT year.

Course Structure

What you will learn

Our course ensures that you learn all the skills you need for effective teaching, from the basics of structuring and planning lessons to developing personal skills and confidence. Our school-based programme is delivered through dedicated sessions with trainees and school mentors, and allows you to learn from working alongside experienced school colleagues. Working with individual groups of pupils in school, you will gradually build up to teach whole classes. You will learn how to organise practical work and also carry out many of the practical activities that are common in schools.

Modules

There are two distinct phases to teaching on this course; September-December and January-June. In the September-December phase, you will develop your understanding and implementation of key teaching strategies. During this phase you will take your first teaching steps by working with individual groups of pupils in school, gradually building up to the teaching of whole classes. The key focus in this initial phase is that of helping students to understand the needs of individual learners. In the January-June phase, you will hone your whole-class teaching experience, fostering achievement and a love of learning in students, in correspondence to the requirements of the Teachers’ Standards.

Year one

• PGSC7011 Investigating Teaching and Learning in English
• PGSC7012 Investigating Teaching and Learning Across and Beyond the School Curriculum
• PGSC9011 Developing Professional Skills, Knowledge and Practice

Teaching & Assessment

How you will learn

As a student at the University of Cumbria, you are part of an inclusive learning community that recognises diversity. You will have opportunities to learn by interacting with others in a collegiate, facilitative and dynamic learning environment. Teaching, assessment and student support will allow equal and equitable opportunities for you to optimise your potential and develop autonomy. We seek to create a stimulating and innovative community of learning, whether encountered on campus or at a distance, on placement or in the workplace. Facilitated by our expert practitioner staff, you will experience a learning environment that is well equipped, flexible, and stimulating.

THE SECONDARY PGCE CURRICULUM OVERVIEW.

During your studies, you will follow our Secondary PGCE Curriculum. The curriculum has 6 themes:

• Behaviour
• Curriculum
• Pedagogy
• Assessment
• Professional Behaviours
• Challenging Disadvantage.

The first 5 themes are informed by and align with the 5 themes of the Core Content Framework (CCF), a Department for Education (DfE) publication outlining the minimum entitlement that you can expect from your Initial Teacher Education (ITE) course. These 5 themes are linked to the 8 Teachers’ Standards that you must meet by the end of your course.

How you will be assessed

Assessment loosely follows two forms; summative and formative. ‘Summative Assessment’, involves making some sort of judgement on your work that is recorded, such as essay writing. 'Formative assessment', is carefully crafted feedback that does not count towards your final grade but helps you develop your professional learning.

Progression

The programme also recognises that gaining a PGCE and achieving QTS is not the end of your professional learning journey. It is with this in mind that the contributory modules have been planned to allow you to undertake a seamless transition to a University of Cumbria MA in education. The learning outcomes of the modules have been mapped to the learning outcomes of the MA and the credits that you accrue on the PGCE are recognised as part of the MA.

Additional Costs

There will be some additional costs. For example all students will need to purchase stationery and may wish to purchase some text books. Extra costs may also be applicable to cover field trips, membership fees etc. although such features are usually options within the course.

• Books are reviewed annually and are therefore subject to change, course welcome information will provide you with an indicative list for the year.
• Most core text books are available via the University's library, however students may wish to buy copies of any texts used to support your learning on your course. This could cost between £50 - £100 per year.
• Students should budget for stationery and consumables for your own personal use. This should include notebooks, pens and pencils for taking notes in class and/or in the field. Students should also budget for the purchase of USB pen drives, as well as occasional printing and photocopying costs incurred in the preparation or submission of coursework. Whilst you will choose how much you need, expect to pay around £30 - £40 per year for these items.
• Students may wish to have their own computer or laptop for undertaking their assignments. This is not however a requirement for access to the programme as the University does make such facilities available across all of its main sites and learning gateway buildings. Should students wish to purchase a computer then an entry-level laptop would suffice, £300 - 400.
• Placement will require sensible, professional clothing and footwear as appropriate to the setting.
• Students will need to fund their own transport to their placement. There is the possibility that a university arranged placement will require travelling time, and any expenses incurred are to be met by the student. Therefore, the student should budget for these travel costs.