Program Overview

PGCE Secondary Computing with QTS

The Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in Secondary Computing with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) is a one-year program designed to prepare students to teach the secondary school computing curriculum for the 11-16 age range.

Course Overview

This program explores how to teach children computing and digital skills through hands-on activities such as programming and practical projects. The sessions include looking at recent pedagogy and learning how to teach the theoretical aspects of the subject, including binary conversions, algorithms, data structures, and networks.

Features and Benefits

• Employability: Students will have the knowledge, skills, and experience to teach computing at Key Stage 3, GCSE, and potentially A/AS-level.
• Teaching Experience: Students will spend at least the minimum Department for Education (DfE) required time (approximately 120 days) on placement, gaining experience in mainstream secondary schools.
• Postgraduate Credits: When students graduate, they will achieve 60 masters-level credits, which can be put towards further study and career development.
• Partnerships: The university has partnerships with over 500 schools, colleges, and educational organizations, providing students with a range of school experiences.
• Research-led Teaching: Many of the staff are active researchers in education, and their research influences the programs.

Year 1

The core modules include:

• Subject Pedagogy: Develops students as student teachers, enabling them to reconceptualize their knowledge and understanding of their subject and apply this to planning, preparation, and classroom teaching.
• Secondary Professional Studies: Explores current and critical issues, educational theory, and research connected to practice in schools, developing reflective practice and professional development.
• Professional Development and Employability (Secondary Education): Supports and challenges students to reflect upon and develop their professional practice and teacher identity.
• Placement A (Secondary PGCE) and Placement B (Secondary PGCE): Provide contexts in which students can put into practice their own learning, reflect on their actions, evaluate their role in relation to pupils’ learning, and review their performance in supporting teaching and learning.

Study and Assessment

• Full-time: 21% lectures, seminars, or similar; 67% placement; 12% independent study.
• Full-time: 50% coursework; 50% practical; 0% examination.

Entry Requirements

• Degree: A minimum of a 2:2 undergraduate honors degree awarded by a UK university, or an equivalent higher education qualification.
• GCSE: Grade C/4 or above in English language and mathematics.
• Other Requirements: Appropriate post-16 qualifications, an ability to communicate effectively in spoken and written English, excellent interpersonal skills, and an informed and realistic understanding of the complexities and challenges of teaching in a secondary school.

Fees and Funding

Tuition fees for the 2026/27 academic year are still being finalized. Information on 2025/26 standard undergraduate fees for UK/Channel Islands and EU/Non-EU international students is available.

Careers Support and Prospects

• Employed or in Further Study: 93.7% of UK-domiciled, full-time, postgraduate taught graduates are employed or in further study 15 months after graduation.
• Explore Your Options and Build Sought-After Skills: Through the Careers Service, students are supported and encouraged to get ready for what comes next, whether that’s continuing their studies or pursuing their work ambitions.

Additional Information

• Fitness to Teach: Students will be required to complete an Occupational Health Assessment to ensure that they are fit to teach before they are able to enroll on the course.
• Professional Suitability: Students on programs leading to professional qualifications are required to adhere to professional standards and codes of practice during their studies.
• Course Specific Regulations: Professional, Statutory, and Regulatory Bodies require students to achieve results that demonstrate their ability to practice safely.