Program Overview

PGCE Secondary Religious Education with QTS

The PGCE Secondary Religious Education with QTS is a one-year full-time program designed to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and experience to teach religious education at Key Stage 3, GCSE, and potentially A/AS-level.

Course Overview

The program explores all aspects of religious education, including different faiths, philosophy, and ethics. Students will develop their subject knowledge and consider how to approach teaching topics in the classroom. The program also covers broader issues such as human rights and peace and conflict.

Features and Benefits

• Employability: Students will gain the knowledge, skills, and experience to teach religious education at Key Stage 3, GCSE, and potentially A/AS-level.
• Teaching Experience: Students will spend at least 120 days on placement in mainstream secondary schools, gaining experience in teaching and learning.
• Postgraduate Credits: Students 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 units studied in Year 1 include:

• Subject Pedagogy: This module develops students as student teachers, enabling them to reconceptualize their knowledge and understanding of their subject and apply it to planning, preparation, and classroom teaching.
• Secondary Professional Studies: This module explores current and critical issues, educational theory, and research connected to practice in schools.
• Professional Development and Employability (Secondary Education): This module supports and challenges students to reflect upon and develop their professional practice and teacher identity.
• Placement A (Secondary PGCE): This practice credit module enables student teachers to demonstrate their progress toward meeting the Standards for Qualified Teacher Status.
• Placement B (Secondary PGCE): This practice credit module provides contexts in which students can put into practice their own learning, reflect on their actions, and evaluate their role in relation to pupils' 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: GCSE at 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. For the 2025/26 academic year, standard undergraduate fees for UK/Channel Islands and EU/Non-EU international students are 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.

Taught by Experts

The PGCE Secondary Religious Education with QTS is part of the School of Education at Manchester Met. The school is committed to providing high-quality education and research, and the staff are experts in their field.

Placements

The university has partnerships with over 500 schools, colleges, and educational organizations, providing students with a range of school experiences. Students will go on at least two placements in different secondary schools or colleges, spending at least 120 days on placement.

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.