Program Overview

Overview

The Secondary Science with Physics PGCE with QTS is a one-year postgraduate certificate in secondary education. This course is designed for individuals who have an undergraduate degree and are striving to become secondary school Physics teachers. The program aims to develop subject specialist knowledge alongside hands-on classroom experience.

Key Information

• Entry Requirements:
  • An Honours degree in Science (2:2 or above).
  • A Level Physics at a minimum grade C or above in Physics.
  • Applicants with relevant industry experience may be considered without A level requirement on an individual basis.
  • GCSE English and Maths at grade 4 or above (or grade C or above if awarded under the previous GCSE grading scheme) or equivalent.
  • If your first language is not English, you will need IELTS 7.0 overall, with no element less than 6.5.
  • If all or part of your qualifications are from outside the UK, we’ll need a UK ENIC statement of comparability.
• Application to the PGCE via Subject Knowledge Enhancement Programme:
  • If your degree qualification does not meet our normal entrance requirements, a place may be offered conditionally on the successful completion of a Subject Knowledge Enhancement programme (SKE).
• Other Requirements:
  • You must demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively, and that you have the intellectual and academic potential to meet the required Teachers’ Standards by the end of the programme.
  • You should provide two references. Where applicants have current or recent experience working with children or young people, one of the referees should be a member of staff who can comment on their potential to train to teach.
  • Offers are subject to satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced disclosure checks and applicants must not previously have been barred from teaching or working with children. We also ask you to complete a health declaration to ensure that you have the health and physical capacity to teach.

Course Detail

• Modules:
  • Teaching and Assessment
  • Teaching Excellence
  • Developing Specialist Subject Knowledge
  • Pedagogies for Support Learning and Progress in the Secondary School
  • Professional Values and Practice in Secondary Education 1, 2, and 3
• Course Structure:
  • The course is divided into two main themes: Initial Professional Development and Physics Specialist Subject Pedagogy.
  • Initial Professional Development: You’ll have the opportunity to explore creative ways to interpret your knowledge into a language a child can understand. We help prepare you for the classroom, allowing you to develop your own thinking, teaching, and subject knowledge base to a level which you can trial in your placements.
  • Physics Specialist Subject Pedagogy: Subject sessions provide you with an understanding of subject pedagogy in physics and generic science sessions offer you the opportunity to explore a wide range of issues such as 'practical aspects of science', assessment of science, and literacy in science as well as the more practical considerations whilst teaching this subject.

Placements

• During your time on the course, you will be required to complete 120 days of compulsory placements across at least two of our partner schools.
• Our network of partner schools spans Kirklees, Calderdale, Oldham, Manchester, Rochdale, Wakefield, Barnsley, and Bradford, offering a diverse range of educational settings.

Fees and Finance

• Tuition Fees - Full-time:
  • The maximum fees we will charge for UK based students on undergraduate courses in 2025/26 will be £9,535 per year for full-time students (subject to parliamentary approval).
• Additional Costs:
  • Your placements could be based in areas some distance from your point of study, so please be aware of potential associated travelling costs.
  • A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is required to enable you to undertake placements in settings with children. We arrange this as part of the application process. Please note that there may be a charge for the DBS check.
• Scholarships and Bursaries:
  • The Department for Education provides financial support for trainee teachers on some secondary subjects, either as a bursary or scholarship. The eligibility requirements for financial support vary depending on your individual circumstances and the amount you can expect to receive will depend on the subject you choose to teach and your degree classification and relevant academic qualifications.

Career Support

• Upon successful completion of the programme, we recommend Qualified Teaching Status be awarded by the Department for Education.
• Previous graduates from courses in this subject area have gone on to work in a variety of roles such as a Secondary School Teacher, Community Education Officer, Learning Mentor, Education Consultant, Family Support Worker, and Education Mental Health Practitioner.