Primary Qualified Teacher Status and PGCE

September 2024 arrangements: the university has been accredited to deliver the Qualified Teacher Status course by the UK government.

When asked, 98% of students felt that the course had made them a better teacher.

The Primary Post Graduate Certificate in Education with QTS is the accreditation that enables teachers to teach in state-maintained and special schools in England.

If you work in a prep school you should normally apply for the Prep PGCE with QTS.

This course is available to teachers who are currently employed in maintained or independent schools in England. Trainees are expected to undertake a teaching placement in a contrasting second school. The duration of this placement is determined upon interview but is usually for 30 solo teaching hours over a minimum period of three weeks (15 days).

This course is also available to Teaching Assistants with a degree who wish to qualify as teachers.

It is available for only £600 if you take the Apprenticeship QTS/PGCE course instead.

We train teachers from Special Schools as well as SEND teachers in all schools. If you teach children a curriculum which is normally accessed by older children (e.g., you teach pupils aged 11-14 a Key Stage 2 curriculum) you will need to do a second school placement in a mainstream school where you can teach an age-appropriate curriculum.

“Trainees find the programme both demanding and rewarding. They praise the pastoral support offered and describe leaders as open, responsive, and flexible. Trainees like the predominantly school-based design of the training and take pride in the academic rigour underpinning it. Trainees show commitment to course reading, reflecting carefully about the impact of research on their teaching. The dovetailing of theory and practice deepens their understanding of why certain strategies in teaching work, rather than just learning a random repertoire of techniques which teachers use.” Ofsted, 2022

2024/2025 Residentials draft dates

Residential 1: Monday 21 October 2024, Tuesday 22 October

Residential 2: Monday 10 February 2025, Tuesday 11 February

Residential 3: Tuesday 27 May, Wednesday 28 May

You must be employed as a teacher in an independent or state-maintained primary school in England and be teaching the core subjects (English, maths and science) for a minimum of 50% of a full timetable. General primary trainees must be teaching the three core subjects across two consecutive Key Stages and for the subject specific course trainees’ teaching time should be split 50:50 between the core subjects and their chosen specific subject.

Every year, some of our applicants arrange to work in a primary school for the specific purpose of gaining this training, others have worked in the school for a year or more already.

You will be expected to have the following qualifications:

• UK degree. For equivalent qualifications, contact education@buckingham.ac.uk to confirm that your qualification meets the University entry requirements
• GCSE in English Language, Maths and Science at grade 4 or above or equivalent. For equivalent qualifications, contact education@buckingham.ac.uk to confirm that your qualification meets the University entry requirements.

In addition, you must:

• Attend an interview
• Demonstrate competence in literacy and numeracy
• Provide a reference from your headteacher supporting your application to undertake a PGCE
• Obtain the commitment from your school to release you for the second school placement and to provide a suitable mentor
• Provide a satisfactory criminal record check and show the physical and mental fitness to teach.

The employing school must be able to fully support a candidate through the course, enabling them to demonstrate all of the Teachers’ Standards across the full age and ability range of training, and cannot be graded as inadequate.

The Primary curriculum is informed by the Core Content Framework (CCF); trainees will gain experience in both core and foundation curriculum subjects, in order to give you the confidence, tools and knowledge to be a fully informed and evidence-based practice teacher in a school.

Our Primary PGCE with QTS programme will enable you to start teaching and build your confidence in the classroom. It will support you as you develop your identity as a teacher and help you to find and refine your own teaching style.

Trainees will be teaching for a minimum of 13 hours per week across the core subjects English (inc. phonics) Maths and Science and will evidence teaching across the year of all foundation subjects (Art and Design, Computing, Design Technology, History, Geography, Languages (MFL), Music, Physical Education, Relationships, Sex and Health education (RSE), Religious Education (RE). Teaching time will increase to 80% of the timetable in the final term. If you are teaching in reception, you will be following the early years curriculum framework.

You will cover five key topics using Intensive Training and Practice. As a part of this you will be required to attend a live but online talk on twenty Thursdays 8.30am to 9.30am.

General primary trainees must be teaching all subjects across two consecutive Key Stages: Early Years, Key Stage 1, Lower Key Stage 2, Upper Key Stage 2.

On our PGCE programme, all teachers are encouraged to be inclusive practitioners for example to know about SEND and ways of promoting and maintaining good behaviour with an awareness of the importance of emotional regulation. We want to help you develop your confidence and resilience in order to be able to assuredly teach different Key Stages and across different age ranges.

“The course introduced me to teaching techniques and classroom strategies that I was able to implement immediately.”

Patrick Shacklady, PGCE

The Primary PGCE with QTS Course is available via two routes – General Primary or Subject Specialism Primary. It is a 37-week school-based course during which time trainees work under the guidance of a mentor and receive weekly tutorials to review progress and set targets. Trainees who choose the Primary PGCE Subject specialism route can specialise in any primary subject. You complete the course alongside the rest of the cohort and are expected to engage in the same course documentation such as the PDPs, readings and lesson observations. You will observe expert colleagues in your particular subject areas. You need to teach a minimum of 6 hours core subjects, 6 hours specialism. The remainder of the minimum 13 weekly hours should be made up of foundation subjects, all of which will need to be taught across the year. You must teach and be observed in all foundation subjects (as for all primary QTS cohorts). Essays may be approached from their specialist subject perspective. Second School Placement teaching remains the same as the General Primary PGCE cohort. However, you could teach a higher weighted timetable in their chosen specialist subject.

There are seven days of residential training and two days of online learning, supplemented by a weekly programme on the University’s online resources.

You need to be available to attend residential courses.

Each trainee is assigned a University tutor who visits once per term to assess their progress and guide their development. Trainees are assessed against the Standards by both their mentor and their tutor.  There are three essays to complete, carrying a total value of 60 Level 7 (Master’s) credits.

For teachers undertaking their first year of teaching we highly recommend your participation in our Ab Initio course as an addition to the PGCE. This will provide you with some basic knowledge and skills to start teaching.

“The vast range of support in place ensures you grow throughout the course.”

Philip Pitcher, PGCE

The University reserves the right to increase course fees annually in line with inflation linked to the Retail Price Index (RPI). If the University intends to increase your course fees it will notify you via email of this as soon as reasonably practicable.

Course fees do not include additional costs such as books, equipment, writing up fees and other ancillary charges. Where applicable, these additional costs will be made clear.

Applicants must also pay a £300 non-refundable Registration Fee.

Fees are invoiced at the beginning of the course.  Instalments can be arranged directly with the Finance department upon receipt of the invoice.

IAPS members are eligible for a reduced fee

Please select ‘IAPS’ on the partnership section of the application form. For further details please get in touch using the contact details above.

Bursary funding

If you need financial assistance for a course, please contact Shonali Mathur at: pgce-support@buckingham.ac.uk. You will be asked to fill in a means-test form.

Please use the ‘Apply’ button at the bottom of this page.

For further information contact the Faculty of Education on +44 (0)1280 820222 or email: education@buckingham.ac.uk.

Before we can accept you, you will need to supply:

• copy of your degree certificate
• copy of your English, Maths and Science GCSE (or equivalent) certificates
• copy of passport photo page (and visa/work permit where necessary)
• head and shoulder style photo for your University identity card

Closing date for applications: 28 June 2024.

It can take at least 6 weeks to process applications. Please do not leave applying until the last minute.