September 2024 arrangements: the university has been accredited to deliver the Qualified Teacher Status course by the UK government.
This will follow the existing Core Content Framework syllabus and involve 20 days of training for beginning teachers.
When asked, 99% of students (who graduated from their Secondary PGCE in June 2022) either agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “I am confident that I am prepared to meet the demands of my next years in teaching”.
The Secondary Postgraduate 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 do the Prep PGCE with QTS course.
This course is available to teachers who are currently employed in maintained or independent schools in England. You will be expected to undertake a teaching placement in a contrasting school. The duration of this placement is determined upon interview but is usually for 30-hours over a minimum period of three weeks (15 days).
This course is also available to Teaching Assistants who wish to qualify as teachers.
It is available for only £500 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.
“I feel that I have become a better teacher as a result of this training, especially thinking intentionally and consciously about pedagogy and educational theory and being encouraged to apply it to my practice. Thank you!”
“Leaders have developed an ambitious, coherent and challenging ITE curriculum. Based around five curriculum themes, the well-structured course is informed by the core content framework and underpinned by a wealth of pertinent academic research. Together, heads of cohort, subject leads and mentors ensure that trainees foster a deep subject knowledge and rich range of pedagogical skills. Trainees typically become very well-informed and highly reflective practitioners.” Ofsted, 2021
What is the point of doing a PGCE if I am already working in a school?
- A doctor does not simply learn to recognise symptoms and the best-known response to those symptoms. He/she knows the deeper causes of each illness and the way such an illness might impact different people. In the same way, a teacher should know the deeper theoretical background to different teaching strategies, something which will enable them to teach with professional confidence. To achieve this, they need to read and evaluate recent research and texts.
- Although part of a teacher’s ability depends on their subject knowledge and force of personality, there are specific skills (the ‘craft of the classroom’) which need to be grasped if they are to be truly effective. All teachers, for example, need to know about pupils with special needs. All need to know about the most effective ways of maintaining good behaviour. All should know about the best ways of ensuring pupils capture what you are teaching them in their long-term memories.
- Having taken the trouble to gain this qualification will show your employer and future employers that you are a serious, professional employee.
- The PGCE with QTS will enable you to apply for jobs at the many schools that require teachers to have qualified teacher status.
- The PGCE at The University of Buckingham is a Level 7 course and is therefore designed to be intellectually stimulating. It leads on to an MA for those who wish to take that more advanced qualification.
“The course introduced me to teaching techniques and classroom strategies that I was able to implement immediately.”
Patrick Shacklady, PGCE
2023/2024 Residentials
PE only Residential: Monday 23 October 2023, Tuesday 24 October 2023, Wednesday 25 October 2023
Secondary & PREP (non PE) Residential: Wednesday 25 October 2023 (Subject day), Thursday 26 October 2023, Friday 27 October 2023
PE only Residential 2: Monday 19 February 2024, Tuesday 20 February 2024
Secondary & PREP (non PE) Residential 2: Wednesday 21 February 2024 (Subject day), Thursday 22 February 2024
PE only Residential 3: Tuesday 28 May 2024, Wednesday 29 May 2024
Secondary & PREP (non PE) Residential 3: Wednesday 29 May 2024 (Subject Day), Thursday 30 May 2024
You must be employed as a teacher in a secondary independent or state school and be teaching your subject for a minimum of twelve hours across two consecutive Key Stages.
Every year some of our applicants have arranged to work in a school for the specific purpose of gaining this training, others have worked in the school for a year or two, some for longer than that.
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 at grade C/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:
- Demonstrate competence in literacy and numeracy.
- Attend an interview.
- 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 PGCE is a 37-week school-based course during which time you will work under the guidance of a mentor and receive weekly tutorials to review your progress and to set targets.
There are seven days of residential training and two days of online learning which include subject-specific content. Trainees will participate in lectures, workshops, seminars and discussion groups led by experts in their field. The course encourages reflective practice, focusing on the subjects being taught, the craft of the classroom and the underpinning educational values of the teacher.
You need to be available to attend residential courses on 25-27 October 2023, 21-22 February 2024, 29-30 May 2024.
You will also be assigned a University tutor who will visit you once per term to assess your progress and guide your development. You will be assessed against the Teaching Standards and Core Curriculum Framework, which is embedded in the PGCE curriculum, by both your mentor and your tutor. The Buckingham tutor and the school mentor will jointly assess the student’s competence as a teacher during and at the end of the course. There are three essays to complete, carrying a total value of 60 Level 7 (Master’s) credits. If successful, trainees will be qualified to teach in both independent and maintained schools in England.
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.
Your subject specialism
Different school subjects demand different teaching methods and resources, so part of the course will be taught by a subject specialist. We can teach all school subjects including Art, Music, Design Technology, Food Technology, Business Studies & Economics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Computing, English, Drama, Classics, Modern Languages, Arabic, Geography, History, Politics, Citizenship and PSHE, Religious Studies, Psychology, PE and Mandarin.
“The vast range of support in place ensures you grow throughout the course.”
The fees for this course will be confirmed in due course.
Applicants must also pay a £275 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.