Course Overview

The aim of this course is that you should become a reflective practitioner – a teacher who thinks about their experiences and learns from them to improve their practice. During the period, you will study two academic modules designed to help you engage critically with theory and put this into practice.

Our PGCE Social Science is aimed at trainees wishing to mainly teach the 14-19 curriculum in one or more of the social sciences in secondary schools and post-16 colleges. You will be allowed to study and introduce areas of the Social Sciences (Psychology, Sociology, Politics, Law, Health and Social Care, Citizenship, Criminology, and PSHE) at Key Stages 4 and 5. You may gain experience teaching the humanities (RE, Geography, and History) subjects at Key Stages 3 and 4. Social Science subjects are trendy at GCSE, A level, IB, BTEC, and other vocational courses.

You will consider the broader aspects of teaching, contexts for learning, the latest government initiatives, and contemporary issues in teaching, learning, and assessment. You will also work alongside trainee teachers of other subjects to consider cross-curricular aspects of education. These topics will introduce you to your career in the teaching profession.

Throughout your year of study, you will explore all aspects of your subject. This includes those areas that are your strengths and areas you may need to improve upon. You will study how pupils learn in your subject area, how you need to assess them, and how to keep abreast of new developments within your subject. You will learn how to plan and deliver topics that meaningfully include all types of learners.

You will spend two-thirds of the year in partner schools and other educational settings gaining rich and varied experiences designed to support meeting the minimum requirements for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Working with peers, tutors, and school-based colleagues, you will develop your abilities to promote effective learning among 14-19-year-olds. You will also have opportunities to gain experience in the critical stages before and after which you qualify.

This course is demanding and stimulating. We aim for you to be prepared to take responsibility for your learning, be open to creative and innovative ideas, and be competent, reflective practitioners in your training year and beyond. Success on the course means you will have completed a postgraduate (with 60 credits at Master's level) or professional graduate qualification, have met the minimum requirements to be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status, and will be fully prepared to start the next year as an Early Career Teacher.

This Secondary PGCE course is available through both Core and School Direct routes.

General Eligibility

For all PGCE Secondary specialisms, you will generally need the following:

• GCSEs at grade 4 (previously C) or above (or equivalent) in English Language and Mathematics. Please see our list of accepted equivalents.

• A relevant honors degree at a 2:2 classification or above. (Where the degree result is to be awarded in the year of application, we will require a predicted degree classification as part of an academic reference provided on the application)

Part Time Work Details

20 hours of work permit weekly for international students.

Language Requirement

• N/A