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Primary Education with QTS PGCE

GOV.UK code: 2PPM

Master creative and engaging approaches to teaching 5-11 year olds. Joining us, you’ll achieve recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status on our PGCE in primary education. We’ll help you hone your academic skills and nurture your professional development too.

Overview

Course length: 1 year full-time
Start dates: September 2024
September 2025
Location: Edge Hill University
or Holy Cross College and University Centre (Bury)
Subject(s): Education and Teaching
Faculty: Education
Department: Primary and Childhood Education

Successful completion of the programme leads to recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Inspire young minds and ignite their love for learning through three professional placements. You’ll be guided by school-based mentors and Edge Hill tutors who will check you’re making good progress throughout your teacher training.

With support from tutors and school professionals, you’ll sharpen your professional subject knowledge for teaching the primary national curriculum. You’ll discover creative approaches to teaching all primary school subjects. We’ll encourage you to think of inventive and creative ways to inspire lifelong learning.

By studying with us, you will explore the principles of learning and curriculum design along with developing an understanding, and the application of, evidence-informed practice. You can study our primary education PGCE at our Ormskirk campus, or at Holy Cross College & University Centre in Bury.

We strongly recommend an early application as there is a high demand for places.

Ofsted outstanding provider
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Course features

  • Ofsted outstanding provider for initial teacher education

  • Professional accreditation

  • Professional practice placements

  • International students can apply

Charlotte Peacock

I wholeheartedly recommend exploring opportunities to work abroad. This experience will broaden your perspective, introducing you to incredible places and amazing people.

Charlotte Peacock

Primary Mathematics Education with QTS

View alumni profile
A photo of Lydia Wakeham in a school classroom.

Edge Hill University has a fantastic reputation especially for education and teaching. After visiting an open day and meeting the lecturers I knew that Edge Hill was the place I wanted to study.

Lydia Wakeham

PGCE Primary Education with QTS

View student profile

What you'll study

We’ve designed this course to have three key parts. First, there’s academic study at Masters level. You’ll focus on developing essential teaching skills and explore the principles of learning and curriculum design in primary education. You will then be supported to engage in critical dialogue around educational questions and supported to develop an evidence-informed approach to your practice.

The second element is about developing your curriculum knowledge for primary teaching. You’ll gain essential insight into helping children progress with, and enjoy, their learning. Practical teaching workshops will help build your confidence so you’re ready for professional practice. And you’ll become familiar with the National Curriculum for England and explore approaches for teaching each subject.

Finally, there’s professional practice placements. You’ll spend a significant amount of time in schools and other education settings, experiencing life in the classroom and practicing your delivery of the key stages 1 and 2 curriculums. You’ll keep working within your community of peers and tutors through online academic study.

Compulsory modules:

Expand all
Principles of learning and curriculum design (primary)
ITE curriculum and practice (primary)
Evidence-informed practice (primary)

How you'll study

Your learning experience will include lectures, seminars, workshop sessions and tutorials delivered using a hybrid blend of on-campus and online teaching. Independent study will be supported by materials provided through the virtual learning environment using a range of online teaching tools and applications. Your university-based experiences will be underpinned by reference to current research.

You will spend a significant amount of time undertaking professional practice placements, normally in key stages 1 and 2 in schools and other educational settings. During these experiences you will have opportunities to observe the work of expert practitioners. You will reflect on and discuss this practice with those practitioners and your trained school-based mentor. As you take on increasing responsibility for children’s learning and development, you will start by working with small groups under the direction of the class teacher, sometimes with a student teacher partner, and progress to planning for and working with the whole class for significant periods of time, managing the learning of every child.

Timetables for your induction week are normally available in August prior to enrolment. You can expect to receive your timetable for the rest of the academic year during your induction week. Please note that while we make every effort to ensure that timetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week.

How you'll be assessed

Assessment strategies will include presentations to different audiences, academic essays individually tailored around your own professional interests, and ongoing task submission.

During professional practice your school-based mentor will assess your development through reflective conversations, reviewing and discussing your planning and assessment records, observing your teaching, and gathering the perspectives of other adults and, of course, of the children who work with you.

In all cases, you will be given clear assessment guidance. The assessment criteria will be shared with you and you will be given constructive feedback to help you to set targets and identify actions to help you make further progress.

You will compile an electronic portfolio that brings together evidence to demonstrate your professional development and your ability to meet the Teachers’ Standards.

There are no formal written examinations as part of the current assessment methods on this programme.

Who will be teaching you

The Faculty of Education has been at the forefront of teacher education for 135 years and today enjoys the enviable position of being one of the country’s leading providers of education, training and research for the children’s workforce.

You will be taught in University and on professional practice in schools by a range of highly qualified and experienced teachers and tutors who are dedicated to excellence in primary education and who will model high quality practice to enable you to develop your own teaching style.

You will be supported throughout your programme by a personal academic tutor who will help you to manage your workload, engage with your academic studies, prepare for professional practice placements and secure your first teaching post.

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

When you apply, you are expected to have:

  • A first or second class Honours degree from a UK university (or equivalent qualification)
  • GCSE English Language or English Literature, GCSE Mathematics and GCSE Science at Grade C or Grade 4 or above (or equivalent)
  • Sufficient levels of information and communications technology competence to access course materials e.g. virtual learning environment, email, video conferencing software
  • A commitment to, and understanding of, primary education, demonstrating the personal attributes, values and motivation required to train as a teacher

An interview forms part of the selection process, which can be conducted online or face to face.

Please note, for the purposes of initial teacher training, level 2 literacy and numeracy qualifications are not considered as equivalent to GCSE Grade C or Grade 4 in English Language or English Literature and Mathematics.

If you accept a formal offer from Edge Hill University you will be required to meet the Department for Education’s standards for physical and mental fitness to teach and clearance to work with children. Further information, including a Declaration of Health questionnaire and details of how to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced Disclosure will be sent to you after you have firmly accepted an offer.

English language requirements

International students require IELTS 6.5, with a score no lower than 6.0 in each individual component, or an equivalent English language qualification.

If your current level of English is half a band, one band, or one-and-a-half bands lower, either overall or in one or two elements, you may want to consider our Pre-Sessional English course.

How to apply

Apply full-time

Apply online through GOV.UK

Read our guide to applying for PGCEs and Postgraduate Teacher Training to find out more about the application process.

International

Apply as an international student

Please see our international student pages for further information about how to apply as a prospective international student.

Should you accept an offer of a place to study with us and formally enrol as a student, you will be subject to the provisions of the regulations, rules, codes, conditions and policies which apply to our students. These are available at www.edgehill.ac.uk/studentterms.

Visit Edge Hill University

There’s plenty of opportunities to come take a look around campus. Attend one of our open days to see what life at Edge Hill University is all about.

Book an open day

Facilities

Faculty of EducationHoused in a state-of-the-art £9million building, the Faculty of Education at Edge Hill University enjoys a stunning setting from both its lakeside and piazza buildings.

Facilities in the lakeside building include a 300-seat lecture theatre, five well-equipped ICT suites, and 18 teaching rooms complete with the latest technology. The lakeside building is also home to a popular vegan and vegetarian cafe where students can meet to socialise and discuss their studies.

The nearby piazza building offers modern facilities including a lecture theatre and a number of seminar rooms.

Alternatively, you can choose to study at Holy Cross College and University Centre in Bury. You’ll be taught by Edge Hill lecturers and staff, and have access to a range of modern facilities, including recent building upgrades and refurbishments. There’s a range of study spaces and a coffee shop where you can relax before lectures. Holy Cross is especially proud of their library, IT facilities, modern classrooms and meeting rooms in the Mary Kelly building where the face-to-face sessions will take place.

Where you'll study

Faculty of Education

Finance

Tuition fees

UK Full-Time

£9,250

for the course

International

£16,500

for the course

The University may administer a small inflationary rise in tuition fees, in line with Government policy, in subsequent academic years as you progress through the course.

EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, as well as Irish nationals, may be eligible for the UK tuition fee rate.

Financial support

Applicants to Student Finance should apply for undergraduate funding and not a postgraduate loan. Subject to eligibility, UK students joining this course can apply for an additional Bursary from the government. Please see updated eligibility from the bursaries and scholarships page.

Subject to eligibility, UK students joining this course can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan from the Government to cover the full cost of tuition fees. UK students enrolling on the course may also be eligible to apply for additional maintenance loan funding to help with living costs. Please view the relevant Money Matters guide for comprehensive information about the financial support available to eligible UK students, together with details of how to apply for potential funding.

EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme may be eligible to apply for financial support. Irish nationals can ordinarily apply to Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI). If you are an EU student who does not have settled or pre-settled status, or are an international student from a non-EU country, please see our international student finance pages.

Your future career

This PGCE is accredited by the Department for Education. Successful completion of the programme will enable you to gain recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). You will be well placed to progress into employment as an early career teacher within a primary school.

Our graduates work for schools in the UK and overseas. With your primary education knowledge and classroom skills, you’ll meet and exceed the national standards for Qualified Teacher Status. And you’ll be able to teach across the whole primary (5-11) age range in new and creative ways. With specialist knowledge of an aspect of education, you may progress onto a subject leadership role in a school.

You’ll complete a live exam called a VIVA at the end of the course. Your personal tutor will support you with this. It’s your opportunity to celebrate everything you’ve achieved throughout the degree. You’ll also take a professional portfolio out with you into your graduate career.

Course changes

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information, however our courses are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may necessitate alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses.

Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of professional bodies, revisions to subject benchmarks statements, to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.

Track changes to this course

Download our course leaflet