Secondary Geography with QTS (11-16) PGCE
GOV.UK code: F8X1
Discover how to open young people’s eyes to the world around them. Train to teach geography to 11-16 year olds and share your ever-expanding subject knowledge. On completion, you’ll gain recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
Overview
| Course length: | 1 year full-time 2 years part-time |
|---|---|
| Start dates: | September 2025 September 2026 |
| Location: | Edge Hill University (full-time) Edge Hill University (part-time) |
| Example offers: | 2:2 or above (or equivalent) in a relevant subject View full entry criteria |
| Subject(s): | Education and Teaching |
| Faculty: | Education |
| Department: | Secondary and Further Education |
Eager to learn new and innovative approaches to geography education? Want to explore how pupils learn in geography and engage pupils in your passion? Keen to pass on your subject expertise – and continue to grow that knowledge throughout your career? Then the PGCE Secondary Geography is for you.
With the world opening up like never before, there’s no better time to train as a teacher of geography. You’ll receive the highest standard of professional training and be immersed in the very latest teaching methods.
Our programme will equip you with all the academic, professional and vocational skills you need to succeed. You’ll also have the opportunity to develop your RE and history subject knowledge so you can teach key stage 3 humanities.
Hands-on placement experience
You’ll develop your reflective and analytical skills, as well as boosting your own subject knowledge. To prepare for teaching geography at key stage 3 and 4, you’ll also get lots of hands-on experience in the classroom.
During your placement, you’ll work alongside your geography tutor and school-based mentor. They’ll help you apply your university learning to your own teaching and be there for you whenever you need support.
Successful completion of the programme leads to a recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
If you have qualified teacher status (QTS), you’ll get a minimum starting salary of £31,650 (or more in London) as a primary or secondary school teacher in England, rising to £41,333 for more experienced teachers.
Please note, the part-time route for this course is available from 2026 entry and is not available to international students.
Ofsted Outstanding Provider
Course features
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Ofsted outstanding provider for Initial Teacher Education
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Professional accreditation
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Professional practice placements
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International students can apply
What you'll study
At the start of your course you’ll carry out an audit of your subject knowledge. This way you can identify your areas of strength and those you need to develop.
You’ll study the geography curriculum and essential educational theory. We’ll cover innovative teaching and assessment methods and strategies to encourage the development of practical skills. Learning about the latest ICT tools and software used in schools is a key part of the course too.
Discover how to organise and manage field trips and fieldwork and everything there is to know about effective lesson planning. You’ll learn about academic skills, including building your subject knowledge, as well as exploring professional roles and responsibilities.
How you'll study
A combination of academic study, group discussion and reflection, and practical, work-based learning in the classroom will give you all the knowledge and skills you need to become a creative and innovative teacher. The programme aims to develop a reflective and critically analytical approach to education.
You will undertake extensive placements in schools, putting your training into practice through assisting in and taking responsibility for classes, and working alongside mentors and peers to further your professional development. The focus initially is on observation and supporting teaching and learning. Your teaching timetable will increase as your training progresses and you become more confident and competent in the classroom.
You will also undertake a three-day residential field trip to Castleton, learning how to organise field trips and prepare field work for pupils.
You will also undertake Intensive Training and Practice (ITAP) as a specific and focused element of our teacher training curriculum. This is designed to consolidate your knowledge of effective teaching, and enable you to rehearse and obtain feedback from experts on your practice. Our ITAPs are designed to utilise the latest research and technology as well as draw on the outstanding mentors, tutors, and teacher expertise from across our partnership.
Over the course of your training, you will have the opportunity to participate in several days of Intensive Practice focusing on aspects of pivotal practice such as; behaviour management, scaffolding, professional behaviours and questioning.
During periods of ITAP, your timetable may differ and you may be required to attend campus and/or a placement on days outside of the usual pattern.
How you'll be assessed
You will be assessed, through a balanced combination of coursework and portfolio assessments, against both academic criteria and the Standards related to QTS. Various other tasks will enable you to show your competence in ICT, numeracy and literacy and other areas of Geography, including a fieldwork-based assessment.
Your professional practice will conclude with a final viva that will allow you to demonstrate appropriate achievement against the Teachers’ Standards in order to allow us to make a recommendation for QTS.
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.
The course leader has published a number of recent highly regarded texts on new approaches to Geography in the classroom. The team includes highly experienced mentors and senior examiners with the major examination boards.
The Edge Hill lead mentors and mentor leadership team play an important part in your teacher training as experts in their field. They have a deep knowledge of the trainee curriculum and support trainees and mentors to make progress providing guidance and support on aspects of the curriculum and assessment.
Entry criteria
To join this PGCE, you will be expected to have:
- A degree equivalent to UK first-class or second-class honours (2:2 or above) in a relevant subject. Other subjects may be considered if you have an A Level in a relevant subject (or equivalent qualification).
- GCSE English Language or English Literature and GCSE Mathematics at Grade C or Grade 4 or above (or equivalent qualification).
- Satisfactory levels of information and communications technology competence.
- A commitment to, and understanding of, secondary education, demonstrating the personal attributes, values and motivation required to train as a teacher.
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.
An interview forms part of the selection process, which can be conducted online or face to face.
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
Read our guide to applying for PGCEs and Postgraduate Teacher Training to find out more about the application process.
International
Please see our international student pages for further information about how to apply as a prospective international student.
The part-time application link for 2026 entry will be added when available.
Please note, the part-time route for this course is available from 2026 entry and is not available to international students.
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.
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
The Faculty of Education enjoys the enviable position of being one of the country’s leading providers of transformative education, training and research for the teaching and education workforce. Housed in a state-of-the-art £9m building, the Faculty of Education 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.
Our nearby piazza building houses our Research Hub and our Secondary and Further Education department including a lecture theatre and a number of seminar rooms.
Where you'll study
Finance
Tuition fees
UK Full-Time
£9,535
for the course
International
£17,000
for 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
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 funding to help with living costs. If you are a UK student joining this PGCE in academic year 2025/26, you may be eligible to receive a Department for Education bursary worth £26,000 if you have a first class, 2:1 or 2:2 honours degree, or if you have successfully completed a PhD or Masters award.
Please view the PGCE fees and funding guide for comprehensive information about the financial support available to eligible UK students.
Scholarships
We offer a range of scholarships, which celebrate the determination, commitment and achievement of our students. Many of our scholarships are awarded automatically. There are some however, where you will need to be involved in an application or nomination process. To find out more about our scholarships and check your eligibility, please visit our dedicated scholarships pages.Money Matters
Please view the relevant Money Matters guide for comprehensive information about the financial support available to eligible UK students.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’ll be ready to progress into employment as an early career teacher of geography at secondary school level. Our proactive careers service can help you to find job vacancies. They also offer in-depth advice on teacher job applications and interviews.
Teaching is a rewarding job and there are many ways in which you could progress in your career, either in the classroom or in a leadership role.
Your academic and professional experience will also mean you could progress onto MA or MRes study. Following this, you might decide you want to work towards PhD.
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.
