PGCE Secondary Geography (Age Phase 11-16) with QTS

International Students Can Apply
Professional Practice Placements
Professional Accreditation

Overview

UCAS Code:	F8X1
Course Length:	1 Year Full-Time
Start Dates:	September 2017
Department:	Faculty of Education
Location:	Edge Hill University

Study with the largest provider of high quality secondary teacher training in the UK.
Excellent quality teaching and learning opportunities on a popular programme carefully designed to meet the latest curriculum requirements in Geography.
A highly regarded, innovative programme dedicated to producing excellent classroom practitioners.
Individually-tailored support.

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

This programme will equip you with a range of academic, professional and vocational knowledge, understanding, skills and values necessary to become a high quality and skilled teacher of Geography. You will experience professional training, delivered to the highest of standards, which immerses you in the very latest teaching and learning pedagogies.

The aim is to develop your reflective and analytical skills as well as providing practical experience in planning effective lessons and learning strategies, hands-on classroom experience, and opportunities to further your own subject knowledge. The programme is acknowledged to be at the cutting edge of new approaches to innovative geography education in the classroom as well as incorporating an excellent fieldwork experience.

If you have a degree in or featuring Geography and want to develop secondary school pupils’ practical research skills and knowledge of the world around them, this is the programme for you.

Student Profiles

Yolanda Hopkins
PGCE Secondary Geography (Age Phase 11-16) with QTS
I’m really happy because I’ve been offered a job at my second placement school and am looking forward to teaching my pupils again next year.

Faculty of Education

Course in Depth

What will I study?

You’ll start with an extensive subject knowledge and understanding audit, to identify your main strengths and weaknesses, and enable your tutor to focus on your individual development needs. During 12 weeks of study on campus, you’ll develop:

Knowledge of essential educational theory
Awareness of appropriate and innovative teaching and assessment methods, including group work, role play and simulations
Strategies to encourage trainees’ practical skills development, including organising outside field trips and fieldwork
Understanding of the curriculum
Ability to plan lessons effectively
Excellent working knowledge of the latest ICT tools and software used in schools
Greater subject knowledge and professional and academic skills
Wider awareness of your role within the teaching profession through study of professional values.

How will I 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 a critically analytical approach to education.

You will spend 26 weeks on placement in schools and colleges, 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.

How will I be assessed?

A balanced combination of coursework and observed classroom experience will be assessed against academic criteria at Level 7 and the QTS Standards. Various other tasks will enable you to show your competence in ICT and other areas of Geography, including a fieldwork-based assessment.

Before the end of your PGCE you will need to complete a Career Entry and Development Profile (CEDP) which acts as a useful bridge between your initial teacher training programme and your Induction Year as a Newly Qualified Teacher.

Who will be teaching me?

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.

A Great Study Environment

The Faculty of Education has been at the forefront of teacher education for more than 125 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.

Housed in a state-of-the-art £9m building, the Faculty of Education’s facilities include a 300-seat lecture theatre, five well-equipped ICT suites, and 18 teaching rooms complete with the latest technology.

The faculty has a strong commitment to practice-based learning and has developed partnerships with over 2,000 schools and colleges, local authorities and professional associations.

Modules

Expand/Collapse all

SGE4010 Developing Subject Knowledge and Pedagogy in Geography (30 credits)

Developing Subject Knowledge and Pedagogy in Geography prepares you to become an outstanding teacher with the desire and capability to continually improve your subject knowledge and pedagogy in order to enhance the learning of pupils throughout your future teaching career. The module has a joint academic and professional focus and is centred on strands such as enhancing your subject knowledge, developing curriculum knowledge, examining subject pedagogy and its application to practice, linking your training to school improvement via dissemination in placement settings, and critically reflecting on practice.

SGE4011 Planning for Effective Teaching and Learning in Geography (30 credits)

Planning for Effective Teaching and Learning in Geography enables you to consider effective teaching in geography through the discussion and evaluation of alternative approaches. In addition, the module will analyse the role of geography in the curriculum and examine how it contributes to a range of whole-school issues. There will be a clear focus on the planning, teaching and assessment cycle, which lies at the heart of the most effective professional practice, and on evaluation and review, which lies at the heart of ongoing professional development.

SGE4012 Research and Practice in Geography (30 credits)

Research and Practice in Geography provides an opportunity to individualise and extend your learning through engagement with areas of particular interest, expertise and/or identified areas for development within geography education. The module will enable you to engage in relevant classroom-based research in order to make informed judgements and decisions which impact on teaching and learning. These research outcomes will not only improve your individual practice but will also benefit the educational settings in which the research is conducted. The module presents the scope for this research to take place in a variety of educational settings and to reflect current and emerging educational policies and initiatives.

SRP4001 Reflective Professional Practice (30 credits)

Reflective Professional Practice clearly links reflective based practice with theory to engage you with the main areas of debate within the evolving policies and practices of the educational world and enable you to apply what you learn from this to your practice. The aim is for you to become a reflective practitioner in line with the Teachers’ Standards (2012). The module will encourage you to apply and develop your understanding of the links between professional development and theory whilst also consolidating within you the holistic professionalism of a training teacher.

SRP4002 Professional Practice 1 (30 credits)

Professional Practice 1 is a school-based module which introduces you to practical aspects of the role of a teacher. The focus initially is on observation and supporting teaching and learning as you engage in teaching commitments in line with your individual training needs. You will progress to undertake approximately 50% of a full teaching timetable and develop responsibilities for planning, teaching and assessing learners. Regular self-target setting and reflection, supported by practice-based mentors, are key features of the module.

SRP4003 Professional Practice 2 (30 credits)

Professional Practice 2 provides a final phase to your professional practice in a different educational setting to that of your previous placement. The module takes place in a school which will provide the necessary progression and consolidation of your skills as you undertake approximately 70% of a full teaching timetable. The aim is for you to become autonomous in your needs and targets, ready to graduate as a Newly Qualified Teacher.

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our published course information, however our programmes 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 accrediting 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.

Entry Criteria

Entry Requirements

GCSE English Language and Mathematics at grade C or above (or equivalent qualification); A first or second class Honours degree from a UK university (or equivalent qualification); Satisfactory levels of Information and Communications Technology competence; A demonstrable interest in teaching within the curriculum area. You could show this in a number of ways – time spent in schools, knowledge of the chosen curriculum area, relevant practical experience.

Please note, for the purposes of initial teacher training, Level 2 Literacy and Numeracy qualifications are not considered as equivalent to GCSE grade C in English or Mathematics.

EU students can get country-specific information about the University’s entry requirements and equivalent national qualifications at www.edgehill.ac.uk/eu.

You are required to undertake Professional Skills Tests in Literacy and Numeracy prior to entry to this programme. Successful completion of the Professional Skills Tests will form part of the conditions of any offer of a place. Further details can be found at www.edgehill.ac.uk/skillstests.

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.

Are there any alternative ways to meet the entry requirements?

If you want to teach geography but have an insufficient level of the subject in your degree to access the course, then our subject knowledge enhancement course in Geography could help prepare you to train to teach the subject effectively.

Some offers will be conditional upon completing a subject knowledge enhancement course but please note that this enhancement programme does not necessarily qualify you for a place on the PGCE Secondary Geography (Age Phase 11-16) with QTS unless this is made clear at the time the offer is made. This will be discussed with you if you are called for an interview.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Edge Hill University recognises learning gained elsewhere, whether through academic credit and qualifications acquired from other relevant courses of study or through recognition of an individual’s professional and employment experience (also referred to as ‘experiential learning’).

Previous learning that is recognised in this way may be used towards meeting the entry requirements for a programme and/or for exemption from part of a programme. It is your responsibility to make a claim for recognition of prior learning. For guidance, please consult the University’s Recognition of Prior Learning Policy and contact the faculty in which you are interested in studying.

Career Prospects

What are my career prospects?

Successful completion of this programme will allow you to be recommended for QTS status and progress onto employment as a Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) at secondary school level in Geography.

Our proactive careers advisory service can help you to find job vacancies and offers in-depth advice on teacher job applications and interviews, to help you secure work.

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. For more information, see www.education.gov.uk.

Finance

Tuition Fees

If you are a prospective UK or EU student who will be joining this PGCE in academic year 2017/18, we expect tuition fees to increase to £9,250 but this is currently subject to Government approval. You are advised to check this page regularly and once the position has been confirmed we will update this information. Tuition fees for international students enrolling on the programme in academic year 2017/18 are £12,500.

Financial Support

Subject to eligibility, UK and EU students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan from the Government to cover the full cost of tuition fees. UK students may also be eligible to apply for additional funding to help with living costs.

For comprehensive information about the financial support available to eligible UK and EU students joining this programme, together with details of how to apply for funding, please view our Money Matters 2017/18 guide at www.edgehill.ac.uk/pgcefinance2017.

Financial support information for international students can be found at www.edgehill.ac.uk/international/fees.

Scholarships

Edge Hill University offers a range of scholarships with a competitive application process for prospective full-time PGCE students. These scholarships aren’t linked to academic success and celebrate determination, talent and achievement beyond your coursework, for instance in creativity, enterprise, ICT, performance, sport or volunteering.

To find out more about scholarships, to assess your eligibility, and to meet some of our dedicated scholarship winners, visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/scholarships.

Apply

How to Apply

Apply online through UCAS Teacher Training at www.ucas.com/apply/teacher-training from Tuesday 18th October 2016 (subject to possible change by UCAS).

Visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/applyucasteachertraining to find out more about the application process.

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 Us

If you are considering applying to study at Edge Hill University, the best way to gain an insight into student life is to discover our stunning campus for yourself by attending an open day. You can view dates and book your place at www.edgehill.ac.uk/postgradopendays.

Alternatively, if you are unable to attend an open day, you can find out more about all of our events for prospective postgraduate students, including monthly campus tours, at www.edgehill.ac.uk/postgradevents.

Request a Prospectus

If you would like to explore our full range of PGCEs before you apply, you can order a PGCE prospectus at www.edgehill.ac.uk/pgceprospectus.

Get in Touch

If you have any questions about this programme or what it’s like to study at Edge Hill University, please contact:

PGCE Course Enquiries
Tel: 01695 657000
Email: pgce@edgehill.ac.uk

If you would like to talk to the programme leader about the course in more detail, please contact:

Dr Charles Rawding
Tel: 01695 584207
Email: Charles.Rawding@edgehill.ac.uk

International students should visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/international or email international@edgehill.ac.uk with any queries about overseas study.