Education - Secondary (School Direct Route)

Entry requirements

• Applicants must possess or expect to achieve a degree; please see department web pages for subject specific requirements. The equivalent of a UK lower second class honours degree of which approximately 50% is comprised of science or a similar subject. If your degree is from an overseas institution you must apply for a Statement of Comparability from NARIC.
• A demonstrable interest and involvement in the lives and development of young people.
• GCSE English and Mathematics at Grade 4 (or C) or above (or equivalent) which must be achieved at the time of application. If your equivalent qualifications are from an overseas institution, you must apply for a Statement of Comparability from NARIC.
• Applicants with non-standard qualifications, for example, access routes into higher education are welcome to apply.
• We welcome applications from mature applicants pursuing a career change.
• Pass the QTS Skills Tests by the first day of the course.

Months of entry

September

Course content

The PGCE Secondary is the first phase of a career-long process of personal and professional development, which will equip you to become a secondary school teacher. The PGCE Secondary is a course in Initial Teacher Training which is accredited by the Department for Education the successful completion of which will accord you with a recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Our course has recently been inspected by Ofsted which resulted in an “Outstanding” grading for all aspects of our provision.

Students who have successfully completed the PGCE at Durham in the previous academic year have the option to use 90 credits they have accredited towards a part-time MA Education. These students only need to do the core modules, Education Enquiry, and the Dissertation over 2 years, to complete the course.

Each student teacher on the course specialises in one of the subjects listed on UCAS. Subject pedagogy is explored in curriculum groups, examining techniques for making each subject accessible and stimulating in a classroom environment.