Postgraduate Diploma Secondary Education (QTS) - Mathematics

Entry requirements

All applicants to the Secondary PGDipEd(QTS) Mathematics course must hold a degree or equivalent qualification. We will expect your degree to not only have a high mathematics content but it will have a range and depth of mathematics which might be found in at least 50% of a mathematics degree.

All candidates also have to:

• have a GCSE in Maths and English (grade 4 or above) or an equivalent qualification; alternatively they might be advised to take an Equivalency Test. The DfE require us to check the original certificates; you therefore cannot start a PGDipEd(QTS) course unless you already hold these qualifications.
• pass Professional Skills Tests in numeracy and literacy; please see the Professional Skills Tests section of the Department for Education web site for more information on the core skills required by trainee teachers
• provide a satisfactory medical form
• complete an enhanced DBS/police check
• complete a Declaration of Suitability to Teach
• adhere to a Code of Professional Conduct and Fitness to Practise

Months of entry

September

Course content

Our Mathematics PGDipEd (QTS) course received the top grade in all areas in the last Ofsted subject inspection. The course tries to develop a deep understanding of issues and complexities which surround the teaching and learning of mathematics. We wish to develop you as a thinking teacher who can be aware of choices in how to teach mathematics and make informed decisions about how you work with students.

For those who are eligible, the course also attracts bursaries of £20,000 in line with the government’s priority to attract more well qualified mathematics teachers with a further £10,000 early-career payment once in teaching. The Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA) in collaboration with the London Mathematical Society (LMS), the Mathematical Association (MA), Maths in Education and Industry (MEI) and the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) also offer home students a £22,000 scholarship for those who are eligible, in lieu of the bursary.

At the University of Birmingham we believe we should provide student teachers with the highest level of teacher training possible, and this is why we offer a Post-Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDipEd) rather than a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). Both qualifications lead to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) but the PGDipEd also offers the equivalent of 120 credits at Master’s level (out of 180), which makes it a highly rewarding course by combining both theory and practice.

Following satisfactory completion of this course, plus a successful induction year in school and references, you can return to complete an MA in Teaching Studies (data collection and a 15,000 word dissertation). Additionally, the School also offers a number of specialised Professional Development programmes which will enable you to further develop your career.

Please note that it is important to make an early application as demand is very high and places fill quickly.