Secondary Education (QTS) - Science: Biology

Entry requirements

All applicants to the Secondary PGDipEd (QTS) Science: Biology course must hold a degree or equivalent qualification. Your degree content must be at least 50% biology relevant to the National Curriculum. You should have 2 science A levels and a good pass in GCSE science or the equivalent.

All candidates also have to:

• have a GCSE in Maths and English (grade 4 or above) or an equivalent qualification; alternatively you 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

This Science: Biology one-year PGDipEd (QTS) course prepares you for life as a science teacher, with a specialism in biology. The course develops your skills and abilities in understanding the complexities which surround the teaching and learning of science; the subject knowledge and the pedagogy. We hope to develop you as a reflective teacher who considers carefully the choices in how to teach Science: Biology and makes informed decisions about how you work best with students. For those students who are eligible, bursaries of £26,000 may be available for this subject.

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 Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDipEd) rather than a Postgraduate 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.