PGCE - Further Education

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

• Honours degree normally (2:2) or higher from a United Kingdom higher education institution or equivalent qualification, in a relevant subject area. Applicants with a 3rd class degree will be considered on an individual basis.
• All entrants have achieved a standard equivalent to a grade 4 (formerly grade C) in the GCSE examinations in English Language or English Literature and Mathematics (applicants must have these qualifications by the start of the course). Alternatively, we offer an equivalency test if you don’t have the required GCSE grade to apply for our courses. Trainees who begin courses before providing evidence of the required GCSE standard (or equivalent) will not be eligible for financial incentives, such as bursaries or grants until they achieve the required standard.

Additional requirements

• An Enhanced DBS check. You will be sent details of how to apply for your DBS in the summer term. You will need to pay for this.
• A check against the Prohibition List.
• If you have lived, studied or worked overseas for three months or more in the last five years a Certificate of Good Conduct from the country of residence will be required.
• An online occupational health check. All those on a teacher training programme must be certified as meeting national requirements for physical and mental fitness to teach, as set by the Department for Education.

Please see the University website for more details.

Months of entry

September

Course content

Train to teach in colleges, sixth-form, adult education centres, workplace training facilities and various other further education providers.

We have an excellent reputation for our education courses in the region and have been training highly skilled, inspirational teachers for over 75 years. At Worcester you’ll learn to motivate, challenge and inspire a range of different students.

Overview

Our postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) will prepare you to become a further education teacher.

You’ll gain experience through placement in a further education setting, whilst receiving tailored tutor support. When not on placement, you’ll be taught through a mixture of lectures, workshops and interactive lesson simulations.

When you successfully complete this course, you will be eligible to apply for QTLS (Qualified Teacher Training and Skills) with the Society for Education and Training. This is an additional qualification that is undertaken after the PGCE. It is equivalent to QTS, the schools sector professional status, and is intended to further support teachers who teach in further education.

Subject Specialisms

Beyond the classroom, we’ll enrich your subject knowledge based on your chosen specialist subject. You will receive at least seven days of subject specialist training and connect with others who have chosen your route. Subject specific training include working in small groups to develop subject teaching skills, for example, analysing your subject curriculum and practising subject teaching strategies.

This means we can offer course teaching places across the breadth of the Further Education and Skills (FES) sector

After your PGCE course, you can progress to qualify for Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills, (QTLS) which is only conferred by the Society for Education and Training (SET).

You need a recognised Level 3 or above qualification in the subject area you are teaching to apply for QTLS.

Placements

You’ll complete a minimum of 18 hours a week on placement over an 8-month period of the course, teaching in a further education setting, so you experience a variety of teaching situations. You may attend placement in a college, work-based learning environment or adult and community setting, with support from university tutors and on-site subject mentors. This experience provides you with further expert subject support.

Careers

This course will support you to teach in various further education settings across the UK. Most of our students quickly find jobs after graduation, thanks to the confidence they’ve gained on the course, the connections they make on placement and our excellent reputation we have in the Midlands region.

Our graduates also pursue leadership roles, as special educational needs coordinators, curriculum leaders and college directors.

The PGCE is an internationally recognised teaching qualification and can widen your opportunities for a career overseas. You’ll be able to seek work in countries such as America, Australia, and Canada.

Information for international students

IELTS 6.5 or equivalent