PGCE Primary

Course description

Our PGCE Primary has been running for over 60 years and schools tell us we are developing the kind of teachers they want to employ. This is reflected in 98% of our students achieving Good or Outstanding teacher grades at the end of their course and 95% of our graduates securing a teaching post by the end of the course.

All of our PGCE courses are made up of both campus-based sessions - which will give you a grounding in the principles of good teaching practice - and school-based placements, giving you the chance to apply your knowledge and experience to a wide range of classroom situations. These placements will be in contrasting schools to provide you with a broad range of experience; they could be in city, suburban or rural schools, in the independent or state sector.

The PGCE Primary course prepares you to teach across the full range of the Primary Curriculum. We will introduce you to the wider context of teaching, including responding to diversity in schools and the inclusion of Special Needs Education, as well as equipping you with classroom management and planning skills.

By the end of the course you will meet the required professional standards for Qualified Teachers Status (QTS) and will be awarded a University of Leicester PGCE. Our strong ethos of reflective practice will prepare you well for your future career in teaching.

We offer three different routes:

• Age 3-7: Lower Primary (X124)
• Age 5-11: Primary (X174)
• Age 5-11: Primary with Mathematics (X00G)

Primary with Mathematics?

The Primary with Mathematics PGCE is an exciting route if you have a particular interest in maths. It provides a route that leads to primary generalist teachers who have begun to develop a specialism in primary mathematics and want to continue the development as their career progresses.

Careers and employability

We will support you in applying for teaching posts by guiding and supporting you through the whole process including workshops run by head teachers and recruitment specialists. The workshop content includes writing letters of application; interview techniques; teaching sample lessons and one-to-one coaching and mock interviews. We know that this approach is highly successful every year and, and Ofsted noted, 'Former trainees from this provider are highly prized locally and demand often outstrips the number of NQT positions available'.

We foster your continued relationship with Education at Leicester once you become an NQT by supporting your career development in a number of ways, including running a successful NQT Conference each spring.

Our PhD opportunities are very popular with those wishing to pursue a particular research interest at doctoral level. We are committed to training excellent teachers during the PGCE and beyond, and we are proud that so many of our students return to Education at Leicester for further study once qualified.

Students need to have 2:1 degree or above; GCSE grade C or above in English Language, Maths and Science; A pass in the Professional Skills Tests in Literacy and Numeracy. Although not essential, you may find it useful to have recent experience working with children and/or observing teaching in a school setting, ideally relating to the age range/subject you wish to teach. When writing your application you should try to reflect on your experience and tell us what you learnt.