PGCE Secondary Chemistry

Course description

PGCE Secondary Science (Chemistry) will train you to become a chemistry teacher across the 11-16 or 11-18 age range.

It will prepare you to teach the National Curriculum and related national strategies, GCSE and A-level. Completion leads to both a postgraduate qualification and recommendation for qualified teacher status (QTS).

University-based sessions will enable you to reflect on teaching methods.

Experienced teachers will work alongside PGCE tutors, plus visitors from exam boards and the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Some sessions are run with the University's science departments to benefit fully from the University's resources, and also with Manchester Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester.

Teaching and learning

The structure of our PGCEs includes both school-based and university-based learning.

On our secondary PGCEs, around two-thirds of your time will be spent in secondary schools, academies and colleges on placements.

The course is run in partnership with schools and colleges drawn from a wide area, including Bolton, Bury, Cheshire, Deeside, Lancashire, Manchester, Merseyside, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Staffordshire, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Warrington and Wigan.

The University's partnership schools are highly committed to giving you the best possible experience whilst you are on your school placements, giving you the opportunity to put into practice all the knowledge you have acquired from sessions held at the University.

When on placement, you will observe and teach classes under the guidance of an experienced teacher. You will also have a mentor to help you to plan lessons, deal with marking and assessment, and improve your teaching skills.

Peer observations of lessons will enable you to participate actively in your own and your fellow students' development as teachers. You will be provided with a significant amount of responsibility to develop your own teaching style, set targets, take your own initiatives and evaluate your own work in planning, teaching and assessing.

Coursework and assessment

Your school and University experiences are formally assessed. Both your mentors and tutors will help you to record your achievements and set targets.

Career opportunities

Completing a PGCE is one route to becoming a fully qualified teacher. This form of teacher training is recommended for anyone with an undergraduate degree who is looking to gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

You need QTS to teach in a state-maintained or special school in England and Wales. Whilst other routes to gain QTS exist, they do not all come with the postgraduate qualification of a PGCE. A PGCE from The University of Manchester is a valued qualification regionally, nationally and internationally.

When you study a PGCE with us, we help you prepare for a successful career in education. You will be given clear direction, advice and support when making applications for teaching posts and our employment rates are consistently high.

In addition to this, a PGCE qualification can count as 60 of the 180 credits required for a Master's degree, and The University of Manchester offers a range of postgraduate Education courses should you wish to continue your professional development by completing a Master's as you progress further in your career.

Minimum 2:2 honours degree in a science-related subject with at least half of the content strongly related to chemistry (if you are unsure, please contact us to discuss your qualifications). Grade B in chemistry at A-level (or equivalent), or grade C if you can demonstrate sustained academic progression since A-level, and at least one other science or maths A-level. Minimum grade C or 4 at GCSE (or equivalent) in English language and mathematics.