PGCE Secondary Science: Physics

Develop your teaching skills, and qualify as a secondary physics teacher, on our highly regarded PGCE Secondary Education with Physics course at the Institute of Education.

This Postgraduate Certificate Education (PGCE) Secondary Science course is consistently graded as good in Ofsted inspections, and will lead to the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), qualifying you to teach the 11-18 age group in secondary schools in England and Wales.

We recognise the importance of being able to teach children to explore, understand and make sense of their world through science.

Training to teach in one of the sciences at the University of Reading is an immersive experience that utilises many modes of delivery and participation with active learning at its core. You will develop your skills throughout the programme so that you are fully prepared to share your love of learning and knowledge about science with the children you will teach.

Our course is designed in collaboration with our strong schools partnership so that it meets both your needs as a learner and the needs of the children you teach.

You will be taught by staff with national reputations as experts in the field of science education. They are a diverse and incredibly experienced community of academics with extensive school teaching and academic experience.

Your teaching is through a series of practical seminars and workshops in purpose-built science laboratories where interactive and discussion-based techniques will encourage you to engage, reflect and challenge.

WHAT CAREER CAN YOU HAVE?

The majority of our graduates go into schools and inspire children to develop into happy, confident and well-informed individuals. Other alumni take their educational skills to the worlds of business, culture, art, healthcare, human resources, adult learning and further varied fields.

The support and training we give our students enables them to develop into resilient and creative teachers with the ability to adapt. The transferable skills and strengths they gain are also recognised outside of education, and are therefore desirable in many different areas of employment.

You are normally required to have at least a 2:2 honours degree (or equivalent from a university outside the UK) in a subject that is related to the subject you intend to teach. You will need to have achieved Grade 4 (or C) or above in GCSE Mathematics and English Language or equivalent qualifications. As part of the application process for this programme, you will be required to attend an interview. You will also need to demonstrate competence in Fundamental English and mathematics by the end of the course. This is a new DfE requirement which replaces the QTS skills tests in literacy and numeracy. If you accept an offer with us you will also be required to successfully complete Occupational Health and Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced Disclosure checks.