Secondary Chemistry with Biology (with QTS) Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)

Teesside University

Course overview

This course is designed to train you to become an inspirational, reflective and professional teacher of secondary chemistry and biology who can motivate learners aged 11-16 to achieve highly and realise their full potential.

Your learning will be personalised across professional skills, subject knowledge and pedagogy, research and theory. You develop further by completing a small-scale research project within your subject area and by undertaking intensive teaching practices within school settings, allowing you to put your knowledge and understanding of education into practice. On placement you will practise teaching strategies, learn how to manage a classroom environment, and develop evidence-based approaches from skilled professionals who share your passion for your subject area.

At the beginning of the course, you focus on developing your knowledge of learning and explore a range of evidence-based teaching and assessment theories and strategies, in addition to your subject knowledge and subject specific pedagogy. Throughout the course, you embed and refine your knowledge and skills, enhancing your own practice and subject expertise during school-based placements as well as developing your ability to reflect on your practice through action research.

How you learn

Throughout the course and your time based in schools, you will study at University alongside other PGCE students following your subject specific route, and for core modules, with students from other subject areas. This approach provides rich opportunities for collaborative learning and the creation of professional networks.

It is an intensive and rewarding course. Course staff support you to learn how to manage the demands of a teaching career both during the course and beyond; the initial teaching training (ITT) partnership is also committed to following the Department for Education’s guidance on teacher workload.

Course delivery comes from a range of academic staff, guest lecturers, practitioners who work in schools and other experts in the field of education giving you a rich, topical and meaningful learning and practical experience. During your placement, you work with a professional mentor within the school and a subject mentor. You will also be assigned a member of university staff as an ITT tutor who will work closely with the course and placement teams to support your progress.

How you are assessed

A range of flexible tasks have been designed to assess your knowledge, professional skills, and ability to integrate the theoretical and the practical aspects of the course. You will be formally assessed at the end of each academic module and progress on placements will be evaluated using a methods including observation, reflections and professional discussion. You are provided with frequent opportunities to receive feedback.

Career opportunities

Throughout the course you are supported to prepare for the next steps in your teaching journey whilst you progress to meet Teachers’ Standards. You develop your professionalism and employability and will be given advice and guidance in relation to recruitment and selection. The course aims to ensure that you are ready to progress to professional development through the Early Career Framework (ECF) within your first teaching role as an Early Career Teacher (ECT).