PGCE Primary (School Direct) with Qualified Teacher Status

Why choose this course?

We were delighted to receive 'Outstanding' Ofsted results in May 2010 for our PGCE course - the highest results Ofsted can record. So you can ensure you'll receive an excellent teaching experience.
At the end of the course you will receive 60 credits towards a masters degree, such as our MA Education.
We're one of the major providers in the East Midlands for Initial Teacher Education with opportunities to extend and develop your role as a teacher in today's society.
We were ranked in the top ten for primary education teacher training in the pretigious Good Teacher Training Guide 2011.
You'll be taught by a team of university and school based tutors who have a strong national and international reputation for the quality of their training and research.

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Fact file

Start date: September

Course length: full time: one year

Campus: Kedleston Road site, Derby Campus and ITT School Hub

You're on the threshold of making one of the most exciting decisions of your life - to teach! Studying our PGCE Primary (School Direct) course will prepare you for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) allowing you to move straight into a teaching career once you've graduated. You'll be trained to teach all the subjects in the primary curriculum.

Depending on your preference and prior experience, and subject to governmental funding decisions, you may choose to specialise in either early years teaching 3-7 year olds, or 5-11 year olds or the later years teaching 7-11 year olds. Each route will provide a subject enhancement and study of school-related issues at masters level.

School experience is a key element of the PGCE course and we work closely with our partnership schools in the East Midlands to provide you with effective and practical experience. On the course you'll go on two main teaching placements where you'll be supported by our outstanding trained school mentors and link tutors.

Our course aims to be intellectually challenging whilst fully preparing you for the practical demands of teaching. It takes full account of current national developments in education and the Primary National Strategy. You'll be taught by a team of tutors who have a good national and international reputation for the quality of their training and research.

What you will cover

You can study over one year or choose the flexible route which will take between two and three years. If you choose the flexible route we will develop a personalised training plan for you and you'll take half the modules in one year and the other half the next, with one teaching block per year.

You'll study these modules:

Stage one

An Introduction to Reflective Teaching
Effective Learning and Teaching: English and Mathematics with ICT
Effective Learning and Teaching in Science and the Wider Curriculum
Understanding the Child as a Learner

Stage two

Specialist Subject Enhancement
Understanding the School as a Learning Community
Reflective Practice in Action

Entry requirements

You will usually need an undergraduate honours degree (preferably 2:1) or an equivalent qualification. You will also need GCSE grade C or above in English Language, Maths and Science and a wide range of recent experience in UK primary schools. You will need to have successfully completed the Teaching Agency's skills test for literacy and numeracy.

How to apply

You will need to apply to schools through the Teaching Agency's School Direct application system. Visit the Teaching Agency's website.

Fees and finance

Full time UK/EU students

This is a premium course and will cost £9,000 per year

For September 2012, TDA bursaries are to be re-introduced for all Primary PGCE programmes. Successful applicants with First class honours degrees will qualify for £9,000 whilst those with a 2.1 degree classification will be entitled to £5,000.

*These fees apply if you're starting this course between September 2013 and August 2014. We recommend you check fee details with us though, as they can change. Costs can increase each year.

How you will learn

You will spend most of your time learning how to teach in schools linked to our network of partner Teaching Schools. You'll also spend time here at the university working in our excellent facilities with university and school-based tutors in order to develop your growing understanding of what it takes to become a great teacher.

All of your assessments will be related to your school placements. There will be in depth project-based reports on school-based issues, plus the opportunity to reflect and discuss your developing subject knowledge with university and school-based tutors. You'll also present an academic poster and provide a verbal update on your growing subject knowledge.

Careers and employability

By choosing teaching as a career, you'll have chosen an important and satisfying profession as well as a challenging and rewarding journey through life. When you have completed this course you will have gained 60 credits at masters level, which means you can fast track to stage two of a masters degree, quickly progressing your professional development.

Where will I study?

Kedleston Road site, Derby Campus and ITT School Hub

Contact details

General enquiries about admissions and applications

T: +44 (0)1332 591167
F: +44 (0)1332 597724
E: askadmissions@derby.ac.uk

‌Course enquiries

Contact name: Des Hewitt

Contact phone: 01332 591703