PGCE Further Education

UCL (University College London)

The PGCE Further Education (FE) prepares you to teach in the post-16, further education and skills sector. This sector comprises further education colleges, sixth form colleges, adult education, prison education, charity and community organisations, and independent, work-based providers of learning.

Our PGCE FE develops effective, confident teachers whose practice is informed by an advanced knowledge of educational theory, and who will continue to learn and reflect throughout their careers. We will help students to acquire the expertise to support learning, prepare them to teach in inclusive environments, ensure that students show a concern for professional values and demonstrate the positive attitudes and behaviours expected from learners.

About this course

Through a combination of university (face-to-face and online) taught sessions and mentored teaching practice in a partner workplace you will learn about employment in the further education sector, how to plan lessons in your subject that engage learners, how to assess learners, how to manage the learning environment, and how to use theory and research to broaden and improve your professional knowledge and expertise in teaching.

There are three routes on this programme: a specialist route to teach adult literacy and ESOL, a specialist route to teach mathematics and numeracy and a general route that deals with all other subjects.

The further education sector comprises further education colleges, sixth form colleges, adult education, prison education, charity and community organisations, and independent, work-based providers of learning. This sector is for you if you are interested in any, or all, of the following: supporting young people into further education higher education and employment leading technical and vocational education encouraging post-16/adult learners returning to education for another chance working in non-traditional educational settings and assisting adults with skills and knowledge for life and work.

The programme caters for a range of subjects in the sector. The core elements of the programme will develop teaching skills that are common to all subjects whether you plan to work in arts, humanities, STEM subjects or vocational and technical education. Subject pedagogy is developed through a combination of partner organisation support and the use of ‘clustered subgroups. There are two ‘specialist modules concerned with the teaching of English (with literacy and/or English for Speakers of Other Languages), or mathematics and numeracy in the sector.

The programme is taught through a mix of face-to-face and online sessions (including lectures, presentations, discussions, and group work), and a practical teaching element based in a partner-provider organisation, usually a further education college or adult education centre. Online elements allow partnership working through joint university and partner taught sessions. You are required to read widely and to carry out written assignments in your own time. You will be assessed through a range of written assignments, a reflective portfolio and formal observations of practical teaching skills.

Accreditation

The qualification follows the expectations of awards that are regulated by the Society of Education and Training for teacher education in the Further Education and Skills sector.