PGCert in Education (PGCE)

The Oxford Internship scheme, as the PGCE programme is known at the University, is a one-year, full-time course of teacher education for graduates, involving a close partnership between the university department and local comprehensive schools. This enables all aspects of the course to be planned, carried out and evaluated jointly and results in a course which integrates work in the university and in school throughout the year. At Oxford, graduates are prepared to teach in secondary schools (11-19 age range) in one of the following subjects: English, geography, history, mathematics, modern languages (French, German, Spanish), religious education, science (biology, chemistry, physics). The programme has been developed with colleagues from Oxfordshire partnership schools and covers the key professional skills of: lesson planning and preparation; assessment, recording and reporting; responding to individual learning needs; classroom and behaviour management. This is a full-time course which will involve travel to your placement school, although the majority of partnership schools do lie within the Oxfordshire county boundaries.

There are two interrelated course components: curriculum subject work and the professional development programme. The curriculum tutor leads University seminars and liaises with the school based mentor to co-ordinate subject related classroom activities. The mentor provides guidance and support and gradually increases an intern's responsibilities. The professional tutor in school co-ordinates school based activities related to general educational issues and liaises with the general tutor, a member of the University staff, to plan seminars related to broader education issues. The numbers of interns going into teaching at the end of the course is high with the majority of interns having secured a teaching post in a state-maintained school.