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Secondary Education Biology PGCE

University of Gloucestershire

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University of Gloucestershire

Course options

2 options available

  • Qualification

    PGCE - Postgraduate Certificate of Education

  • Location

    Francis Close Hall Campus

  • Study mode

    Full time

  • Start date

    AUG

  • Duration

    1 Year

Course summary

What is Secondary Education Biology PGCE?

We offer our students an exceptional training experience – if you’re looking for a lifelong, challenging and exciting career, teaching may be for you. As well as Biology (Sciences), the PGCE Secondary award, with QTS, is also available in Art and Design, Computing, English, Geography, History, Mathematics and Physical Education.

In your subject knowledge days, you will explore how to teach the key concepts of Biology through exploring and experimenting the ways in which each curriculum can be taught. You’ll discover how young people meet each concept across the curriculum and how their knowledge is expected to evolve over time.

Starting with direct instruction to give you the fundamentals of teaching, we then evolve our practice to incorporate a range of evidence-led teaching methods, such as dialogic inquiry, metacognition and cognitive acceleration. Over time, with inclusion at the heart of our programme, you will find yourself becoming increasingly adaptive to a range of student needs.

A lot of time is committed to rigorous practice: how to explain, model and assess different topics, how to use practical’s effectively and how to design schemes of work that impact on pupil progress. You will also delve into Physics and Chemistry, so that you are prepared to teach Science across the curriculum.

You’ll be supported by a range of experienced professionals, both during school placements and by academic staff at the university. The programme aims to help you become an engaging and effective teacher within the 11–16 age range, and provides the input and opportunities that could enable you to teach post-16. Successfully completing this PGCE course will enable you to teach at Secondary age, as well as Primary and A Level.

We were founded as a teaching college 175 years ago, and following the introduction of new quality requirements, our Initial Teacher Training (ITT) courses leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), have successfully achieved reaccreditation in 2022 by the Department of Education.

Our ITT courses have also recently been rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted, with inspectors highlighting their ‘unique’ emphasis on sustainability and the University’s strong partnership with schools.

Study style

You’ll spend a minimum of 24 weeks in at least 2 schools, returning to central provision throughout the year for professional development and subject training. During the training year, you will engage in professional study and knowledge days where you will work with colleagues across the different subject areas to share good practice.

Employment rates have been consistently high for our graduates and we offer you the opportunity to undertake Master’s-level modules to gain Master’s credits. These can be used subsequently to take your career to the next level. If you pass all elements of the course at Master’s level, the award title will carry 60 master’s credits and qualified teacher status (QTS).

The course is assessed via summative written assignments, school placements and your individual portfolio which records progress in relation to the QTS standards. All elements must be completed satisfactorily.

There are a wide range of placements available which have been arranged with key considerations in mind: experience of different age-ranges and schools, accessibility/travel time, previous experience and so on. The tuition and school placements are organised in blocks throughout the year. The normal working week is approximately 35 hours and normal school hours apply when students are on placement (8am-5pm), with additional independent study.

Tuition fees

Students living in United States
(International fees)

£ 16,600per year

Tuition fees shown are for indicative purposes and may vary. Please check with the institution for most up to date details.

University information

University of Gloucestershire

University of Gloucestershire

  • University League Table

    88th

  • Campus address

    University of Gloucestershire, The Park, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 2RH, England

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Subject rankings

  • Subject ranking

    Biological Sciences

    63rd out of 94 2

    48th out of 91 3

  • Entry standards

    / Max 228
    108 47%

    82nd

  • Graduate prospects

    / Max 100
    76.0 76%

    45th

    18

  • Student satisfaction

    / Max 4
    3.39 85%

    2nd

    20

  • Entry standards

    / Max 224
    120 53%

    72nd

  • Graduate prospects

    / Max 100
    81.0 81%

    33rd

    10

  • Student satisfaction

    / Max 4
    3.16 79%

    37th

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