What makes the Secondary PGCE at UEA special?

If you’re passionate about your specialist subject, our Secondary Postgraduate Certificate in Education courses prepare you teach the next generation.   

Our PGCEs empower you to motivate others in exploring and understanding the world, through your role as a subject specialist secondary teacher. Expert tutors will challenge and support you to achieve the very highest levels of subject knowledge, pedagogy, and academic achievement. We offer a dynamic partnership with the placement schools in the region, and our employability statistics are a credit to the highly skilled, passionate, teachers we produce. Whichever specialist subject you choose, you will be taught in  seminar groups and will discover academic and classroom strategies.

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Our courses

UEA's Secondary PGCE courses cover various subjects and specialisms 

Age phase: 11-16 with post-16 enhancement   

  • English   
  • Geography   
  • History   
  • Mathematics   
  • Mathematics with Computing   
  • Modern Languages (French, German, Spanish)  
  • Physical Education   
  • Science (specialising in Biology)   
  • Science (specialising in Chemistry) 
  • Science (specialising in Physics)     
  • Science (specialising in Physics with Mathematics)
  • Science (Engineers Teach Physics)

Browse our Secondary PGCE courses

At UEA, you will be studying a course developed with our partner, the University of Worcester, that Ofsted rated “Outstanding” in 2023.

 

"My UEA Subject Lead has been a huge support in my ITT. I am very impressed with this, which makes UEA feel like the right choice for training. I could not have completed the course without this support. Feedback is clear and actionable. I was worried when joining the course that I was too young/inexperienced, but my confidence was consistently built up by my subject lead and I was never overwhelmed by the feedback. I also appreciate that we will keep in contact as ECTs." - (UEA 2022-2023 secondary trainee).

Key features

  • Exceptional levels of support from university and school mentors  
  • 120 days teaching in schools plus additional days which allow for opportunities to prepare and rehearse key teaching skills  
  • Placements in at least two different schools, giving you a breadth of experience and the chance to specialise while you develop the skills of self-reflection and self-confidence  
  • You will be trained to teach pupils 11-16 with post 16 enhancement   
  • The course lasts for 10 months, and you may be eligible for a tax free training bursary or scholarship  
  • Opportunities to develop additional specialisms with enhancement opportunities such as Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), English as an Additional Language (EAL), Mental Health and Computing. 
  • Extra-curricular opportunities, such as conferences, additional courses, off-site visits and special projects, to boost your chances of employment  
  • 90 credits at Masters’ Level; the Secondary PGCE can open doors to further study and employment opportunities.

Find out what it's like to start a Secondary PGCE and what a typical day looks like from one of our students:

Read about Charlie's experience
on Unibuddy

 

Location of training

Most of your taught sessions will be on our UEA campus. However, there are times that you may be taught on site in one of our partnership schools or at a venue to support specific subject knowledge development.  

Programme structure

Modules within this course are linked to your specialist subject and Professional Studies.  
 
Modules relating to Professional Studies are the backbone of the course and feed into subject sessions, your work in school and related teaching. Subject sessions explore theories, knowledge, and practices of teaching and learning your specific subject area. Please consult individual subject specialism pages for full course content details. 
 
You are encouraged to pursue an area of personal interest through selecting one of our Enhancement Activities (EA), which might include areas such as SEND, Mental Health and EAL. 

What you'll gain

  • Exceptional levels of support from university and school mentors 
  • 120 days teaching in schools plus additional days which allow for opportunities to prepare and rehearse key teaching skills 
  • Placements in at least two different schools, giving you a breadth of experience and the chance to specialise while you develop the skills of self-reflection and self-confidence 
  • You will be trained to teach pupils 11-16 with post 16 enhancement. 
  • The course lasts for 10 months and you may be eligible for an excellent tax free training bursary and scholarships 
  • Opportunities to develop additional specialisms with enhancement opportunities such as Special Educational Needs, English as an Additional Language, Mental Health, Computing, etc. 
  • Extra-curricular opportunities, such as conferences, additional courses, off site visits and special projects, to boost your chances of employment 
  • With 90 credits at Masters’ Level, the Secondary PGCE can open doors to further study and employment opportunities. 

Course components

There are three integrated components to the Secondary PGCE course at the UEA: 

  • Professional Studies 
  • Subject Studies
  • School Placements  (at least 120 days teaching in schools plus additional days which allow for opportunities to prepare and rehearse key teaching skills) 

Ready to Apply?

You can make a start on your application using the GOV.UK service. 

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