About this course
- Entry year: 2012/13
- Course code: F8X1
- Applications: GTTR
- Level: Postgraduate
- Department: Education
- Campus: Frenchay
- Duration: One year full-time
- Delivery: Full-time
- Study Abroad: No
- Programme leader: Mark Jones
Introduction
The Secondary Postgraduate Certificate in Education is a one academic year (36 week) course that trains graduates to be secondary school teachers of geography.
The PGCE programme has been designed to train teachers for the full secondary age phase (11-18). Trainees are assessed against the standards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in two key stages, normally KS3 and KS4. In the first half of the autumn term, some trainees may seek to change this to Key Stage 4 and post-16, this will be subject to discussion with the Programme Leader.
If you have a passion for geography and enjoy working with young people then this is course for you! At UWE and through working in our partnership schools you will learn to become a teacher of geography who feels equipped to cope with the demands of secondary school teaching today. Secondary school students need teachers who can motivate, inspire and challenge them through a wide range of innovative and creative lessons. The PGCE Secondary Geography course at UWE will support you in becoming a confident and competent teacher of geography.
The course is active and practical allowing trainees to develop professional competence through work undertaken in schools and in the University. Trainees work with young people, develop their expertise in their specialist subject area, share and discuss educational issues and study relevant educational research. The course is just the beginning of what we hope will be a process of continual professional development throughout a challenging and rewarding career.
Our Secondary PGCE programme has recently been graded Outstanding by Ofsted (2011).
Find out more about what PGCE Secondary Education at UWE has to offer in terms of teaching quality, staff expertise and your student experience.
Student's view
'I am delighted I picked UWE as the place to study my PGCE course in geography, the support I received from staff in university and the school mentors was first class.' Shane
Structure
Content
The course is part of the Department of Education's programme for Initial Teacher Training. Units studied are:
- Enabling Learning
- Meeting Curriculum Challenges
- Becoming a Teacher
These units are studied in both the school and the University-based parts of the course, the work on each site being complementary.
We aim to help you to develop:
- your skills, knowledge and understanding of geography as set out in the National Curriculum, GCSE, AS/A2 and of the contribution of geography to Applied GCSE courses such as Travel and Tourism
- confidence in planning geography activities which are challenging, engaging and relevant to young people
- activities that promote an enquiry-based approach to teaching and learning
- fieldwork and other geographical skills, such as mobile learning with mapwork, the creative use of photographs, GIS and ICT
- creative approaches such as using poetry, creative writing and artistic expression
- an appreciation of the importance of geography in the school curriculum and its contribution to other areas of the curriculum including citizenship and environmental education
- knowledge of teaching and learning approaches in other humanities subjects including history and religious education
- your use of digital and media technology, including active learning techniques with videos, movie-making and animation within a geography context
- your sensitivity to the teaching of the many important and controversial issues that arise in our subject
We offer a course that has access to a wide range of resources to help you plan your school and university-based work. You will have practical teaching experience in two differing schools and will be supported by tutors and mentors from both schools and the University. The course sets out to support trainee teachers make the most of their year working in partnership with the University and our partner schools. Ultimately it is about making our subject stimulating, exciting and relevant to the students of today's classroom. If you share this enthusiasm for geography, then our PGCE course is the one for you.
Hear what our students think about their time at UWE.
Teaching and learning
University sessions involve whole cohort lectures, cross subject seminar groups and geography specialist sessions. In geography you will learn through a wide range of teaching and learning styles. Each seminar session involves practical hands on application of theory, learning independently, in pairs and through group work. Activities provide you with the skills and understanding required to plan, resource and teach challenging and effective lessons in schools. All sessions are made available on the university's blackboard system for you to download and revisit. In school your subject mentor and colleagues in the geography department will continue to support you continue to learn what makes an outstanding teacher.
Personal support
We recognise that embarking on a new course of study can sometimes be quite a challenging undertaking. Students have three main sources of support and information from the University during the course: firstly, there is the Group Tutor in their subject area. Secondly, each student is allocated a Personal Tutor, and thirdly, any student can get support on a range of issues from the Department Student Adviser.
Find out more about our academic staff, their teaching expertise and research interests.
Study time
During the university based part of the course you will have days which are designated study days. These will allow you time to research and write the assignments, undertake medium term planning ready to return to school placements and work together on developing subject knowledge, ideas for lessons and new resources.
Assessment
In order to pass the course, trainees are required to pass each unit. You are assessed on a number of written assignments and also on classroom practice against the standards specified by the Secretary of State for the award of QTS. Before the end of the course it is recommended that trainees take the computer-based QTS skills tests in Numeracy, Literacy and ICT which are set by the Training and Development Agency (TDA).
Special Features
Placements
24 weeks are spent on placement: a total of eight weeks in one placement during the autumn term and 16 weeks in a second placement during the spring and summer.
As well as teaching, the programme includes contact time with a Senior Professional Tutor and a Subject Mentor, directed study time and personal study time.
There is an opportunity to spend time in a primary school and some students may also visit other institutions, such as special schools or colleges of further education.
Fieldwork
Trainees often say that one of the highlights of the PGCE year at UWE is learning in the outdoors. Field trips included a 3-day residential visit to the World Heritage Jurassic Coast of Dorset where coastal fieldwork skills are learnt as well as how to plan and organise trips e.g. carry out a risk assessment. There are other opportunities were you will be learning with pupils outdoors in the last two years these have included: working with Primary Year 5 and Year 6 pupils on river studies using data-loggers, planning a Year 7 visit to Symond's Yat in the Forest of Dean, A level students' exploration of the regeneration of Bristol's harbourside. You will also be able to take advantage of visits to local Geographical Association lectures and conferences, the Natural History museum and other locations which as part of the group you feel would be worthwhile.
Study facilities
The Department of Education provides a pleasant environment in which to study. Its modern, purpose-built facilities provide high quality teaching rooms with state-of-the-art technology available. The School has excellent IT facilities and houses an Open Learning Area with the latest equipment including an interactive whiteboard, CD burners, scanners and a range of equipment that can be booked out and borrowed, including digital cameras and laptops, with friendly staff on hand to help when needed.
Careers/further study
The Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) programmes now include 40 credits of assessment at Master's Level (Level M). For candidates who opt not to attempt the requisite credit at Level M, a Professional Graduate Certificate in Education will be available as an alternative award.
Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA)
For general information about teaching as a career, including teachers’ salaries and the professional standards set out by the TDA in Qualifying to Teach, contact the TDA by calling the teacher information line on +44 (0)845 60 00991 or visit the website www.tda.gov.uk.
For information about the National Curriculum and subjects taught in secondary schools, visit the National Curriculum online at www.nc.uk.net.
Hear from past UWE students about how studying here has enhanced their career prospects and opened up new opportunities.
Entry
Entry requirements
Applicants normally have:
- A good honours degree (normally 2:1 minimum) with at least 50 per cent in a related subject (relating to the subject you want to teach)
- GCSE grade C or above in mathematics and English language. (University tests in mathematics and English language may be available for some applicants)
- To have spent a minimum of 1-2 weeks in a classroom observing geography being taught in a comprehensive school within the previous two years
Applicants who do not meet the minimum academic entry requirements, but have significant life and/or work experience will be considered on an individual basis.
Additional requirements
Applicants must pass an initial selection process and short-listed candidates will be interviewed at the Department of Education. Entry is subject to satisfactory interview to assess professional suitability and subject to successful medical and Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) clearance. If you would like information regarding issues that could disqualify you from teaching training, please contact us on +44 (0)117 32 83333.
TDA Standards and requirements
Following the review of Standards and Requirements for Initial Teacher Training (ITT) by the Secretary of State in 2007, the Department of Education has designed its full-time courses to be compliant with the latest standards and requirements. For information on the latest standards please visit the TDA website.
General Teaching Council Registration
Please also note that since 1 September 2008 anyone commencing a course of Initial Teacher Training (ITT) in England leading to the award of Qualified Teacher Status is required to be provisionally registered with the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE). You will need to complete a suitability declaration to enable the Council to identify any reason which may prevent registration. At the point of the offer of a place on an ITT course at UWE, you will be sent a GTCE Suitability Declaration form which will need to be completed and returned to the University. Providing that this declaration meets the requirements you will be recommended to be registered with the GTCE. The Government has announced a proposal to abolish the GTCE but until Parliamentary legislation is enacted registration is still required.
For further information on Provisional Registration and the suitability assessment please visit the GTCE website.
Fees
For details about fees and the UWE Bursary, please see our fees and funding web pages.
How to apply
Please apply online at: www.gttr.ac.uk.
For further information
Page last updated 14 December 2011