Course summary

Originally founded as an emergency teacher training college after World War II, we've been training highly skilled, inspirational primary teachers for over 75 years. Our Ofsted Outstanding course offers you the opportunity to gain a postgraduate qualification alongside Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). With 60 credits at Masters level, the PGCE Primary can open doors to further study and other employment opportunities. At Worcester, you’ll gain experience through multiple placements in a variety of school environments throughout the year, which will prepare you for a successful transition into teaching. When not on placement, you’ll be taught through a mixture of lectures, workshops and interactive subject sessions covering the full spectrum of National Curriculum subjects. In these interactive sessions, our tutors will model effective teaching and classroom management strategies. Specialist facilities, such as our DT room, gymnasium, music room and art studio, are designed to replicate the school environments you’ll be teaching in, allowing you to learn in authentic settings. There are no exams on this course. Instead, you’ll be assessed through two written assignments and a digital portfolio that you’ll complete during your school experience placements. This portfolio contains several tasks linked to the Department for Education’s Teachers’ Standards, which you must meet to qualify as a teacher. Placements School placements are a key element of the course. You’ll spend 120 days in at least two different schools, ensuring you experience a range of key stages and environments. For example, you may be placed with a mixed-age class in a small village school and then move onto a large, culturally diverse school with multiple classes per year group. We work hard to maintain strong relationships with over 260 schools across 25 local authorities and will organise placements for you in supportive environments. While on placement you’ll be supported by your class teacher and lead mentor, in addition to your university tutors. They will regularly observe you teach and give live feedback, so you can continually reflect on and improve your classroom practice. Why the University of Worcester? The University of Worcester is a campus university, meaning everything you need is on site. We’re based in a vibrant cathedral city just 40 mins south of Birmingham and an hour north of Bristol, and our beautiful green campuses have plenty of parking and quality on-site accommodation. At Worcester small class sizes, supportive tutors and professionally focussed courses mean you’ll be prepared for your dream career. These are just some of the reasons why we’re first in the UK for both graduate employment and quality education.

• First in the UK for sustained employment and/or further study (excluding specialist institutions), 5 years after graduation – Longitudinal Education Outcomes data 2024.

• First in the UK for quality education – Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings 2024.

• Ofsted Outstanding in 2023 the University’s primary and secondary teacher training programmes were rated ‘Outstanding’.