Course summary

Train to become a qualified English teacher in a secondary school. You’ll learn to motivate, challenge and inspire pupils while teaching the subject you love. Our postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) will prepare you to become an inspirational English teacher with varied school placements, interactive lesson simulations and tailored tutor support. At Worcester, you’ll gain experience through placement in two different secondary school environments, teaching a range of secondary year groups, whilst receiving support from a subject mentor and University tutors. When not on placement, you’ll be taught through a mixture of lectures, workshops and interactive subject sessions. In these interactive sessions, our tutors will model effective teaching and classroom management strategies. You’ll also get the opportunity to select one of our enhancement activities, these allow you to pursue a subject that's important to you – from Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to climate change. Beyond the classroom, we’ll enrich your subject knowledge based on the English curriculum. Recent students have attended academic lectures on Shakespeare plays, taken part in a stage craft session with the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and visited an educational bookshop to explore up-to-date reading resources for their students. We also arrange opportunities for students to deliver master classes in schools and make presentations at national conferences. When you successfully complete the course, you’ll be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), this means you will be recognised by the Teaching Regulation Agency as a fully qualified teacher. Placements You’ll complete a minimum of 120 days of placement, teaching English in two different schools, so you can experience a wide range of age groups and learning environments. There will also be additional school visit days where you can explore practical strategies for the classroom, with opportunities to practice, rehearse and then implement in school. We have a strong relationship with over 100 partnership schools, where you will be supported by subject specialist mentors. School mentors are experienced teachers who we work with to make sure you get the highest quality, placement experience. 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’.