Course summary

Are you passionate about helping young people to explore the fascinating world of physics? Do you want to be key in enabling them to understand how physics is fundamental to everyday life and isn’t as hard to understand as its reputation might lead them to believe? If so, our PGCE Secondary Physics is for you. Our aim is to help you become a committed, confident and creative teacher so we’ll train you in the essential tools you need to kick-start your career in education. You’ll train to teach across the 11-16 age range with post-16 enhancement, looking at strategies and techniques to make the subject accessible, whether you’re leading practical experiments in electricity or introducing topics like astrophysics and nuclear physics. As you progress, you’ll increase your ability to handle the ever-evolving teaching environment, and by the time your course is complete, you’ll be in a position to continue developing your understanding, knowledge and skills throughout your professional life. After interview you may be advised you need to take a funded Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) course, which we offer over eight, 12 or 16 weeks, before you start your PGCE. Taught modules, assignments and School Based Training are structured around the development of your progress against the our ITE Core Curriculum. Our ambitious curriculum incorporates the ITT Core Content Framework (DfE, 2019) and the nationally agreed competences - the Teachers’ Standards, which all teachers must meet throughout their career. Through our Intensive training and practice (ITAP), which we have designed to strengthen the link between evidence and classroom practice, you will consolidate your knowledge of key evidence-based principles for effective teaching. You will also gain and understanding of adaptive teaching for SEND learners via expert input. We map your development as a subject specialist with reference to identified subject priorities appropriate to the needs of secondary teachers entering the profession. Our systems for continuous improvement, development and assessment of your progress will support your growing ability to take responsibility for your own professional development and ensure that you approach QTS with a sound understanding of research-informed pedagogies and practices.