Course summary

*with a recommendation for QTS Our one-year Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) prepares you to teach the secondary school English curriculum for the 11-16 age range.  You’ll learn how to teach both English language and literature, covering subjects such as media, drama, and phonics.  You’ll look at a variety of short texts and poetry – perhaps Shelagh Delaney’s play, A Taste of Honey, the poetry of John Agard or prose such as Conan Doyle’s The Sign of the Four – and you’ll focus on how you can turn literature into learning.  During the course, you’ll explore ways to teach literature, to develop oracy and spoken language confidence and proficiency. You’ll also learn how to prepare a novel for teaching and the role literary theories might play in our approach to teaching works of literature. And, you’ll typically have language lessons to help you develop your skills in areas such as grammar.  You may go on a trip to a local art gallery to reflect on art as a stimulus for writing and have guest lectures from practising English teachers and people working for exam boards.   The course is taught by our highly experienced subject experts who have been both practising teachers and are researchers in the field. Features and Benefits

• Employability - You will have the knowledge, skills and experience to teach English at Key Stage 3, GCSE and potentially A/AS-level.

• Teaching experience - You will spend at least the minimum Department for Education (DfE) required time (approximately 120 days) on placement, gaining experience in mainstream secondary schools.

• Postgraduate credits - When you graduate, you’ll achieve 60 masters level credits (this is one-third of a masters degree). You can put these towards a masters degree to help you develop your new career.

• Partnerships - We have partnerships with over 500 schools, colleges and educational organisations, meaning we are able to provide students with a range of school experiences.

• Research-led teaching - Many of our staff are active researchers in education and their research influences our programmes. The School of Education at Manchester Met ranks in the UK’s top 10 research power in education (Research Excellence Framework, 2021) and the Institute of Children’s Futures launched in November 2024 which brings together academics, policy makers and practitioners to improve the lives of young people.

• Student support - You’ll receive guidance throughout your journey, including academic support from subject tutors and professional mentoring while on placements, helping you develop the skills and knowledge to meet Teachers’ Standards.