Secondary PGCE with Qualified Teacher Status at University of Buckingham - UCAS

Course summary

The University of Buckingham is:

  • Home of the two-year degree, the University of Buckingham, based in the South East of England, is ranked 6th for Student Satisfaction in the UK (National Student Survey, 2020).
  • We are proudly independent and not-for-profit, and offer courses in Allied Health, Business, Computing, Education, Humanities, Law, Medicine, Psychology and Security and Intelligence. We are one of the few universities in the UK that offer September and January start dates for almost all of our courses.
  • Based in Buckingham on a riverside campus, we are only 20 minutes’ from Milton Keynes central station and a short drive from Bicester, Aylesbury, Banbury and Northampton. There is free parking on-site and we are within easy reach of London and Oxford.
  • Our award-winning small class tutorials ensure every student is known by name and supported throughout their studies, including by dedicated personal tutors.
  • As pioneers of the two-year degree, we offer a condensed version of the traditional three-year degree, meaning you can gain a full honours degree and complete your studies a whole year earlier. Alternatively, you can complete both your undergraduate and master’s degree with us in just three years: saving you time and money.
Course Info The Secondary Postgraduate Certificate in Education with QTS is the accreditation that enables teachers to teach in state-maintained and special schools in England. This course is available to teachers who are currently employed in maintained or independent schools in England. You will be expected to undertake a teaching placement in a contrasting school. The duration of this placement is determined upon interview but is usually for 30-hours over a period of three weeks. What is the point of doing a PGCE if I am already working in a school? A doctor does not simply learn to recognise symptoms and the best-known response to those symptoms. He/she knows the deeper causes of each illness and the way such an illness might impact different people. In the same way, a teacher should know the deeper theoretical background to different teaching strategies, something which will enable them to teach with professional confidence. To achieve this, they need to read and evaluate recent research and texts. Although part of a teacher’s ability depends on their subject knowledge and force of personality, there are specific skills (the ‘craft of the classroom’) which need to be grasped if they are to be truly effective. All teachers, for example, need to know about pupils with special needs. All need to know about the most effective ways of maintaining good behaviour. All should know about the best ways of ensuring pupils capture what you are teaching them in their long-term memories. Having taken the trouble to gain this qualification will show your employer and future employers that you are a serious, professional employee. The PGCE with QTS will enable you to apply for jobs at the many schools that require teachers to have qualified teacher status. The PGCE at The University of Buckingham is a Level 7 course and is therefore designed to be intellectually stimulating. It leads on to an MA for those who wish to take that more advanced qualification. “The course introduced me to teaching techniques and classroom strategies that I was able to implement immediately.” Patrick Shacklady, PGCE

Qualified teacher status (QTS)

To work as a teacher at a state school in England or Wales, you will need to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS). This is offered on this course for the following level:

  • Secondary

Entry requirements

You must be employed as a teacher in a secondary independent or state school and be teaching your subject for a minimum of twelve hours across two consecutive key stages. Every year some of our applicants have arranged to work in a school for the specific purpose of gaining this training, others have worked in the school for a year or two, some for longer than that. You will be expected to have the following qualifications: UK degree (2.2 or above). For equivalent qualifications, contact [email protected] to confirm that your qualification meets the University entry requirements GCSE in English Language, Maths at grade C/4 or above or equivalent. For equivalent qualifications, contact [email protected] to confirm that your qualification meets the University entry requirements. In addition, you must: Demonstrate competence in literacy and numeracy. Attend an interview. Provide a reference from your headteacher supporting your application to undertake a PGCE. Obtain the commitment from your school to release you for the second school placement and to provide a suitable mentor. Provide a satisfactory criminal record check and show the physical and mental fitness to teach. The employing school must be able to fully support a candidate through the course, enabling them to demonstrate all of the Teachers’ Standards across the full age and ability range of training, and cannot be graded as inadequate.


Fees and funding

Tuition fees

England £7250 Whole course
Northern Ireland £7250 Whole course
Scotland £7250 Whole course
Wales £7250 Whole course
Channel Islands £7250 Whole course

Additional fee information

Applicants must also pay a £275 non-refundable Registration Fee. Fees are invoiced at the beginning of the course. Instalments can be arranged directly with the Finance department upon receipt of the invoice. IAPS members are eligible for a reduced fee. Please select ‘IAPS’ on the partnership section of the application form. For further details please get in touch using the contact details above. Bursary funding If you need financial assistance for a course, please contact Shonali Mathur at: [email protected]. You will be asked to fill in a means-test form.
Secondary PGCE with Qualified Teacher Status at University of Buckingham - UCAS