Primary Teaching leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) PGCE

Our PGCE course in Primary Teaching provides an intensive, highly challenging and rewarding programme that will enable you to qualify as a primary teacher for Key Stage 1 and 2 at the end of a year of training. You will also receive the award of PGCE with 60 credits towards a masters degree. School experience in our excellent range of partnership schools is an integral part of the course, helping you relate theory to practice.

What will you study?

The course will equip you with a sound knowledge of the core subjects of English, mathematics, ICT and science, along with a broader understanding of subjects such as art, geography and physical education. You will study your chosen specialist subject in further depth, and develop the essential skills of communication, planning, teaching and assessment that you will need in practice.

You will spend 24 weeks of the 36-week course on school placements, supported by a school-based mentor and/or a university tutor.

Please be aware: applicants starting initial teacher training courses from September 2013 need to pass the tests before starting their course to ensure they can be recommended for the award of qualified teacher status (QTS). Find out about about how to register for the skills test.

"The well-designed course structure enabled me to plan ahead and it made a big difference to me that my school experience placements could be located close to my home." Christine Briggs

"Leaving my first placement class knowing that I'd actually taught them something was a great feeling and showed me that coming to Kingston to do a PGCE was a fantastic decision." Claire Saul

Read more about what our students said about Kingston's Primary Teaching PGCE.

We work closely with local education authorities, schools, colleges and a wide-range of educational organisations. This helps us to ensure your studies are kept up-to-date in the changing world of education.

Find out more...

You will have the opportunity to study a foreign language for free during your time at the University as part of the Kingston Language Scheme. Options currently include: Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin and Spanish.

Please note that this is an indicative list of modules and is not intended as a definitive list. Those listed here may also be a mixture of core and optional modules.

Modules

• Core National Curriculum areas: English, Maths, Science and ICT

• Core National Curriculum areas: English, Maths, Science and ICT

  Modules in the core curriculum subjects (English, maths and science) develop your own subject knowledge and give you the confidence and competence to teach all aspects of the National Curriculum in these subjects at primary level.
  
  A module in ICT considers how it can be used to support and enhance teaching and learning in all curriculum areas.

  
   
• Broader curriculum subjects: Art, Design Technology, History, Geography, Expressive Arts, Physical Education and Religious Education

• Broader curriculum subjects: Art, Design Technology, History, Geography, Expressive Arts, Physical Education and Religious Education

  The Broader Curriculum module gives you an introduction to the foundation subjects, along with a basic knowledge and understanding of their teaching and learning. The foundation subjects are:

  • art;
  • design technology;
  • history;
  • geography;
  • music;
  • performing arts;
  • physical education; and
  • religious education.
  
   
• Early Years Specialism

• Early Years Specialism

  The early years (Foundation Stage / Key Stage 1) specialism enables you to examine the philosophies underpinning the play based and formal approaches to learning and teaching. You will also experience and explore planning and assessment in the Foundation Stage and the issues and challenges that arise when supporting children through the transition between different phases of education.

  
   
• Foreign Language Specialism

• Foreign Language Specialism

  You may choose to study French, German or Spanish as a subject specialism. You will develop your subject knowledge, enabling you to teach language in a lively and creative way at primary level. You will also have the option to take part in a two-week placement in a school in France (Besançon), Germany (Bonn) or Spain (Barcelona).

  
   
• Teacher as a Researcher/Subject specialism

• Teacher as a Researcher/Subject specialism

  For your Subject Specialism module, you choose a primary National Curriculum subject, usually closely related to your degree profile or A-levels, to study more broadly. You consider:

  • the subject's importance in the primary curriculum;
  • content and teaching approaches across Key Stages 1 and 2;
  • the leadership and management of the subject; and
  • its relation to the broader issues of special educational needs, inclusion, citizenship and English as an additional language.

  If you decide to focus on Foundation/Key Stage 1, then you study early years education as your specialism. You develop your knowledge in key areas such as:

  • the Foundation Stage curriculum;
  • early childhood development;
  • teaching and learning; and
  • home-school partnerships.

  If you decide to focus on upper primary teaching, you can choose to study French, German or Spanish as your subject specialism. You develop your own subject knowledge, enabling you to teach language in a lively and creative way at primary level. You also take part in a four-week placement in a school in France, Germany or Spain.

  
   
• The Reflective Professional

• The Reflective Professional

  Within this module you will develop the skills to reflect critically on your professional and pedagogic knowledge, understanding and practice.

  You will consider professional aspects of your practice, such as social, cultural, linguistic, religious and ethnic diversity within the classroom; positive values and behaviour management. You will study child development and theories of teaching and learning, and will be introduced to the skills of planning, effective assessment, teaching and class management.

  
   
• School Experience (18 weeks)

• School Experience (18 weeks)

  School experience placements support you in meeting the professional standards required for Qualified Teacher Status. You benefit from:

  • experiencing the full professional role of the teacher;
  • the opportunity to relate theory to practice within the school setting; and
  • the support and guidance of a school-based mentor and/or a university tutor.
  
   

The School of Education teaches this course. Find out more...

Learn more about the facilities available to you as a student of this course. Find out more...

We want to make sure you get all the support you need while you are with us. Here you can see the range of support we can offer you while you're doing this course. Find out more...