Assessment and Awards
Assessment
The PGCE programmes do not have any exams.
Primary, 7-14 and 11-18 years
Your programme is assessed through a combination of professional placement and course work, including two formal assignments (which you can submit at Masters level if you so wish), focused tasks and a Journal of self-reflective practice. Each professional placement is assessed against the standards by a combination of university and school staff, through formal observations of teaching. In order to be awarded the Primary PGCE you will be required to reach a satisfactory standard in each assessed element of the course and reach the standards required for the recommendation of the award of QTS.
Taught modules are assessed formally through professional investigations related to the module learning outcomes (one professional investigation each for Professional Studies and Curriculum Studies). The professional investigations are submitted for assessment at HE Level 6 or Level 7.
Informally assessed components of the course include a Subject Knowledge Audit, subject specific tasks and your reflections in a Learning Journal. These support you in understanding your progress to becoming a teacher, whilst mapping your progress towards meeting the standards for QTS.
14-19 years
Your programme is assessed through a combination of professional placement and course work. The main school and FE professional placements are assessed against the standards by a combination of university and school or college-based tutors, through formal observations of teaching.
Taught modules are assessed formally through written assignments related to the module learning outcomes (including one professional investigation each for Professional Studies and Curriculum Studies). The professional investigations are submitted for assessment at HE Level 6 or Level 7.
Informal assessment centres around a subject knowledge audit and a professional learning journal. Both of these support you in mapping your progress towards meeting the standards for QTS and QTLS.
Post Compulsary
Your programme is assessed through a range of written assignments during the programme, a satisfactory Record of Teaching and satisfactory achievement against teaching standards. A wide range of teaching and learning strategies will be employed on the programme including: lectures, seminars, tutorials, self-study, guided reading, role-play, case studies.
Awards
PGCE
Universities can use the title ‘PGCE’ as an abbreviation for both the Postgraduate Certificate in Education and the Professional Graduate Certificate in Education. The main difference is that the Postgraduate Certificate involves completing more work at Master’s level to gain credits. You do not need to decide which to do before you start.
Masters Credits
The completion of all PGCE programmes (with exception of Post-compulsory) can lead to two possible awards. Those who gain 120 credits at HE level
6, or 100 at level 6 and 20 at level 7, are awarded a Professional Graduate Certificate in Education. Those who gain
40 credits at level 7 as well as 80 credits at Level 6, are awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Education. If you complete the Postgraduate Certificate the
40 Masters credits awarded at level 7 can be used towards a Masters in Education, which you can complete at the University.
Both the Postgraduate Certificate and the Professional Graduate Certificate include the recommendation of Qualified Teaching Status (QTS) (with the exception of the Post Compulsory programme), which is confirmed by the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE).
QTS
The PGCE Primary, 7-14, 11-18 and 14-19 years (see below for Post-compulsory) lead to the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). This is the accreditation that enables you to teach in state-maintained and special schools in England and Wales. Anyone who wants to teach in a state-maintained school in England or Wales needs to gain qualified teacher status (QTS). To achieve this award, you need to complete a period of initial teacher training (ITT), which will enable you to meet the professional standards for QTS; a formal set of skills and qualities required to be an effective teacher.
QTLS
The PGCE 14-19 years and Post Compulsory lead to the award of Qualified Teacher Learning & Skills status (QTLS), after successfully completing the programme and a period of professional formation in a Lifelong Learning Sector context.
The PGCE Post Compulsory programme is designed for those seeking employment in the Post Compulsory sector and those who obtain the PGCE will not be eligible for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) required for teaching in the compulsory sector. However, PGCE students may be recruited by schools and onto the graduate teacher scheme and may be subsequently granted QTS as a result of their additional learning and experience.