Overview
Kickstart your career in primary education with a PGCE Primary Education. Designed for postgraduates, this course will enable you to teach Early Years, KS1 and KS2 as you gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) upon successful completion. You will also be able to register with the Teacher Regulations Agency (TRA), which is an essential requirement for teaching.
This dynamic and innovative course will prepare you for teaching children between 3-11. You may have the option to request your preferred age phase to ensure that you receive relevant experience during your placement: 3-7 or 5-11.
You may also be able to apply for a placement in a special educational needs school setting, which will be taken into consideration.
With strong partnerships with local primary schools and early years settings, you will gain experience in working with exceptional teachers in primary education, whilst also having school and University-based mentors for full guidance and support.
By the end of this course, you will be confident in front of the classroom, as well as understanding how to effectively plan lessons, teach phonics, and you will know how to illustrate your understanding of the teachers’ standards.
You will also be able to gain Master’s credits during your course, which will give you the option of further postgraduate study upon successful completion.
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Watch on YouTube98%
of our students that completed a QTS course were in employment or further study 15 months after finishing their course.
Graduate Outcomes Survey 2024Entry requirements
All entrants must hold a first degree from a United Kingdom higher education institution or equivalent qualification.
A good honours degree (2:2 and above). English (Language or Literature), maths, and science at GCSE (Grade C or Grade 4 above, or equivalent).
Successful completion of the Occupational Health Clearance and a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
For more information on English language requirements for this course, please click here to visit our dedicated IELTS web page.
We're interested in your potential as a teacher and so each application is considered on a case-by-case basis. We are looking for applicants who demonstrate enthusiasm and commitment to becoming the best teacher. Your application will need to be supported by one professional reference. (References from personal email accounts cannot be accepted).
2:2
Hons Degree
Module information
Core/optional modules
How you’ll learn
Your learning and development will be facilitated by a range of university-based and school-based colleagues. As well as having extensive experiences in the classroom as qualified teachers, our university-based lecturers are all experts in their field. Our school-based colleagues are also expert education professionals with a strong track-record of providing trainees with highly effective mentoring.
Through your studies, you will learn through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, school placements and self-study. All of these are supported through Blackboard, the university's virtual learning environment.
The use of a range of learning and teaching strategies is central to the design and planning of this course. This is because the learning you experience in the University and in schools needs to model explicitly and implicitly key aspects of subject and phase-specific pedagogy. Therefore, there is an emphasis on:
- Individual and collaborative learning
- Critical debate and discussion
- Micro-teaching; multi-sensory learning
- Active learning
- Use of inclusive and diverse resources and content
- Use of information and communication technologies
- Technology-enhanced learning and blended learning
- Independent learning and personal reflection
- Critical reviews
- Connections between research, theory and practical application.
You will learn in a variety of ways in school, including from experienced mentors, through observing others and through experience. There is also a degree of individual learning support offered on this course, provided by mentors in school and University tutors and school-based learning.
This is a full-time course and you should expect to be engaged in the course activity five days a week. It is important to note that during school placements you will be expected to be in school Monday to Friday.
The strong and supportive community within the internationally recognised Primary PGCE brings together aspiring teachers from a range of backgrounds. We believe in critically engaging with educational theory, research and policy to inform teaching. Through empowering our students, we are proud of the innovative teachers they become and the impact they have on children's learning.Sonia TomlinsonCourse Director
How you’ll be assessed
You will be assessed in two main ways: via academic assessments and the assessment of your teaching practice during School Experience 1 and 2.
You will submit assignments for each academic module, gaining Level 7 credits as you progress through the course. A range of assessment methods that to help you to evidence your knowledge, understanding and skills.
Student teachers are required by the Department for Education to demonstrate competence against a set of fundamental maths and English skills by the end of their training. These will be assessed across the course, with additional support provided as required to enable all student teachers to meet the expectations.
Following formative assessment during each School Experience, you will be assessed at the end of School Experience 2. Successful assessment against the Teachers' Standards will mean that you can be recommended for the award of QTS.
Your future career
The successful completion of this course equips you for employment as an Early Career Teacher (ECT) and to complete ECT induction into the teaching profession. From there, your teaching career can take you on to a very rewarding and exciting professional journey involving learning and teaching, leadership and management, research and advisory roles. There is also potential for you to engage in further study in the form of a Master’s degree and a doctorate.
Related courses
Fees
2025/26 tuition fees for this course
| UK | Overseas | |
| Full-time | £9535 | £15,500 |
Important information on tuition fees
Tuition fees for all courses are payable on an annual basis, except where stated. Please read the Tuition Fee Statement for further information regarding year on year fee increases.
Students studying FULL PGCE courses may be eligible to apply to Student Finance for a tuition fee loan and maintenance loan.
Students may self-fund their course or a sponsor may fund or part-fund. Bursaries, scholarships and fee discounts may also be available.
20% PGCE alumni discount: CCCU Alumni are being offered a 20% Alumni Discount on a range of PGCEs – terms and conditions apply.
You can find out more on our fees and funding web pages.
Further information
- If you would like information about paying your fees, please contact accounts.receivable@canterbury.ac.uk
- For specific fee queries, please contact fees@canterbury.ac.uk
Can I get a loan to study a PGCE?
Bursaries and scholarships
Generous tax-free funding is on offer to graduates training in a range of subjects, from a £31,000 scholarship for chemistry to a £26,000 bursary for geography. Visit the Department for Education’s Get into Teaching pages for details about the bursaries and scholarships available, including eligibility.
International students, please note: The Education Bursary cannot be used to pay the deposit required for your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). You will need to cover this cost separately.
Loans and other funding
With or without a bursary or scholarship, you could receive a tuition fee loan and maintenance loan to help fund your teacher training year. Alternatively, you could earn a salary whilst you train.
Visit GOV.UK and use the student finance calculator to estimate student loans and extra funding that may be available, e.g. if you’re disabled or have children.
Industry links
We work with a wide range of schools across our partnership. Mentors based in schools work closely with University tutors to develop our courses and support you as a student teacher.
Professional accreditation
Successful completion of this course means you will be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
The PGCE Primary Education course enables you to exceed the minimum requirements of teacher training as detailed through the Department for Education (DfE) Teachers’ Standards and the Initial Teacher Training Early Career Framework.
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