PGCE
PGCE Post-Compulsory Education
Train as a teacher in further education
Course Overview
Why take this course?
The course encourages the development of the ‘professional teacher’, combining reflective learning with skills-based practical teaching. You may train at the university, or at our partner colleges, Chichester College and Eastleigh College, and will be encouraged to develop subject-specific knowledge by working closely with your university teachers and college subject mentors at your designated teaching placement.
Please note: Teacher training for the Post Sixteen Sector is currently under national review. New qualifications are to be introduced from September 2013; we are recruiting for 2013 on the basis of existing criteria, and applicants should be aware that amendments will occur. We are however intending to still offer the equivalent of a PGCE for the Post Sixteen Sector.
What will I experience?
On this course you can:
- Undertake placements with our network of experience training schools
- Train in classroom management techniques as you study the theory underpinning them
- Develop your subject knowledge
What opportunities might it lead to?
This PGCE provides the skills and knowledge to take up opportunities of teaching in further and higher education environments. You may also be able to take a conversion course for teaching at schools.
The PGCE has made me realise that I would never look back to going into the business industry, as I feel teaching is where I belong.
Lani Douangchak, PGCE Post-Compulsory Education student 2013
Key Facts
- Duration
- 1 year full time, 2 years part time
- Entry
A good honours degree or equivalent in a relevant subject. GCSE Mathematics and English language at grade C or above, or equivalent. All shortlisted applicants are subject to interview. All offers are subject to Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance and Occupational Health clearance.
English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.0.- Fees
UK/EU/Channel Islands and Isle of Man full-time students: £8,750, part-time students: £2,250 p/a* (2 years)
International full-time students: £10,500, part-time students: £5,250 p/a* (2 years)
*Please note that all fees are subject to annual increase.- Contact
- secs.enquiries@port.ac.uk
+44 (0)23 9284 5204 - Department
- School of Education and Continuing Studies
Structure & Teaching
Teaching and learning theories, together with current educational research, provide the basis for the course. Our course team will help you progress through the units which have been carefully structured to ensure sequential progression.
The course aims to:
- promote an excellent learning experience for all students including educational and personal success and independence in an inclusive accessible, relevant, supportive environment
- provide a practice-based programme that creates effective opportunities for you to reflect on your professional practice and enhance your teaching competence
- apply learning theories to practice when planning, implementing and evaluating teaching and learning programmes in the post-compulsory education sector
- generate personal and professional self-confidence from which to create a sound base for further professional and career development
- enable the development of professional practice to a recognised national standardencourage the professional sharing of subject-specific experiences and knowledge relating to teaching and learning between student teachers and tutors
Units
- Unit 1.1 Planning, Assessing and Evaluating Teaching and Learning Programmes: this unit encourages you to understand how to organise and plan your teaching and learning sessions and use different assessment methods, as well as start developing your own personal and professional skills.
- Unit 1.2 Theories and Principles for Planning and Enabling Learning in a Specialist Subject Area: in this unit you will examine a range of teaching and learning theories, learn how to plan and develop inclusive learning into your lessons and understand how to use a range of communication and classroom management skills.
- Unit 2.1 Professional Practice: this unit encourages you to review the development of your personal and professional skills, develop a career management file and research into a specific area of your teaching.
- Unit 2.2 Curriculum Design in a Specialist Subject Area: in this unit you will learn about the range of contexts in which education and training are offered, analyse theories and models of curriculum design and understand how to promote equality within practice.
Teaching and Assessment
The PGCE enrolment is in the last week of September and the course lasts for a minimum of 32 weeks, beginning the first week in October and finishing at the end of June.
Teaching approaches include a mixture of lectures, seminars and workshops, guided preparatory reading and active group participation.
Full-time route
The course encourages the development of teaching skills specifically for this education sector and incorporates both work-based learning experience and supervised teaching practice.
Teaching placements are offered in further education and sixth form colleges, starting in the first week of November and finishing the last week in May. All teaching placements are arranged with colleges who are part of the Portsmouth Partnership Programme by the School Placement Manager. This experience offers opportunities to develop professional teaching skills involving planning, assessing and evaluating teaching sessions across a range of programmes and also includes observed teaching practice.
Tutorial support is provided at the University by academic and personal tutors, and includes group and individual tutorials. In the teaching experience placement a professional mentor provides general educational support whilst a subject mentor provides specific guidance relating to teaching and learning skills.
Part-time route
Workshops and self-directed learning link to and encourage the development of the minimum core curriculum of language, literacy, numeracy and ICT in supporting your own skill base. Subject-specialist tutorials involve both group and individual support and develop subject-specific knowledge and skills as well as linking the Qualifications Curriculum Authorities (QCA) framework of personal learning and thinking skills to action planning processes. The emphasis throughout is on inclusive teaching and learning combined with reflective practice within a teacher’s own specialist area of work.
How are you assessed?
On the full-time pathway there are four units of study during the year each with varying approaches to assessment.
On the part-time pathway there are two units of study per year and each unit is assessed through coursework and portfolio. The observation of your teaching competence is carried out by college tutors and subject-specialised mentors.
Tutor's view
Sally Allen
PGCE Post-complulsory Education
This course brings together educational theory and teaching practice enabling you to become a dual professional where both your subject knowledge and your teaching skills will improve with the support of your peers, mentors and tutors
Facilities & Features
School Links
We have a wide range of links to schools in the area
OFSTED
Regular OFSTED inspections
Support and Bursaries
Support and training bursaries available
University Library
Modern, comfortable and a great learning environment
School Links
The School of Education and Continuing Studies maintains strong relationships with a network of partner schools and colleges, which helps over 80% of our trainees obtain jobs in the area.
OFSTED
Regular inspections by Ofsted and the Quality Assurance Authority have confirmed Portsmouth as an excellent provider of courses in education, a position supported by strong performance in newspaper league tables and the National Student Survey.
Support and Bursaries
If you join a full-time PGCE teacher training course you may be eligible for a training bursary from the government. English students can also apply to Student Finance England for a tuition fee loan, maintenance loan and maintenance grant, and may also be eligible for a University of Portsmouth Bursary.
University Library
Modern, comfortable and a great learning environment, our library offers a wealth of information including 400,000 books, DVDs, maps and thousands of online ejournals and newspapers. Many electronic resources are available anywhere, 24/7 and our friendly staff are always on hand to help.
Everyone is so keen to help and support each other even if they're teaching a different subject - there is something for everyone here and with the help of the staff and my peers I know I will succeed.
Emma Clark, PGCE - Professional Post-Compulsory Education student
Careers & Opportunities
Career prospects
This programme will enable you to teach in further and higher education environments. It is also an eligible course for conversion to Qualified Teacher Status.
Career planning
One of the benefits of studying at Portsmouth is the support that we provide to our Master's and Research Degrees students in career planning. Our careers and recruitment service – Purple Door – can assist you in career research and finding employment opportunities. Help is also available if you wish to find a part-time job while studying your degree. We offer our postgraduate students and alumni one-to-one appointments with a careers adviser, or an online service for those not able to travel back to the University. Our alumni can call on our career services for five years after graduation.
In addition, regular employability events offer you the chance to meet employers, find out about different career sectors and improve your applications or CV. The Graduate Summer Programme provides a range of guidance and employability seminars and workshops.