Postgraduate Taught

Keele University has a long established reputation in Initial Teacher Education. The PGCE offers education and training in nine subjects on a one-year course. One year (36 weeks) Pre-Initial Teacher Education Subject Knowledge Enhancement Courses are offered in four subjects and six months (24 weeks) Pre-Initial Teacher Education Subject

Knowledge Enhancement Courses are offered in two subjects. Students who successfully complete these courses progress onto a PGCE or to an alternative Initial Teacher Education Programme.

Since the 2006/7 academic year, successful students have been able to achieve academic credits at Masters degree level.

The course is underpinned by a genuine partnership between the University, partner schools and colleges and the students (referred to as Associate Teachers).

The PGCE Programme at Keele has been designed to be both academic and vocational and is predicated on the requirement to provide challenging expectations of the achievements of the participants as beginner teachers and to create a teaching and learning environment that will engage their interest and motivation.

The broad aims of the PGCE Programme are to:

• Support the development of newly qualified teachers as highly motivated, creative, reflective practitioners based on research and scholarship
• Enable participants to become effective subject practitioners
• Develop participants’ understanding of issues relating to teaching and learning in their specific subject specialism
• Inform participants’ professional practice on the basis of theory, research and practical experience
• Prepare participants for a career in teaching that will prove to be successful and rewarding
• Develop in participants a commitment to and enthusiasm for continuing professional and personal development

By the end of the PGCE course, participants should be able to:

• Cope effectively in the classroom
•  Understand their subject and how to teach it
•  Appreciate the potential for achieving social justice in their teaching
• Cope with the wider aspects of being a teacher
  Understand pupil characteristics and differences amongst pupils
• Identify criteria for evaluating their professional practice and be able to learn from and through evaluation

Participants should also:

• Have developed an awareness of the sort of teacher they want to be
• Have developed criteria for evaluating their teaching
• Be able to learn from this evaluation

We seek to encourage applications from a wide variety of backgrounds, but all candidates will need to have:

• An honours degree in their main teaching subject or have followed an undergraduate course within which the subject constituted a major component. It is normally expected that a minimum of 40% of the degree should be directly related to the subject in which an applicant wishes to train, although work-related experience in some areas can be taken into account
• GCSE in English Language and Mathematics at Grade C or higher (or equivalent qualification). Keele University offers equivalence tests for those candidates who do not have these qualifications
• A degree classification that is normally at 2.2 or higher
• Satisfactory levels of capability in Information and Communication Technology
• An interest in teaching within the curriculum area that is clearly demonstrated. This may be evidenced in a number of ways – time spent in schools and/or colleges, knowledge of the chosen curriculum area and appropriate/relevant practical and/or professional experience

Each subject sets specific requirements as appropriate and contact should be made with the University. The website should be accessed for this. We are very happy to consider candidates with professional qualifications of graduate equivalence status and we encourage applications from such people.

We recognise that a number of people may have non-traditional degrees and/or other qualifications and/or experiences. We would encourage them to make contact with relevant staff within the School of Public Policy and Professional Practice to seek specific help and guidance.

Pre-Initial Teacher Education Subject Knowledge Enhancement Courses

The general requirements for the one year PGCE courses also apply for the Subject Knowledge Enhancement Courses as these courses lead to successful students undertaking a PGCE or other ITE routes into teaching. The courses are designed to develop subject knowledge. Each subject has specific requirements.

Mathematics: Graduate in any specialism. Mathematics at least to A Level. We would normally expect that a candidate’s degree has included some mathematical components, but each case is considered on its merits.

Information and Communication Technology: Graduate in any specialism. ICT capability to be demonstrated through study at further and/or higher education level and/or through professional/ industrial work.

Chemistry and Physics: for the one year courses, candidates may be graduates in a science subject but will not have a second science to at least A Level. A candidate may not have studied Science at degree level, but has science profiles at A Level. Similarly, candidates for the six-month course will have indentified gaps in respect of subject knowledge in the specific science area which would need to be addressed before they would be deemed ready to commence their Initial Teacher Education Programme. The availability of six-month and one-year courses enables the University to respond to individual needs and to place candidates on a course most suited to them.

The one-year course is an intensive programme. A minimum of 120 days is spent on professional placement in schools and colleges (and other educational settings as appropriate).

All course participants undertake modules in:

• Main Methods
• Education and Professional Studies
• Supplementary Studies (designed to broaden and support work in Main Methods)

Three professional placements are undertaken in Secondary schools and/or colleges. A Primary school placement is completed in the induction phase of the course. Social Science and Psychology participants undertake a multi-agency/alternative settings placement.

Pre-Initial Teacher Education Subject Knowledge Enhancement Courses

These courses are designed to broaden and deepen subject knowledge.

Subjects Available

One Year

• English
• Geography
• History
• Information and Communication Technology
• Mathematics
• Modern Foreign Languages (French, French with German, French with Spanish, German with French, Spanish with French, Urdu with French)
• Science (Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Physics)

One Year (36 weeks) Pre-Initial Teacher Education Subject Knowledge Enhancement Course

• Chemistry
• ICT
• Mathematics
• Physics

Course participants are assessed through written assignments, presentations and a range of files/ portfolios that are put together during the year. Professional competence and capability in the classroom, as measured against National Standards, is assessed throughout the placements. Work undertaken in the Pre-Initial Teacher Education Subject Knowledge Enhanced Course is assessed via coursework, examinations, laboratory tasks and similar activities.