ObjectivesOur full time, one year PGCE programme will help bring your graduate expertise, skills and enthusiasm to the imaginative and practical teaching of Science (biology, chemistry or physics) to children of all abilities from 11 to 18. The programme formally assesses you for the 11-16 national standards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) set by the Training and Development Agency (TDA), but goes beyond this. Education is complex and challenging. Recognising the level of intellectual engagement that this means, we offer credits at both Professional and Postgraduate levels, which means that you can accumulate up to 60 Master’s credits on this programme. In the Plymouth PGCE you will work in a series of strong groups. One is the whole cohort of all subjects where you will learn about wider professional issues: here we explore the educational issues that affect teaching young people to be independent and prepared for our rapidly changing society. Another is the science subject group, where you will enjoy mutual tuition and support. A third grouping will be that of your subject specialism: we will offer you support to become a specialist for teaching biology. You will also work in the University of Plymouth’s newest academic accommodation - the purpose-built Rolle Building. The whole PGCE programme is designed to build your capacities towards meeting the teaching challenges and opportunities of the twenty-first century. The Programme Aims are to: -prepare each student for entry into the profession as a subject specialist with the levels of knowledge, personal qualities and standards of professional competence necessary to stimulate the imagination of children and to maintain and improve standards in schools -engender in each student an appreciation of the fascination of teaching, of the range of possibilities for continued professional development and of the relationship between educators and society. More widely, we recognise the real career opportunities that teaching offers. You can accumulate up to 60 credits, which you might use later towards a Masters level qualification. We also work with the University’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) teams to help newly qualified teachers (NQTs) complete their Master’s degree in the early stages of their career. In this way, we provide opportunities for your whole career trajectory, from initial training through to higher degree level. In our last Ofsted inspection we received the highest grade possible and inspectors noted that our partner schools feel they have a close relationship with the faculty and share a strong commitment to providing high-quality training and support for students The programme aims to prepare you to teach in a way that makes use of the latest developments that are available to you. One strong theme that runs through the programme is integrating the use of new technology into your teaching. You will be introduced to a range of modern scientific software as well as being trained to use and develop resources for the interactive white boards that are now to be found in many science classrooms. Through their wider work, the staff keep up to date and work on some of the latest curriculum developments for science. They then incorporate information on these developments into the programme, so that the students are fully aware of current issues and innovations. During the spring term we do include a special series of sessions that help students prepare to teach A-level science (biology, chemistry or physics) in a way that is engaging and stimulating. This block of teaching enhances the course and is very popular with the students.
Entry requirementsEntry requirements An honours degree or equivalent in a science subject or a closely related subject plus GCSE at grade C or above, or equivalent pass, in English Language and Mathematics. Equivalency tests are available for otherwise qualified candidates. Extended Entry requirements Suitability for the PGCE Secondary programme is judged on a range of factors including academic qualifications, ability to work with other people and a real interest in learning. A minimum of two weeks experience in schools is essential and applicants are expected to arrange visits to local schools, and to be able to discuss their observations of pupils and classrooms at interview.
Academic titlePGCE Secondary Education (Science)
Course descriptionGeneral programme structure
Two thirds of your PGCE year will be spent in South West schools. You will be placed on two main secondary school placements as well as shorter visits to primary schools. You will be supervised jointly by a school mentor and a Faculty tutor.
We provide serial school practice days in your first placement school so you are not "thrown in at the deep end". Serial school practice gives a range of graduated practical experience. That weekly experience helps develop early confidence and acheivement, building towards competence and taking responsibility in the classroom.
Learning and assessment
We believe in the holistic nature of teaching and so rather than separate theory and practice, we have developed an integrated programme of school and Faculty work with each module planned, taught and assessed by a partnership of school mentors and faculty tutors.
All modules are assessed by coursework or by practical teaching. Assessment is designed to ensure that you can achieve the Professional Standards required by the DfES.
-You will maintain Professional Development and Subject Knowledge Profiles which will chart your development in meeting the Professional Standards.
-In all modules there will be a number of short tasks as well as the main assessment activity. These will usually involve presentations, preparing for seminars, ICT tasks or preparation for work in schools.
-All the assignments are based around school experience and are designed to be learning experiences shared with other students, mentors and tutors. You will be expected to draw on your experience of teaching as well as providing evidence of reading and reflection.
-We recognise that some of the assignments may require you to develop new skills, eg academic writing, the use of particular computer software, and that sometimes students can be anxious about this. For this reason considerable tutorial support is provided and you are encouraged to use it