PGCE Primary Education Part-time: Additional information

All UK universities must follow a rigorous course approval process set by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA). This includes review by external academics and stakeholders who ensure the degree meets high academic and organisational standards. Each year, a report is written to monitor the course quality, including feedback from an External Examiner who checks that it meets its aims, maintains quality, and compares well to similar courses.

This PGCE consistently exceeds these standards. Initial Teacher Training is also inspected by Ofsted, which has rated the University’s provision as ‘Good’.

Yes, you'll receive a DfE number, which is required (alongside QTS) if you want to teach in the UK.

Yes, but we can't guarantee that any particular school will accept it. We do, however, have good evidence that they will.

If you're enrolled on this course, it's your responsibility to find a school willing to host your placement. The school must understand what’s required to support your teaching practice. While we can’t arrange placements for you, we’re happy to provide information and speak with schools about the course and what’s involved.

Placement structures vary depending on which UK country you’re in. Students in Northern Ireland follow a slightly different structure, and most school days must be completed in England. If this applies to you, please ask for more details or consider applying for the PGCE iQTS course.

Year 1 placement (original setting):

• 65 days

• To be completed by the end of May of Year 1

• Consists of 30 non-assessed focus days, 30 assessed days, and five enhancement days in one school

• The 30 non-assessed focus days can be completed on a flexible basis in agreement with the school. They can be full-time or part-time and there’s no requirement that these days are consecutive.

• The 30 assessed days must be full-time and completed over six consecutive weeks (unless there’s a school holiday scheduled). The expectation is that you’ll build up to teaching the whole class for 50% of a full-time teacher’s timetable.

• The five enhancement days can be completed on a flexible basis in agreement with the school. They can be full-time or part-time and there’s no requirement that these days are consecutive. They need to be completed ‘out of phase’.

Year 2 placements (subject to review following DfE guidance):

• 75 days

• To be completed by the end of May of Year 2

• Consists of two placements, one in an alternate setting (i.e., a different school) and one in the original school used in Year 1, or all in an alternate setting to the school used in Year 1

• The alternate setting placement consists of five non-assessed focus days and 25 assessed days. The five non-assessed focus days can be completed on a flexible basis in agreement with the school. They can be full-time or part-time and there’s no requirement that these days are consecutive. The 25 assessed days must be full-time and completed over four consecutive weeks (unless there’s a school holiday scheduled). You’ll be expected to teach around 60% of the timetable.

• The original setting placement consists of five non-assessed focus days and 40 assessed days. The non-assessed focus days can be completed on a flexible basis, as above. The 40 assessed days must be full-time and completed over eight consecutive weeks (unless there’s a school holiday scheduled). The expectation is that you’ll build up to teaching the whole class for 80% of a full-time teacher’s timetable.

As part of the course, you’re required to find a mentor – this is your responsibility. Your mentor must hold Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and have at least one year of post-qualification teaching experience. While prior mentoring experience is helpful, it’s not essential. They should have completed a teacher training course, and support will be available to guide them in their role.

The requirements of a mentor include:

• Getting to know the trainee and offering regular support
• Observing the trainee’s teaching weekly and giving constructive feedback
• Meeting with the trainee once a week to review progress and set targets
• Helping with lesson planning and preparation of teaching materials
• Introducing the trainee to key staff and encouraging wider support
• Sharing teaching materials and ideas where possible
• Advising on assessment strategies and lesson evaluations
• Discussing the trainee’s progress with relevant staff
• Actively listening and offering thoughtful, non-prescriptive guidance
• Completing interim and final reports on the trainee’s teaching
• Supporting the trainee in evaluating their evidence portfolio against the teaching standards.

Mentoring usually takes approximately 1.5 hours per week. The University makes a payment to the school for hosting the placement.

This PGCE focuses on the primary age phase, with opportunities in the modules to explore themes related to age, phase, and subject. Your training and academic assignments will be based on the age phase you're working in, helping you develop a strong understanding of that specific group.

While some schools may value your subject knowledge and PGCE training enough to consider you for roles outside your trained age phase, this isn’t guaranteed. Your assessments and teaching standards will reflect your competence in the phase you trained in, so if you’re aiming to work outside this phase in the future, it’s important to think carefully and be realistic about your options.

As a postgraduate course, this PGCE requires a bachelor’s degree with honours. In some cases, we may accept alternative qualifications if they're considered equivalent in content and level. This isn’t automatic – we assess each application individually and make decisions based on the qualifications and background presented.

You're welcome to take part in our annual graduation ceremony, held in Sunderland. If you finish your course at a different time, you can still attend – though it may be at a different ceremony than your main cohort.

All students must provide proof of English language proficiency. If your degree was taught in English, you may be exempt – UK degrees are automatically accepted. Check whether your certificate or transcript confirms English as the medium of instruction. If it doesn’t, ask your university to provide a letter on official headed paper stating this clearly.

If you’re unable to provide this evidence, you may need to take the academic IELTS test. The required minimum scores are:

• Overall: 6.5
• Writing: 6.5
• Reading, Speaking, and Listening: no less than 6.0.

We’ll review your application as soon as possible, but it must pass certain checks first. In some cases, we may ask you to confirm your school placement or provide outstanding documents. After review, you’ll be invited to an interview and then told if you’ve received a conditional offer. Once you meet all the conditions, you’ll get an unconditional offer.

You can be accepted onto the course without a school or mentor in place, but you must secure both before you can fully enrol.