PGCE Secondary Education with QTS (School Based)

Prepare for a career as a secondary school teacher and graduate with Qualified Teacher Status. Pass on your passion for learning and motivate young people to succeed. Help make sure every child has access to a high-quality education.

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Start date/study mode:

Course codeCID1605

Duration1 year

Fee(s)View fees

LocationOn campus

Course summary

The PGCE Secondary Education (School Based) course is designed for graduates who want to train as secondary school teachers through hands-on experience in a school, supported by the University.

We partner with around 12 schools, grouped into School Based Alliances led by a lead school. You'll apply to one of these Alliances and, if successful at interview, be placed in one of their host schools for your training.

Many trainees go on to work at their placement school, as the initiative helps schools grow future teaching and leadership talent.

On successful completion, you’ll be awarded both a PGCE and Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), allowing you to teach in any state-maintained secondary school in England.

What you'll study

Many of our courses include a range of modules you can choose from. Some of these options may only be available if you’ve already studied specific required modules. If you’re not sure what you need before picking a module, your course leader can help.

PGCE module credits should total 120. If optional modules are available alongside core modules on your course, you should choose an amount that totals 120 credits.

How you'll learn

The training you receive on the PGCE School Based course will take place at both your school and the University. You'll spend time at the University during non-assessed weeks, plus induction days, intensive training and practice (ITAP) days, and review days. You'll be taught via lectures, seminars, tutorials, group work, and independent study.

Work-based learning will be based in your school. You'll have a school and University mentor who support you during placements and assess your progress. As part of the four modules, you'll be assessed via written work and your teaching practice where you'll collect evidence from school experiences and have this reviewed by your Personal Academic Tutor.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need a 2:2 (or above) honours degree from a UK Higher Education institution or an equivalent qualification and be deemed suitable to train to teach by the University.

You should also hold a GCSE grade C or above (or equivalent) in mathematics and English language, or equivalent qualification. If you've studied for a GCSE which has a numerical grade, you'll need to achieve a grade 4 or above. We'll only accept equivalencies from equivalencytesting.com(opens in new tab).

School Based tuition route:

You must have:

An enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
A completed medical pro forma (based on DFEE Circular 8/92).

Your numeracy and literacy competency will be assessed continuously throughout the course following the DfE’s removal of the Professional Skills Test.

All successful applicants will be invited to an interview. Interviews start early November, so we recommend that you apply as soon as UCAS opens in October.

You'll be assessed on your potential to learn and not your experience.

Please note, this course isn't available to international students.

Fees and finance support

If you study for this PGCE, you'll pay the same yearly tuition fee as an undergraduate Home student.

Undergraduate fees are set according to rules from Government in line with forecast inflation. If you're a Home fee-paying student, the fee for your first year of study for 2026/27 will be £9,790. You'll pay tuition fees for every year of study. Fees may increase every year based on the Retail Price Index.

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Apply now

Start date/study mode:

If you're applying for a postgraduate initial teacher training course, you should apply via the government website(opens in new tab).

For more information, please contact our Student Helpline team on 0191 515 3000(opens in new tab) or email student.helpline@sunderland.ac.uk(opens in new tab).

Disclaimer

We want to make sure you have clear and accurate information about our courses. Our website always shows the latest updates. If you’ve applied and been offered a place, we’ll contact you in writing if anything important changes.

View our programme specifications(opens in new tab) for further information about what the course covers, learning outcomes and the skills you'll gain when you graduate.