Primary Education with QTS PGCE

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Train to be a primary school teacher and graduate with Qualified Teacher Status. Share your love of learning and inspire young people. Ensure every child gets access to a quality education.

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Overview

The PGCE Primary Education with QTS will qualify you to teach at primary level in any state-maintained school in England.

This PGCE teaching course blends theoretical knowledge with carefully supervised teaching experience. You'll attend placements in various school settings to gain a broad understanding of being a primary school teacher.

A part-time version of the course is available, mostly via distance learning with some focused on-campus sessions, making this option more flexible for anyone studying around existing commitments.

Please ensure you use the correct DfE code when applying:

PGCE Primary Education with QTS full-time (DfE code G381)
PGCE Primary Education with QTS part-time (DfE code Z067)

Why us?

We have partnerships with over 650 schools, colleges and other educational establishments across the North East and beyond
The PGCE Primary Education course is designed to enable you to spend 120 days in a school or other educational institution
All qualified teachers will have a starting salary of at least £31,650, and this will be higher for teachers working in London

Graduate with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and be eligible to teach in any state-maintained primary school in England
Benefit from flexible learning by studying the course part-time over two years
Graduate from a university which has been training teachers for over 100 years

Course structure

Full-time study

Teaching placements are an important part of the PGCE Primary Education course, where you'll benefit from practical learning and be supported by mentors in school, University tutors, and your peers. By the end of the PGCE, you'll have knowledge and experience of working in primary schools.

Your progress will be assessed with written assignments, case studies, and assessments of your teaching practice. Your subject knowledge will also be monitored with audits to identify your strengths and areas of development, working with your subject specialist tutors to improve.

The PGCE Primary Education is a mixture of University-based learning and in-school training. You'll spend at least 120 days on placement in at least two educational settings. As well as placements, we provide you with additional theory linked practice days in schools, which will enable you to research and experience practice in important aspects of education introduced in University sessions. These include the Early Years Foundation Stage, KS3/4, experience of diversity and inclusion in school, English as an additional language (EAL), and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

Part-time study

The part-time course is taught through online and distance learning methods, face to face lectures and workshops, and online forums with personal tutors. You'll also engage in work-based training through bespoke teaching placements. Assessment is through a range of methods including electronic assignment submissions, case studies, observations, presentations and production, and evaluation of learning resources.

You'll be expected to study approximately 16 hours a week and will spend two weekends on campus, one in year 1 and one in year 2. To be eligible for the award of PGCE with QTS, you must also spend a minimum of 120 days in school.

Although you can complete your teaching placement in the school you currently work in as part of your assessed placement, you'll be required to complete six weeks in a different school setting during your second year. You'll need to be able to negotiate time away from your current employer.

Prior to starting this primary education degree, you may wish to carry out a five-day placement, assisting and observing in a primary school of your choice, with a focus on your elected route. This ensures that you have recent and relevant experience in school settings, which will subsequently be built upon during lectures and in the teaching practice that follows. During this placement, you'll complete a pre-placement handbook, which is used as a record of the tasks carried out and a starting point for discussion with your personal tutor.

Course modules

Emerging Professional Practice in Primary Education (30 credits)

This module will give you the chance to develop purposeful integration between subject knowledge, pedagogical, and theoretical knowledge, taught both in university sessions and in practical experiences in educational settings. You’ll begin to develop an understanding of the role, responsibilities, and requirements of the professional teacher.

Professional Practice in Primary Education (30 credits)

In this module, you’ll continue to develop purposeful integration between subject knowledge, pedagogical, and theoretical knowledge, taught both in university sessions and in practical experiences in educational settings. The module builds on the experiences undertaken in the Emerging Professional Practice module, and you’ll continue to gain an understanding of the role, responsibilities, and requirements of the professional teacher, allowing you to put this into practice.

Learning and Teaching in Primary Education 1 (30 credits)

This module will introduce you to the content of subject areas taught within the Early Years Foundation Stage and the primary national curriculum. You’ll have the opportunity to structure and undertake a piece of independent academic study related to your professional development based around a resource for use in school. This will encourage you to engage in intellectual challenge and dialogue through a process of action research. You’ll develop both general and specific knowledge and skills, which will vary according to your chosen area of study. You’ll also begin to identify and develop an understanding of pedagogical approaches, adaptive teaching, planning, and assessment strategies.

Learning and Teaching in Primary Education 2 (30 credits)

In this module, you’ll continue to develop your understanding of the content of subject areas taught within the Early Years Foundation Stage and the primary national curriculum. You’ll collate a portfolio of evidence to support your development of subject specific knowledge and create an action plan outlining proposed actions to improve this, reflecting on your success. You’ll also continue to identify, refine, and develop an understanding of pedagogical approaches, adaptive teaching, planning, and assessment strategies.

Some modules have prerequisites. Read more about what this means in our Help and Advice article.

More about PGCE Primary Education with QTS at Sunderland

Discover more articles

You can access free Wi-Fi throughout the University campus, so you can work from anywhere. If you don't want to carry a laptop around, just use one of the University’s PCs or Macs. We have hundreds of computers for you to use in the Murray Library, St Peter's Library, and the David Goldman Informatics Centre. If you ever have any technical problems, just ask the friendly helpdesk team.
IT provision
As a distance learning student, you'll be able to remotely access online journals, articles and e-books. Opportunities are also provided for continual online support and tutorials from both qualified librarians and your course tutor.

The library team offer real-time online help through ‘Live Chat’ at various periods throughout the day and they also offer online tutorials to help you make the most of our electronic resources.

To find out more information, visit our University Library website.
Library Services - distance learning
University library services will be central to your study experience and are delivered at our two libraries on campus, as well as online. Our libraries offer a variety of study environments to meet your needs, including areas for groupwork, individual and silent study. You’ll also have access to desktop PCs, space to use your own mobile technology and printing facilities.

The library works closely with academic staff within each faculty to offer specialist, industry standard resources in your subject discipline. The Faculty of Education provides thousands of relevant books and e-books, with many more titles available through the inter-library loan service. You’ll also have access to a comprehensive range of print and electronic journals which are always kept up to date, including the EBSCO Professional Development Collection, Community Care Inform, JSTOR and many more.

To find out more information, visit our University Library website.
Library Services - education
Map and directions

Facilities

You'll be based at the recently refurbished Wearside View, situated on the award-winning Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter's. This stunning riverside location benefits from dedicated library services and has superb transport links with the city centre and City Campus.

For the part-time course, you must have access to a computer with internet access. The two on-campus weekends will be taught in lecture theatres and teaching classrooms, also at the Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter's.

Entry requirements

Our typical offer is:

Qualification	Minimum grade
a Canadian bachelor's degree	GPA 2.40
a USA bachelor's degree	GPA 2.5

If you already hold a postgraduate qualification, please see our Applying for additional postgraduate degrees Help and Advice article.

If you don't meet our standard entry requirements, you can take one of the foundation pathways at our partners ONCAMPUS Sunderland. Find out more information and whether your course is eligible on our ONCAMPUS page.

If your qualification is not listed above, please contact the Student Administration team at studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk for further advice.

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 of Sunderland.

You must have a grade C or above in mathematics, science, and English language, or equivalent qualifications. 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.

In addition to academic qualifications, you must also:

Have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
Complete a medical pro forma (based on DFEE Circular 8/92)
If English isn't your first language, obtain International English Language Testing System (IELTS) at a score of 6.5, with at least 6.5 in writing, and no section below 6.0.

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

You may have work experience in a mainstream primary school to gain knowledge of Key Stage 1 and 2, but this isn't essential. You'll be assessed on your potential to learn and not your experience.

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

Please note, applicants with a foundation degree will need to supplement this qualification with at least 60 credits at level 6 (HE level 3) in order to attain an equivalent single qualification.

PGCE Primary Education with QTS (Part-time) FAQs

Is your qualification not displaying here? For international qualifications, search our full list of international entry requirements for this course.

Fees and finance

Full-time fees are:

£9,535 if you're from the UK*/Europe
£16,500 if you're an international student

*Undergraduate fees are set according to rules from Government in line with forecast inflation. The fee for your first year of study for 2025/26 will be £9,535. You will pay tuition fees for every year of study. Fees may increase every year based on the Retail Price Index.

Part-time fees are £4,768. Please note, part-time study is not available to international students.

Tuition fees for this course are eligible for funding through the Student Loans Company (SLC). Please apply through the SLC’s website, or contact our Student Financial Guidance team.

Take a look at the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.

This information was correct at the time of publication.

Career ready

The PGCE Primary Education awards Qualified Teacher Status, which means that when you graduate, you’ll be qualified to teach in any state-maintained primary school in England. Most graduates from this course go on to become a primary school teacher.

Good teachers area always in high demand. All qualified teachers will have a starting salary of at least £31,650, and this will be higher for teachers working in London. The amount you earn will then increase until you reach the top end of your pay scale, after which you can choose to progress into more senior roles, such as leading practitioner or head teacher.

The teachers’ pension scheme is also one of the most generous public sector pension schemes in the UK, one of the few guaranteed by the Government.

School placements

The University has partnerships with over 650 schools, colleges and other educational establishments across the North East and beyond. We’ll work with you to try and find you the perfect teaching placement – schools that can nurture and support your aspirations and interests, and help you become the best primary school teacher you can be. When you’re ready to start searching for a teaching job, you'll already have valuable first-hand teaching experience, as well as a wide network of professional contacts who can help you find the right career opportunities.

Meet the students

It's been enjoyable, informative, and helped me develop personally and professionally.

Daniel Turner
I wouldn’t be in the role I’m in today without the University.

Kendel Gilbert
Since finishing my PGCE, I've gained employment within my current workplace as a full-time teacher.

Molly Benson

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Contact

Contact the Student Helpline for further information about studying at the University of Sunderland:

0191 515 3000

student.helpline@sunderland.ac.uk

View Programme Specifications for the Faculty of Education and Society.

Page last updated: 21 January 2025

We aim to provide clear, accurate and timely information to prospective and current students. We continuously review and enhance course content in consultation with our students and the information provided on our website is the latest available. If you have received an offer from us to start a course, we will communicate any important changes to you in writing. We will always seek to ensure that our prospective students are fully aware of the basis on which they are accepting an offer.