About this course

Gain the knowledge and skills to be a fully qualified English teacher on this PGCE Secondary course at the University of Southampton. You’ll divide your time between school placements and the University as you develop the theory and techniques to teach the subject to all secondary school pupils. With this qualification you'll be able to work in academy, state-maintained, independent and special schools in England and Wales.

This Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course will prepare you to teach young people aged 11 to 16 within the UK’s National Curriculum for English framework (Key Stages 3 and 4).

There will also be opportunities to learn about teaching students aged 16 to 19.

You’ll build on your existing knowledge of English language and literature and learn the most effective methods for helping young people to:

become fluent readers and writers
improve their vocabulary and use of grammar
understand and enjoy English literature
explain, listen and debate

Your training will also teach you essential skills such as:

managing the classroom
monitoring and assessing pupils
teaching inclusively

You'll spend at least of 120 days in placement schools in the Southampton area, where you’ll observe lessons and work with small groups of pupils before gradually being introduced to whole-class teaching. You’ll have the support of a school-based mentor throughout your placements.

The rest of your time will be spent at the University, where we'll prepare you for your placements, evaluate your school-based work, and develop subject-specific skills and good practice.

The course has a strong practical focus but we’ll also encourage you to develop your own theoretical and philosophical approach to teaching English.

Course lead

Your course leader is Kate Freeth, Director of Initial Teacher Education within Southampton Education School, and an experienced secondary school teacher. Her areas of interest include literacy and learning, and special educational needs. Read Kate Freeth's staff profile to find out more about her work.

Accreditations

Department for Education

Course location

This course is based at Highfield.

Awarding body

This qualification is awarded by the University of Southampton.

Download the programme specification

The programme specification sets out the learning outcomes of this course and details how the course is taught and assessed.

PDF

Download 2021-22 programme specification

83019

Entry requirements

You’ll need:

A degree in English or a related subject
GCSEs (minimum grade 4/C) in English language and maths

Find the equivalent international qualifications for your country.

Secondary school classroom experience may strengthen your application.

Before applying, you should read the UK National Curriculum for English and the standards for the award of Qualified Teacher Status.

Got a question?

Please contact us if you're not sure you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.

Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000

Course structure

This is a full-time course. You’ll study from September to June, with breaks at Christmas and Easter.

Find out more about University key dates.

You’ll divide your time between the University and 2 placement schools.

The course consists of 4 compulsory modules. We assess 3 of them at master’s level, 1 at undergraduate level. You’ll need to pass the 3 master’s-level modules to gain your PGCE award.

Want more detail? See all the modules in the course.

Modules

For entry in Academic Year 2021-22

You must study the following modules:

Assignment 1

The outcomes of this module will comprise: - A literature review which presents and synthesises the available knowledge within the selected area under investigation. This module is compulsory as it enables students to develop their teaching within their...

Assignment 2

The outcomes of this module will comprise: a) a written summary including research findings, a discussion in relation to literature and conclusion with implications for classroom practice b) an 'intervention' which outlines how the student will plac...

Assignment 3

Students elect to follow a particular issue from a suite of options presented on an annual basis by staff in Education. The outcomes of the module are for the student to make an oral presentation on their investigations using technology where appropriate.

Assignment 4

Learning and assessment

Learning

The learning activities for this course include the following:

workshops and seminars
tutorials 
group activities 
directed study 
independent study and research
conference days
guest speakers

Assessment

We’ll assess you using:

written assignments
a presentation
a portfolio

Academic Support

We'll assign you a personal academic tutor, and you'll have access to a senior tutor.

You’ll have the support of a school-based mentor during your practice placements.

Careers

Successfully completing this course will give you Qualified Teacher Status in addition to your PGCE award. This means you'll be able to work in academy, state-maintained, independent and special schools in England and Wales.

We have high employment rates from our PGCE Secondary courses, with many trainees going on to work in our partnership schools.

If you choose to continue your studies, the credits you build up from your master’s-level modules can be put towards a future master’s degree qualification.

Careers services at Southampton

We're a top 20 UK university for employability (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2020). Our Careers and Employability Service will support you throughout your time as a student and for up to 5 years after graduation. This support includes:

work experience schemes
CV/resume and interview skills workshops
networking events
careers fairs attended by top employers
a wealth of volunteering opportunities
study abroad and summer school opportunities

We have a thriving entrepreneurship culture. You'll be able to take advantage of:

our dedicated start-up incubator, Futureworlds
a wide variety of enterprise events run throughout the year
our partnership in the world’s number 1 business incubator, SETsquared

Fees, costs and funding

Tuition fees

Fees for a year's study:

UK students pay £9,250.
EU and international students pay £19,850.

Check fees for other versions of this course.

What your fees pay for

Your tuition fee covers the full cost of tuition and any exams.

Find out how to pay your tuition fees.

Accommodation and living costs, such as travel and food, are not included in your tuition fees. Explore:

Funding your postgraduate studies

A variety of additional scholarships, grants and bursaries may be available to help you fund your master’s study, both from the University and from other organisations.

Funding for EU and international students

Find out about funding you could get as an international student.

How to apply

PGCE course applications are processed through UCAS. When you apply, you'll be taken to the UCAS website where you'll need to register an account with UCAS to submit an application.

Once you've registered with UCAS, you'll be invited to apply to several courses by including their course code in your application.

PGCE course codes
PGCE course	Course code
Art and Design	32HL
English	QX31
Geography	F8X1
History	V1X1
Mathematics	G1X1
Modern Languages (French)	R1X1
Modern Languages (German)	R2X1
Modern Languages (Spanish)	R4X1
Physical Education	X9C6
Sciences (Biology)	C1X1
Sciences (Chemistry)	F1X1
Sciences (Physics)	F3X1
Physics with Mathematics	F3GX
Primary	X100
Primary with Mathematics	2DXB

Application deadlines

UK students

Applications must be received no later than 4 weeks before the start of the course. You must supply all supporting documentation at least 2 weeks before starting your course.

International students

We recommend you apply at least 6 weeks before the start of the course to ensure you're able to meet our requirements and apply for a visa in time.

We cannot guarantee students who do not meet these deadlines will be able to begin their course.

Supporting information

Please note, we do close our courses when all places have been filled. Therefore, we recommend you apply as early as possible.

What happens after you apply

Following application through UCAS you'll hear back by email from the University. The University has 40 working days to respond to your application, but you'll almost always hear back much sooner than that.

If you get through to the next stage of the process we'll invite you to an interview where we will assess your suitability to train and teach. This will include a chance to find out more about the course and to ask questions. You'll give a short presentation, complete a short written task and have an interview with tutors. Following the interview, we'll make a decision on whether or not to offer you a conditional place. The decision will be uploaded to UCAS within 5 working days of the interview date.

Interviews will take place online if they are not possible in person. You'll receive an email from the admissions tutor if we'd like to talk to you before offering you a place.

All offers are conditional on enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and health checks.