About this course

Develop the skills and subject knowledge to be a fully qualified science teacher, with a specialism in physics, chemistry or biology, on this PGCE Secondary course. You’ll spend time on school placements and at the University of Southampton as you learn how to teach school pupils aged 11 to 16. With this qualification you’ll be able to teach in state-maintained and special schools in England and Wales.

On this Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course you’ll build on your existing subject knowledge to become a skilled and confident secondary school science teacher within the UK’s National Curriculum for science framework.

You’ll specialise in physics, chemistry or biology, but will graduate with the knowledge and skills to teach all 3. You’ll also be qualified to teach your specialist subject to post-16 students.

You’ll learn both the theory and practice of teaching on this course, gaining real-world experience through 2 school placements.

We'll also teach you essential skills and strategies to:

manage the classroom
monitor and assess pupils
teach inclusively

You'll spend about two-thirds of your time (at least 120 days) in placement schools in the Southampton area. Here you’ll observe lessons and work with small groups of pupils before being introduced to whole-class teaching when you’re ready for it.

We'll make sure you're supported by a school-based mentor throughout your placements.

The rest of your time will be spent at the University, where you’ll build your subject-specific skills and knowledge, prepare for your placements, and evaluate your school-based work.

Course lead

Your course leader is Matt Perks, Senior Teaching Fellow within Southampton Education School. He taught physics, chemistry and biology in secondary schools for many years before joining the University. Read Matt’s staff profile to find out more about his 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 Course Description Document

The Course Description Document details your course overview, your course structure and how your course is taught and assessed.

Changes due to COVID-19

Although the COVID-19 situation is improving, any future restrictions could mean we might have to change the way parts of our teaching and learning take place in 2021 to 2022. We're working hard to plan for a number of possible scenarios. This means that some of the information on this course page may be subject to change.

Find out more on our COVID advice page.

ODT

Download 2021-22 Course Description Document

Entry requirements

You’ll need:

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

Find the equivalent international qualifications for your country.

Classroom experience or evidence of working with young people may strengthen your application.

If your science qualifications don’t meet our requirements, we might ask you to attend a Science Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) course as an offer condition.

Before applying, you should read:

National Curriculum for Science
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. At least 2 days of teacher observation will take place before the start of the main programme.

Find out more about University key dates.

You’ll divide your time between the University and 2 placement schools. You’ll spend at least 120 days on your placements.

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

Changes due to COVID-19

Although the COVID-19 situation is improving, any future restrictions could mean we might have to change the way parts of our teaching and learning take place in 2021 to 2022. We're working hard to plan for a number of possible scenarios. This means that some of the information on this course page may be subject to change.

Find out more on our COVID advice page.

For entry in Academic Year 2022-23

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

This module consists of a Portfolio of Evidence from Teaching across all Placement Schools/Colleges. It is assessed against the Teachers’ Standards and is used to evidence that QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) has been met by the Trainee Teacher.

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.

A school-based mentor will support you throughout your 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 as a science teacher in state-maintained and special schools in England and Wales.

You’ll also be qualified to teach your specialist science subject to over-16s.

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 £21,000.

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:

Teacher training bursaries and scholarships

There is a variety of government funding available for teacher training, including bursaries of £24,000 and scholarships of £26,000.

Find out what you might be eligible for on the Department for Education website.

Funding for EU and international students

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

How to apply

You must apply for this course on GOV.UK. You’ll need to create an account in order to submit your application.

Application deadlines

UK students

Make sure we receive your application at least 4 weeks before the start of the course. This gives us time to consider your application, if there are still places available.

International students

Make sure we receive your application at least 6 weeks before the start of the course.

This gives us time to consider your application, if there are still places available. It will also give you time to apply for a visa if we offer you a place.

Supporting information

GOV.UK processes applications for this course. When you apply, they’ll give you details of any supporting information or documents you’ll need to supply.

Learn more about how to apply with our postgraduate application guide.

What happens after you apply

After applying through GOV.UK you’ll hear from us by email. We have 40 days to respond, but most applicants hear back much sooner.

If you get through to the next stage we’ll invite you to an interview with tutors, where we’ll assess your suitability for training and teaching. We’ll also ask you to give a short presentation and carry out a written task.

We’ll then decide whether to offer you a conditional place. The decision will be uploaded to your GOV.UK application within 5 working days.

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

Equality and diversity

We treat and select everyone in line with our Equality and Diversity Statement.

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

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