Course Summary

Description

The PGCE Secondary is the first phase of a career-long process of personal and professional development, which will equip you to become a secondary school teacher. The PGCE Secondary is a course in Initial Teacher Training which is accredited by the DfE, the successful completion of which will accord you Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Our course has recently been inspected by Ofsted which resulted in an “Outstanding” grading for all aspects of our provision.

Students who have successfully completed the PGCE at Durham in the previous academic year have the option to use 90 credits they have accredited towards a part time MA Education. These students only need to do the core modules, Education Enquiry and the Dissertation over 2 years, to complete the course. 

Subject pedagogy is explored in curriculum groups, examining techniques for making each subject accessible and stimulating in a classroom environment.

The history course at Durham aims to:

• provide you with the necessary knowledge, understanding and skills needed to become an effective and inspirational teacher of history
• extend your awareness of the importance and relevance of history as a subject in schools today
• provide opportunities for you to experience and explore a variety of approaches to teaching the subject
• allow you to develop an appreciation of your own areas of expertise and areas for development.

The course is based on the firm belief that history is a relevant, exciting subject to teach and does not consist of transmitting a mass of information to pupils who then memorise and regurgitate it. The course has a practical emphasis and will introduce you to a range of approaches to teaching history, so enabling you to develop your own teaching style.

There are three integrated components: the concurrent course, the preliminary teaching practice and the main teaching practice. The concurrent course, undertaken in the two teaching practice schools, consists of three days of school-based work and two days of university-based work. These two elements fully complement each other and the work undertaken as part of the university-based history method course is applied during the school visits and teaching practices.

Structure and Assessment

The course is organised as three modules:

• Professional Issues in school based education
• Teaching and Learning in the Curriculum
• Self-directed Study

The Professional Issues in School Based Education relates to the Teacher Standards and is delivered in two parts, prior to each of the two extended teaching practices. The teaching is related to those classroom-based issues such as the psychology of learning, the law, curriculum groups, examining techniques for making each subject accessible and stimulating in a classroom environment and is followed up in subject groups and during school placements The block practices in the Autumn and Spring allow for practical opportunities for full professional development where there is a progression from observation, structured activities and group work to whole class work.

Teaching and Learning in the Curriculum and Self-directed Study are studied at Masters Level. The Teaching and Learning in the Curriculum Module draws on the international research expertise within the School of Education enabling student teachers to engage critically in issues relevant to the classroom and school, particularly those that impact on the success of children as learners. The Self-directed Study module draws on students’ experience during weekly visits to schools and their own small scale action research, and links this to critical engagement with published educational research.

These Masters modules provide an opportunity to explore, in a more theoretical way, the issues to do with teaching and learning through lectures and mixed subject and phase seminar groups taught as a conference week usually after Christmas. In addition to covering Teacher standards these modules will enable assessment work to be carried out for the award of PGCE.

On successful completion of the course, student teachers will have 90 credits and QTS.

Course Learning and Teaching

The university-based activities will consist of lectures, seminars, workshop sessions, student presentations, role play and visits to historical sites. A number of sessions will be led by visiting teachers. The mixture of tutor-led and student-led sessions and of individual and group work is aimed at encouraging you to think critically about history, the way it is taught and the wider contribution it can make to the education of children. Throughout the course there will be regular tutorials and time for critical reflection, and as an integral part of the course you will be encouraged to evaluate the university course and your school-based activities.

Undoubtedly, one of the great strengths of the course is the way in which the university lecturers, school tutors and students work together. Each year the course is modified to meet the current needs of the students.

The university-based method course will focus on a number of topics including:

• the nature, aims and justification of history and The National Curriculum
• long, medium and short term lesson planning
• classroom management
• teaching GCSE and A Level
• cross-curricular elements, including literacy and numeracy
• the use of documents and other sources
• marking and assessment
• teaching pupils of differing abilities, including the most able
• the use of artefacts
• role play and historical fiction
• fieldwork and visits
• job applications and interviews.

You will be based in one of our secondary partnership schools where you will have the opportunity to develop your skills in a teaching environment.

The school-based activities involve structured classroom observations, planning and research projects and practical teaching - the latter starting by teaching individual pupils or parts of lessons, eventually leading to group work and full classroom teaching

Admissions Process

Subject requirements, level and grade

At UCAS you can apply for this course by using the following code: V1X1

• The equivalent of a UK 2:2 honours degree of which approximately 50% is comprised of History or a closely related subject. If your degree is from an overseas institution you must apply for a Statement of Comparability from NARIC
• A demonstrable interest and involvement in the lives and development of young people
• GCSE English and Mathematics at Grade 4 (or C) or above (or equivalent) which must be achieved at the time of application. If your equivalent qualifications are from an overseas institution, you must apply for a Statement of Comparability from NARIC.

Your professional and interpersonal qualities and your commitment to teaching will be considered when making an admissions decision. Candidates who meet the criteria, will be invited to a selection day. Selection days will involve individual interviews with a pre-prepared presentation element and tests to assess written English and other skills.

Successful candidates will receive an offer conditional upon successful medical and criminal record checks. The latter is carried out by the Disclosure and Barring Service and full instructions on how to apply for a DBS Disclosure will be provided.

If you have a criminal record of any kind, you may contact the School of Education DBS Manager, Caroline Emery, for further advice and information. All enquiries will be treated in confidence.

• We strongly encourage you to register for theDBS Update Service, which lets you take your certificate from one employer to another without having to apply for a new check. Please note, all DBS Enhanced Disclosures for our Students must be applied for through Durham University unless you have applied to the Update Service.

English Language requirements

Please check requirements for your subject and level of study.

How to apply

www.durham.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply

Fees and Funding

Full Time Fees

The tuition fees shown are for one complete academic year of full time study, are set according to the academic year of entry, and remain the same throughout the duration of the programme for that cohort (unless otherwise stated).

Please also check costs for colleges and accommodation.

Scholarships and funding

www.durham.ac.uk/postgraduate/finance

Career Opportunities

School of Education

Career opportunities in education are wide and include classroom teaching, educational leadership and management, administration and policy development.

For further information on career options and employability, including the results of the Destination of Leavers survey, student and employer testimonials and details of work experience and study abroad opportunities, please view our department web pages. 

Open days and visits

Pre-application open day

www.durham.ac.uk/postgraduate/visit

Overseas Visit Schedule

www.durham.ac.uk/international/office/meetus

Postgraduate Visits

www.durham.ac.uk/postgraduate/visit/

Department Information

School of Education

Overview

The School of Education is one of the leading departments of education in the UK. We are a large department, with around 50 academic staff, and around 650 postgraduate students (including our PGCE students, both primary and secondary). We are also supported by a large number of partners from schools and colleges. We have strong international links, welcoming students, postdoctoral fellows and visiting scholars from all over the world. We are committed to research which engages with, and has an impact upon, practice and policy as well as influencing the wider research community to develop educational practice, education policy and future educational research.

Ranking

Ranked joint 5th in the UK for World-Leading research and joint 1st for World-Leading research impact in REF 2014.

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