Why study this course?

By choosing to train as a teacher of five to 11-year-olds at London Met, you’ll be joining a powerful partnership of diverse teachers and schools. We place emphasis on learning to teach in an urban multicultural environment that's ideal for working in a city setting. You’ll undertake school placements of at least 24 weeks, giving you very strong hands-on practical experience, combined with the benefit of university teaching and support.


Our trainees attain high results with almost 100% passing the course, and very high rates of employment. Many of our trainees gain employment in their placement schools.


Interested in finding out more? Sign up for one of our information events – online or in person – a chance to meet the tutors and get your questions answered. See below.

More about this course

This highly-regarded course lead to both Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and to the master's level Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). It prepares you to teach children from five to eleven years old (Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2). You will also be able to work in an Early Years setting. Our course is made up of 4 modules:


Two 'School Experience' modules give you a minimum of 24 weeks (120 days) in school. This time is made up of two school placements, during which you will develop your skills and confidence - from observing lessons and leading small learning episodes, through to being a fully fledged teacher.

There are also two academic modules:
Curriculum Studies introduces you to the key knowledge you need to teach classes of primary school age, including the ability to plan and teach lessons for classes of all levels of attainment. You will learn to teach and assess progress in the core subjects of Maths, Science and English (reading and writing) and in all of the foundation subjects.


The Professional Inclusive Practice (PIP) module is underpinned by the university's Education for Social Justice agenda, and based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), giving you a clear framework for meeting the needs of all the children you'll be teaching.

This module, which draws upon our wider team of industry-leading experts, introduces you to everything you need to know to fulfil the wider professional requirements of being a teacher; including the crucial topics of Safeguarding and Child Protection. You will develop the skills and knowledge you need to work with pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and English as an Additional Language (EAL), which you will practice during your school placements. It also allows you to develop the habits of a 'critically reflective practitioner', which will sustain you through a career of often rapid change.

Throughout your school placements, our school-based mentors and university link-tutors will support you in in the classroom, ensuring that you are able to learn every aspect of the Core Content Framework for teacher training.


Your personal university link-tutor will support you in all aspects of your training programme; as part of the Primary Tutor Team they will teach your university sessions, ensuring there is continuity of support throughout your training. By working in both environments, you have the chance to reflect on the links between your own teaching theory and practice.


This course was highly-rated by Ofsted in our most recent inspection:
"[There is an] inclusive, welcoming and open ethos and culture created by course leaders. Combined with the tailored and personalised support trainees receive, [this] enables [students] to successfully complete their training and confidently go on to gain employment."
Ofsted, 2016.

Assessment

Your development will being assessed formatively throughout the course, with regular feedback and feed-forward on next steps for progress. Towards the end of the course your teaching will be assessed in relation to the Teaching Standards for QTS.


In addition, you will complete two major assignments:

  • a Professional Practice Portfolio which is compiled across the year, detailing personal experiences and reflections on your development as a teacher, largely in relation to your practical teaching experience
  • an Educational Research Assignment, which allows you to explore a key educational issue of your choice.

There are no written examinations.

Professional accreditation

This PGCE with QTS course is authorised by the Department of Education (DfE) and accredited by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA).

Fees and key information

Course type
Postgraduate
Course code X100
Entry requirements View
Apply now

Entry requirements

Before you are able to enrol on the course, you must have:

  • a UK degree, preferably grade 2.2 or equivalent
  • GCSE English, Mathematics and Science grade C/4 or above (or equivalent)*
  • a valid Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate which you will be advised to apply for after an offer is made
  • confirmation of fitness to teach through a London Metropolitan University health check
  • acceptable academic and/or professional references

If you hold a third class degree, you may still be considered, particularly if this qualification is supported by a completed Master's degree or relevant work experience.

We do make conditional offers (with strict deadlines) so it is important that you include all pending qualifications in your application.

The University will assess any overseas qualifications for equivalence using a number of resources including our own internal guidelines, the UK ENIC and the Overseas Degree Table.

We highly recommend the one-to-one tailored advice on eligibility and equivalency offered by the Department For Education Get Into Teaching service.

*If you need to take an equivalency test for any of the required GCSEs, please sign up for A Star Equivalency or Equivalency Testing. They offer all three GCSE equivalencies. Please be aware that you may need to undertake study towards the exam, either with the equivalency organisation or independently.

Alternatively, you might want to sign up for a college GCSE course in the relevant subject, which will give a more thorough grounding in the subject.

Selection process

In addition to the entry requirements above, London Metropolitan University will undertake a rigorous selection process to ensure that you are suitable and ready to train to teach with us. This process will include:

 

  • Face to face interview in the university (online interviews may be available in certain circumstances)
  • Presentation of a mock lesson
  • Group work assessment tasks
  • Maths and English skills (assessed as part of the interview)

Professional requirements

Before you can be permitted to enrol to this course:

  • you must not already hold QTS or be qualified to teach in another EU/EEA country

Prior to the interview for this course, London Met recommends:

  • you have a minimum of 10 working days recent experience in a school
  • you are prepared for your understanding of current teaching practice and issues in schools to be assessed
  • you have an awareness of multiculturalism and other contexts unique to urban schools
  • you're aware you may be invited to interview based on information given in your application, which you may need to discuss with the interviewer.

Some offers may recommend further school experience if required.

International students and English language requirements

In most cases, we are not able to offer sponsorship under the Student visa route for this course. We will be happy to consider those falling into this category for an alternative suitable course on request. Overseas nationals who already hold an alternative visa in a suitable category or have been granted permission to remain in the UK indefinitely may be considered for admission, but please note that an additional international enhanced police check will be required.

Accreditation of Prior Learning

Any university-level qualifications or relevant experience you gain prior to starting university could count towards your course at London Met. Find out more about applying for Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL).

English language requirements

To study a degree at London Met, you must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. If you require a Student visa you may need to provide the results of a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as Academic IELTS. This course requires you to meet our standard requirements.

If you need (or wish) to improve your English before starting your degree, the University offers a Pre-sessional Academic English course to help you build your confidence and reach the level of English you require.

Modular structure

The modules listed below are for the academic year 2023/24 and represent the course modules at this time. Modules and module details (including, but not limited to, location and time) are subject to change over time.

Year 1 modules include:

This module currently runs:
  • all year (September start)

To support the trainee to:
● Develop a deep understanding of the curriculum they will be required to teach on school experience, and an ability to interpret this to plan engaging lessons which promote pupil progression.
● Develop their own subject knowledge to ensure they are confident to teach on school experience, through a combination of personal evaluation, target setting, personal study and engagement with university teaching and learning sessions.
● Develop a critical appreciation of the relevant traditions in pedagogy, assessment and children’s rights related to the areas they will be required to teach, and to use this knowledge to make decisions about planning, teaching and assessment which promote pupil progression.

This module currently runs:
  • all year (September start)
  • all year (January start)
  • autumn semester

To support the trainee to:
● Critically engage with the debate about teacher professionalism in the context of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the DfE Core Content Framework.
● Understand how teachers can use / undertake research to critically engage with complex educational issues.

This module currently runs:
  • autumn semester

To support the trainee to:
● Make progress towards meeting the minimum requirements of the Core Content Framework for ITT.
● Become a critically reflective practitioner inside and outside the classroom.
● Acquire the necessary skills, experience and understanding required to plan, deliver and evaluate the appropriate areas of the curriculum (for their route) by the end of the module.

This module currently runs:
  • spring semester
  • autumn semester

To support the trainee to:
Achieve the professional Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or Early Years Teachers Standards for Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) by the end of the course.
● To become a critically reflective practitioner inside and outside the classroom.
● To undertake the minimum requirements of the Core Content Framework for ITT.
● To acquire the necessary skills, experience and understanding required to plan, deliver and evaluate the appropriate areas of the national curriculum (for their route) by the end of the module.

What our students say

“I really enjoyed my course at London Metropolitan University. There was a lot to learn, but the support and guidance from my tutor and mentors was excellent throughout and by the end of the course I really felt prepared to take on my first mainstream teaching assignment. The tutors and lecturers helped me set the right goals for my development as a teacher as well as giving me the tools to succeed. I had two great school placements arranged by the University and I feel these were key to building my confidence. I was really happy to be offered a job by one of these schools – my PGCE year couldn’t have ended better.”
Maira Rodrigues, London Met trainee and Year 4 teacher at Lloyd Williamson Primary School, Kensington.

Where this course can take you

This intensive PGCE leads to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), which enables you to teach five to 11-year-olds. Our trainees have gone on to secure primary teacher roles at hundreds of schools across London and beyond, including Orchard Primary School in Hackney, Vittoria School In Islington, Stroud Green Primary in Haringey, West Ham CofE Primary in Newham and many more.

Funding

SFE Funding is available for all postgraduate courses leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), subject to eligibility. Depending on your teaching subject and degree classification, you may be eligible for a bursary or scholarship of up to £30,000 through the teacher training bursary.

Additional costs

Please note, in addition to the tuition fee there may be additional costs for things like equipment, materials, printing, textbooks, trips or professional body fees.

Additionally, there may be other activities that are not formally part of your course and not required to complete your course, but which you may find helpful (for example, optional field trips). The costs of these are additional to your tuition fee and the fees set out above and will be notified when the activity is being arranged.

Top tips for applications

  • Ask somebody you trust to check your personal statement, both for accuracy of writing and for focused, relevant content.
  • Ensure that your personal statement addresses your reasons for choosing the exact course, phase or subject specialism. Make sure that all potentially relevant experience is referred to in your statement – if you don’t tell us, we won’t know!
  • Don’t wait until you have passed all relevant qualifications before applying (but make sure you tell us about them – otherwise, again, we won’t know).
  • If your qualifications are from another country, you will have to get an ENIC statement of equivalence.
  • Make sure you have read all the relevant course documentation and requirements before applying.
  • If in doubt, ask!

How to apply

You can apply for all teacher training courses, apart from the assessment-only route, through the Department for Education’s “Apply for teacher training” service.

Select London Metropolitan University (L68) as the training provider and then choose the relevant course. You can also use the following codes:

Training provider code: L68
Course code: X100


 



When to apply

Please apply as early as possible to maximise your chances of securing a place. The application window opens in early October for courses starting the following September.

Do not wait until you’ve met all the criteria before applying.

If you’re not sure whether you meet the criteria, please do one of the following:

  • Contact us to enquire about the eligibility of your qualifications and experience. We’ll be able to let you know whether the Level 2 Maths certificate that you have is accepted for teacher training, or whether your degree is considered relevant to the secondary course you’re applying for.
  • Apply early and make it clear in your personal statement what steps you propose to take to get the relevant qualifications or experience.

Places are offered on a first come, first served basis. We also operate waiting lists for these courses. This PGCE course will operate different term dates from the standard university dates, following closely to the pattern of the English school year. It will normally start in early September and run until early July.

As this is a full-time (5 days per week) course, you will need to ensure that you are available for this time period.

To find out when teaching for this degree will begin, as well as welcome week and any induction activities, view our academic term dates.

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